How the NHL is humanizing its players to reach new fans
Between the return of best-on-best international hockey and a series of pop culture breakouts, hockey is having a moment.
Nearly 1.8 million people watched the NHL for the first time last season after watching the television series "Heated Rivalry" or "Off Campus," according to NHL research. The league also found television viewership among 18-to-34-year-olds increased 30% following the Winter Olympics in February.
Now the NHL is trying to turn that attention into lasting fandom -- in part by changing how it markets its players.
"People fall for people. That emotive connection is really, really important," Sean Eggert, the NHL's new senior executive vice president and chief marketing officer, told ESPN. "Every player is a new way to reach a new fan."
Eggert said the success of hockey-centric shows "Heated Rivalry" and "Off Campus" reinforced the value of showing a more human side of hockey players.
"It does demystify what's happening behind the helmet, that there are real relationships, there's real emotion that's happening," Eggert said. "It's humanizing the players and it's giving us an entryway to do the same."
One example is "NHL In Focus," a six-part series featuring players in editorial-style photo shoots and profiles away from the rink. The first edition features Cole Caufield, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer at a diner the league rented during its Player Media Tour in Las Vegas.
There are no uniforms or action shots. The players are photographed with professional stylists and groomers, with the focus on their personalities away from hockey.
The project comes as the NHL's player pool is undergoing its own generational shift. According to the league, 61% of its players are now Gen Z.
Top Stories
The NHL also eliminated its game-day dress code as part of its new CBA, giving players more freedom in what they wear to games. League executives have taken notice of how players are embracing that freedom -- and the attention their tunnel fits are generating on social media.
The league also sees opportunity in who is watching. ESPN's average female audience during the 2026 playoffs jumped 164% from 2025.
"We are acting with more intention for sure," said Eggert, who joined the NHL in May after seven years at Under Armor. "This is not a spray and pray. This is being a little bit more segmented and making sure that our messaging is at the right time for the right consumer."
That has taken the NHL into some less traditional spaces. League executives told ESPN they plan to lean "aggressively" into BookTok, including working with authors, illustrators and creators already active in hockey's growing romance community.
"The whole 'romantasy' space specific to sports and hockey, it's undeniable," Eggert said. "It's a massive cultural force that's happening in hockey."
The league stressed that reaching new audiences won't mean moving away from existing fans.
"There's a place in hockey for every type of fan, and we want every type of fan watching, engaging and enjoying hockey," NHL chief communications officer Jon Weinstein said. "One does not come at the expense of the other. Sometimes the moment is right, when you look at everything that's happening culturally and on the ice and with the new kids that are coming into the game and with the embrace of some of our older stars, sometimes it all just kind of comes together."
]
