Hockey Season's Here, So ESPN and MassMutual Hit the Ice

Hey, your Stanley Cup’s smudged. Better get it into the dishwasher, stat!

Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault, from the NHL Champion Vegas Golden Knights, make sure the iconic trophy looks spic and span in ESPN’s quickie “This Is SportsCenter” promo:

SportsCenter anchor Steve Levy looks … amused?

“There have been iconic NHL This Is SportsCenter commercials, so to be lucky enough to add to the canon is really special,” says creative director Chris Kim of Arts & Letters, which developed the spot. “We loved getting to work along with two of the sport’s biggest stars—the Stanley Cup and Steve Levy.”

Hey, they snuck a funny into the canned quote. Well played!

Meanwhile, Nashville Predators Juuse Saros and Ryan O’Reilly star in Grey N.Y.’s silly :30 for MassMutual. There’s no Cup in this one. Better luck this year, Nashville.

How’d Juice ever memorize all those lines?

“We hope to convey to viewers that planning and protection go well beyond the rink,” said MassMutual’s Jennifer Halloran, head of brand and marketing. “We had a lot of fun filming this spot with Juuse and Ryan, and hope fans will take a moment to consider their own financial goals.”

Finally, the NHL poses a loaded question in its 2023-24 hype video:

The clip, from Highdive, features budding stars Jack Hughes, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk. It employs a lighter touch than another recent big-time sports promo that pops to mind (and no tires were harmed in the making of the NHL’s ad).

“There’s a fun and youthful energy in hockey being driven by player personalities and fan passion,” says agency GCD Brian Culp. “This on and off-ice combination is getting new fans to embrace the sport, and it’s what we strive to show in this spot.”