HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA UNVEILS NEW LOOK
By Adnews Staff
Hockey Night In Canada has a whole new look this season. The event has a new start time, a new beginning sequence and a new sponsor, Labatt Breweries of Canada. Hockey games will begin at 7 p.m. this year, while the pre-show game starts at 6:30 p.m. The new opening sequence of the show was created by SOHO Post & Graphics of Toronto. The sequence features a hockey player carrying the puck over the blue line and lets the shot go. As the puck approaches the camera, the picture is frozen. The viewer is then carried around by the puck, revealing the goalie waiting for the shot. The action goes back into full speed as the puck heads to the net. To promote its sponsorship of Hockey Night in Canada, Labatt Breweries will launch its Labatt Blue Shoot Out contest, which will take place in community arenas across Canada during the hockey season. In a different community each week, local fans will be invited to test their hockey skills and win prizes including the chance to appear on a Hockey Night in Canada telecast. In addition, each Labatt Blue Shoot Out will feature a Community Celebrity Challenge to help raise funds and awareness for local charities. Hockey fans interested in participating can look for a Shoot Out schedule and invitation in cases of Labatt Blue. Cases purchased in Western and Atlantic Canada will feature one of six collectable NHL team magnets. In Ontario, fans will receive one of a set of four, NHL hockey highlight videos. At the beginning of each Shoot Out, ballots will be collected. The names of 20 participants will be randomly drawn to take part in a skills competition. The top two finishers will participate in the shoot out. Winners will be sent to see the NHL team of their choice play in a regular season game. The shoot out, as well as Labatt's sponsorship of Hockey Night in Canada ,will be promoted using TV ads created by Ammirati & Puris/Lintas of Toronto.