Hyundai has signed a multi-year agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to be its sponsor. The deal names Hyundai as the official vehicle of the league’s three Canadian teams in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. The partnership covers this year’s PWHL season, which began in January.

Christine Smith, director of marketing at Hyundai Auto Canada, tells MiC that the automaker will run ads highlighting the league’s inclusiveness and diversity. These will be placed in arenas, during game broadcasts and across digital and social media.

Hyundai is also launching a 30-second video in English and French that shows that “hockey is made for everyone.” The video will be part of the automaker’s “Made for those who drive hockey” campaign, which it plans to develop during the summer months, according to Smith.

“Part of our brand ethos at Hyundai Canada is to lead with DEI values in our everyday practices, and we jumped at the opportunity to pull this through to hockey as well,” says Smith. “This people-first, inclusive approach is part of our core values, and by supporting the PWHL in helping drive women’s hockey forward, we are taking another step in our commitment to all levels of hockey and supporting women in professional sports.”

Hyundai has a long relationship with hockey, says Smith. The company has previously sponsored the Rogers Hometown Hockey game, and supported grassroots and community hockey programs through its dealers and its Hyundai Hockey Helpers CSR program.

In 2022, the company also teamed up with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association in Canada, making its Genesis brand the official luxury automotive partner of the league and players’ association. Four years earlier, it launched the “Made for those who drive field hockey” campaign, which aimed to support refs, coaches and parents who volunteer their time driving to arenas.

For its part, the PWHL has been closing several sponsorship deals lately. Last week, Molson became a league sponsor and launched the “See My Name” campaign, which attempted to enhance league exposure by sponsoring the space above the numbers on PWHL jerseys. Other brands that have partnered with the league include Mattel Canada, Air Canada, Rogers, Pizza Pizza and Re/Max.