by Dan Adkisson
The National Hockey League has continued to see tremendous growth over the last decade, and fans can expect to see more lucrative naming rights deals, both in terms of duration and monetary perks.
Among the many sources of revenue for NHL teams, naming rights deals for arenas are one of the surest ways of securing long term revenue. Franchises sign an agreement with corporations for a number of years in exchange for financial incentives.
As of this writing, only three NHL arenas are yet to trade their home arena’s naming rights to a corporate name sponsor: the Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers; FLA Live Arena, home of the Florida Panthers; and the Mullett Arena, home of the Arizona Coyotes.
The 19,250-capacity FLA Live Arena is only a temporary placeholder until the Panthers can secure a new, lucrative sponsorship deal, while the Mullet Arena, owned by Arizona State University, is only serving as a temporary venue until the Coyotes secure enough funding for a larger arena. It is reported that the Coyotes plan to open the New Tempe Arena, a 16,000-capacity stadium in 2026.
Without further ado, here are some the most valuable naming rights deals in the NHL
The Honda Center – Anaheim Ducks
Honda, a Japanese automobile conglomerate, paid $60 million for the naming rights of the Ducks home arena in 2006 after Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water Co. ended its 13-year sponsorship. The Honda deal expired in 2020, and has been renewed for another decade.
The TD Banknorth Garden – Boston Bruins
TD Bank, headquartered in Portland, ME, is a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank in Ontario. The bank struck a 20-year naming rights sponsorship deal with the Boston Bruins in 2005. The current deal is is reportedly worth around $119 million. TD Garden is also the home arena of NBA franchise, the Boston Celtics.
Fun fact: The Bruins have won just one Stanley Cup (2010) since the deal, and six overall. They are currently +1000 favorites to win the title this season according to NHL odds on FanDuel.
PNC Arena – Carolina Hurricanes
PNC Bank has owned the naming rights to the Carolina Hurricanes’ home arena since 2011. The deal reportedly pays $4 million per season.
The United Center – Chicago Blackhawks
NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and NBA’s Chicago Bulls signed the naming rights of their home arena to the United Airlines in 2014. Although the fee is undisclosed, journalistic reports suggest the deal to be worth $100 million for 20 years.
Nationwide Arena – Columbus Blue Jackets
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, headquartered in Columbus, OH has held the naming rights to the Blue Jackets home arena since 2000. The agreement is the only sponsorship in the NHL with no expiry, and is said to be worth $135 million. Nationwide also holds a majority stake in the Blue Jackets franchise.
The American Airlines Center – Dallas Stars
American Airlines signed an agreement with the Dallars Stars and Dallas Mavericks to hold the naming rights to their home arena in 2000. The 30-year deal is reportedly worth $195 million.
The Prudential Center – New Jersey Devils
Prudential Financial, a life insurance company based in Newark, NJ, bought the naming rights to the Devils’ home arena in 2007. It was also home to the NBA’s New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) before the franchise relocated to Brooklyn. The 20-year deal is said to be worth $105.3 million.
The Barclays Center – New York Islanders
Barclays, a financial conglomerate, based in the United Kingdom, has held the rights to the New York Islanders home stadium since 2012. The deal is worth $200 million through 20 years.
Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles Kings
This is by far the most lucrative naming rights deal to date. Late last year, Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency platform, based in Singapore purchased the rights to the Los Angeles Kings and Los Angeles Lakers home stadium, formerly known as Staples Center. According to NBA.com, the deal is worth $700 million over 20 years.
The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks also play their home games at the arena.