Returning after an unprecedented lockout season, the world’s preeminent hockey league looks for a revitalized identity.

The NHL partnered with SME to help define its brand as it prepared for its highly anticipated return to the ice following the lockout season. SME developed a platform anchored by what research showed the core values of the league to be: passion, toughness, courage, sacrifice, honor, team, respect, and commitment. The brand positioning culminated in a revived creative expression conveying the collective emotion of all fans and players and guiding the brand into a new era—Celebrate the Quest!