Toronto, Ontario – Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC has announced a new global multi-year partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Bridgestone brand has been named Official Tire of the three associations.

As part of the agreement, the NHL will grant Bridgestone rights to the League’s trademarks and provide numerous exclusive promotional opportunities throughout the NHL season and beyond, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Draft, NHL Award Show and the 2009 NHL All-Star game.

“The NHL has adopted a leading-edge approach to reaching its fans by developing assets in both new and traditional media, marquee events and grassroot platforms,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Senior Vice President, Corporate Sales & Marketing. “As a result, we have created more strategic opportunities for our partners to connect with our highly desirable demographic. As a premier sports property, we are excited to partner with a leadership brand like Bridgestone.”