The National Hockey League has sold the naming rights to its four realigned divisions, adding the brands of Scotiabank financial services company, Honda motors, Discover credit card and MassMutual insurance to geographic names.
No financial terms of the sponsorships were disclosed in the NHL announcement on its website, but ESPN reported the change is only for the upcoming season, which is scheduled to start Jan. 13.
The league reportedly suffered a 14% loss in revenue due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus last season, according to Forbes. That equated to about $616 million less than the 2018-2019 season. It suspended play March 11, eventually resumed on Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, without spectators, and completed play on Sept. 28.
In accordance with an announcement in December by the NHL of a divisional realignment – necessitated by the U.S.-Canada border restrictions due to the declared COVID-19 health emergency, the company names will be added to geographically arranged and named divisions.
The Scotia North Division will encompass the Canadian teams Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg; the Honda West Division will include Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Jose, St. Louis, and Las Vegas; the Discover Central Division will be made up of Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville, and Tampa Bay; while the MassMutual East Division will have Boston, Buffalo, New Jersey, the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington.
The truncated season will consist of 56 games per team ending May 8, with each team playing only within its division, followed by a 16-team playoffs. The NHL has played an 82-game schedule since the 1995-96 season.
The naming of divisions and conferences for something other than geographic designations is not unprecedented in the NHL. From 1974 to 1993, the league used historic figures in the league’s history, such as former league president Clarence Campbell and former player and coach Lester Patrick, to identify its divisions and conferences.
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