Creative Spot/Video: “Fired Up” Click here for media assets The National Hockey League (NHL) and its U.S. and Canadian broadcast partners are bringing fans closer to the intensity of playoff hockey with a first-of-its-kind approach for the league through a new collaborative marketing campaign ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL, ESPN, TNT Sports and Sportsnet are collectively creating a cohesive look and feel for fans through a high-energy campaign showcasing why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are must-watch. The campaign, “You Just Have to Watch,” features a series of creative spots for the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with each network having its own version of the creative. The first spot, which debuted today, is “Fired Up.” The creative concept is meant to show how intense, exciting and adrenaline-filled postseason hockey is. NHL fans know what playoff hockey is all about, but as new patrons walk into packed hockey bars in the creative, they too learn that the Stanley Cup Playoffs deliver unmatched entertainment. Two other spots, “Overtime” and “Do Anything,” debut ahead of the Second Round and Conference Finals, respectively. Each network owns post-production of one spot, with ESPN editing “Fired Up,” Sportsnet editing “Overtime” and TNT Sports editing “Do Anything.” All creative was developed by creative agency Arts & Letters Creative Co. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 18. Executive Quotes: NHL: Said Casey Hall, NHL Senior Vice President, Marketing & Innovation: “This joint campaign is due to the incredible partners we have at ESPN, TNT and Sportsnet. Their collaborative spirit and shared vision have been instrumental in expanding our reach, aligning our message and bringing the excitement of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to more fans than ever before.” ESPN: Said Brian Iglesias, Vice President, Sports Marketing at ESPN: “We wanted this campaign to show new audiences that it only takes one game to get hooked on the intensity, energy and unpredictability of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. By working collectively with the league and other broadcast partners, we were able to create a connective thread across every platform that tells this unified story in a powerful way.” Sportsnet: Said Adam Bower, VP, Marketing and Creative at Rogers Sports & Media: “ The Stanley Cup Playoffs are among the most intense and exciting events in all of sports. Our collaborative approach to this year’s campaign with the NHL and its other broadcast partners reflects a shared commitment to growing the game across North America and telling a unified story on hockey’s biggest stage.” TNT: Said Drew Watkins, SVP, Creative Director at TNT Sports: “The NHL continues to spearhead exciting ways to connect with fans, while drawing on the shared enthusiasm its broadcasters have for playoff hockey. We were all pursuing a unified approach, while retaining the ability to fine-tune aspects of the creative to meet our respective network’s promotional needs.” Creative Credits: NHL Casey Hall, SVP Marketing & Innovation Dan Palla, Sr. Director Marketing Charlie Keuchler, Sr. Manager Marketing ESPN Jo Fox, SVP Marketing Brian Iglesias, VP Sports Marketing Lucas Ferraro, Sr Director Sports Marketing Jason Ritchkoff, Assoc Director, Sports Marketing Sierra Edwards, Assoc Manager, Sports Marketing Emma Mansfield, Coordinator, Sports Marketing Christopher Mantzaris, Sr Director, Production Shaun Leska, Assoc Director, Creative Production Matthew Cheron, Assoc Director, Creative Production Jonathan Weber, Sr Producer, Creative Production Albert Herrera, Sr Producer Thomas O’Hare, Lead Producer Editor Grayson Sedory, Supervising Post Editor Matthew Stolbof, Creative Production Assistant David Cohen, Art Director SPORTSNET Adam Bower, VP Marketing & Creative Julia McDonald, Director Marketing Irene Bastl, Sr. Manager Marketing Patrick McCann, Director Promo & Commercial Creative Hilding Gnanapragasam, Sr. Creative Director John Mallon, Sr. Promo Producer & Editor Murray Fleming, Sound Designer TNT Drew Watkins, SVP Creative Director Tyler Lassiter, Senior Creative Director Brodie Wasserman, Senior Marketing Director Dylan Harrison, Marketing Manager Brett Langefels, Senior Editor Sean McPherson, Compositor & Colorist Dan Cahill, Sound Designer A&L EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Charles Hodges Molly Jamison DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY: Andy Grayson HEAD OF PRODUCTION/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Lisa Setten CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Brett Simone Chris Kim CREATIVE TEAM: Jacob Castillo Sam Case Brendan Howard Matt Terrell PRODUCER: Rachael Yang GROUP BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Alex Scaros BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Guy Campbell BUSINESS MANAGER: Paige Majdic STRATEGIST: Joe Carr Scott Woodhouse MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Casey Wheeler DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Lenora Cushing Kim Burns BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER: Jennifer Kmetzsch FILM PRODUCTION: OPOSITIVE / SOMEPLACE NICE Director: Kenny Herzog Executive Producer: Ken Licata Jr. Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella Executive Producer: Estelle Weir Executive Producer: Marc Grill Line Producer: Kellyann Murphy Director of Photography: Mat Barkley Assistant Director: Scott Weatherall
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: espnpressroom.com