Air Canada threatens to pull sponsorship from NHL over headshots

[RECCE]

Air Canada threatens NHL over headshots

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Air Canada, one of the NHL's largest financial corporate backers, is threatening to withdraw its sponsorship if the league doesn't take "immediate" and "serious" action on headshots, QMI Agency has learned.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday, Denis Vandal, Air Canada's director of marketing/communications, expressed concern over recent incidents of headshots and concussions.

The letter came in the wake of Tuesday night's controversial hit by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty at the Bell Centre. Following a telephone hearing Wednesday with NHL VP Mike Murphy, there was no punishment for Chara.

"We are contacting you (Wednesday) to voice our concern over (Tuesday night's) incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal," wrote Vandal. "This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-threatening headshots in the NHL recently."

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/09/17558366.html


EDIT: Sorry, CP'd the Subj Line, ended up with that.
Mod. Change?

Click to read more...

 

[Jet]

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/09/17558366.html

This should be interesting.

Can a sponsor shape league policy? Does Air Canada carry that much clout?

 

[Bob Cole]

good for them

time for these dinosaurs that are running the league to step down or get fired. These ****ing clowns are ruining the game.

 

[Emanresu Wen]

Air Canada threatens NHL to remove their financial support to the league

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/09/17558366.html

 

[RECCE]

This should be interesting.

Can a sponsor shape league policy? Does Air Canada carry that much clout?

We shall see...

 

[kaiser matias]

This should be interesting.

Can a sponsor shape league policy? Does Air Canada carry that much clout?

If it means anything about their publicicty within the league, I had no idea Air Canada was even a sponsor.

 

[IcedCapp]

Good. Going to buy 10 tickets to anywhere just to support them. This is the only thing that will get leagues to take the safety of payers seriously.

 

[Kitsune]

Air Canada's HQ is in Montreal, and they do have sponsorship over an Arena too, and other promotions. Maybe others will jump on board too.

 

[finchster]

Looks to me like a Montreal based company is jsut getting some shots in, I don't think anything will come of this.

 

[The Lollipop King]

because Air Canada is such a responsible organization.

 

[Bob Cole]

about ****ing time someone steps up

these clowns running the league need to step down or get fired or somebody will die or get paralyzed out there. **** you Campbell and Murphy bunch of disgraceful cowards.

 

[unknown33]

Guess they just don't like hockey.
The hit wasn't anything special seriously.

 

[mrv52]

hey look , air canada just got a massive free advertisement.

 

[Jet]

I wonder what kind of money AC spends with the NHL yearly.

 

[HockeyAddict]

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/09/17558366.html

Good... congrats to Air Canada!

 

[WpgChris]

Man, things just seem to be getting better and better for Bettman these days, hey?

 

[danisonfire]

Start business move, supporting something a large part of the fan base of the NTL canadians is against wouldn't be smart for Air Canada. The same would happen if this was any other canadian team as well imo. That is leaving the hit complete out of the discussion strictly business.

 

[finchster]

Air Canada's HQ is in Montreal, and they do have sponsorship over an Arena too, and other promotions. Maybe others will jump on board too.

Their sponsorship of the Air Canada Centre will not be effected by this if they do anything at all. The arena is separate from the NHL and hosts more non NHL events than NHL events.

 

[Khabby]

Well, I guess we know what team the CEO of Air Canada Likes

 

[tarheelhockey]

Highly necessary that this be aired in public*.







* for promotional purposes

 

[New User Name]

This should be interesting.

Can a sponsor shape league policy? Does Air Canada carry that much clout?

NBC dictates time of games and they pay next to nothing.

So why not Air Canada.

 

[danisonfire]

Highly necessary that this be aired in public*.







* for promotional purposes

smart business move at least.

 

[MountainHawk]

For all the handwringing over 'they have to fire Bettman for this' in the relocation threads ....

THIS issue right hear is one that could get Bettman shown the door. Air Canada has naming rights for an arena, sponsors all 6 Canadian teams, and I believe has deals with a few US teams as well. You might be talking about $100M+.

 

[CanadianHockey]

hey look , air canada just got a massive free advertisement.

This!

 

[mooseOAK*]

The NHL will tell them not to worry about the severe injuries to the player because Chara has never made a hit like that before.

Worked on a lot of other people.