Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 3:00 pm EST the NWHL will announce a sponsorship between the league and Boston-grown breakfast food franchise, Dunkin’ Donuts.
As first reported by Boston Herald business reporter Donna Goodison and women’s hockey photographer and freelancer Meg Linehan, NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan and players Meghan Duggan, Brianna Decker and Gigi Marvin will meet with the media at TD Garden in Boston to make the partnership official and public.
The Dunkin’ Donuts partnership will see the NWHL coordinate youth hockey clinics with team representatives in each market throughout the league’s inaugural season. As part of a new multi-year agreement, Dunkin’ Donuts is now the official hot, iced and frozen coffee of the NWHL, though venues will cut their own deals with the coffee company or continue to use their own catering companies. Additional highlights of the partnership include the Dunkin’ Donuts logo featured on all team jerseys, signage on league goal posts and behind each bench and advertising on www.nwhl.co and each individual team website.
This news might have been met with horror if the NWHL were in the same position as the NHL was when the men’s league announced over the summer that it was considering adding sponsor logos to jerseys. Instead, the announcement was met with an outpouring of delight on social media. Fans of women’s hockey are concerned about the league surviving and thriving; this announcement is a strong indicator the NWHL will be able to do both.
Those involved with the league, from players to fans, are celebrating the announcement.
NWHL RUNS ON DUNKIN ??
— Kelly McDonald (@kellymac_14) December 7, 2015
Along with league sponsorship, Dunkin’ Donuts has also entered into a personal services agreement with NWHL team Buffalo Beauts’ star and US Women’s Team Captain, Meghan Duggan. More details on that will come at the announcement Tuesday.
To kick off the partnership, Dunkin’ Donuts and NWHL players Meaghan Duggan from Buffalo Beauts, Brianna Decker and Gigi Marvin from Boston Pride will host the first clinic with the talented players from three local youth Hockey organizations: Assabet Valley, East Coast Wizards and the Islanders Hockey Club.
This is the first sponsorship between the NWHL and a company and is a huge get for the league. This will mean an influx of cash the organization needs to keep paying its players, purchasing equipment and paying for ice time, but will also be a boon to Dunkin’ Donuts, which positions itself as a family-friendly brand, giving away millions of dollars through its community foundation every year. By guaranteeing its brand is visible throughout the arena, Dunkin’ Donuts has put itself in a position to earn the familiarity and trust of NWHL fans.
Already some are taking to social media indicating that they will be stopping at “the Dunk’ on their way home from work as a way to support the NWHL.
Dunkin’ Donuts signed the multi-year agreement with the league, indicating that the NWHL was able to satisfy sponsorship questions about longevity and importance. This also sets the stage for the league to roll into next season better able to raise salary caps on teams and therefore expand rosters, increase player salaries, pay more staff, or all three.
CORRECTION: This article previously indicated Dunkin’ Donuts coffee would be sold at NWHL arenas and has been corrected.