North America's largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer, Athletic Brewing Company, has secured a multiyear partnership with the NHL making it the league's first-ever official non-alcoholic beer partner in Canada — a landmark deal that signals how deeply the NA beer segment has penetrated mainstream sports and hospitality channels.
The agreement activates across NHL League marketing, digital and social media, retail campaigns, and live events. For venue and hospitality operators, the most immediate implication is stadium availability: fans attending games will be able to purchase Athletic brews at select concessions and hospitality areas, expanding the category's footprint inside professional hockey arenas.
Heritage Classic Debut
The partnership launches publicly at the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg on October 25, where Athletic Brewing will appear through fan activations, product sampling, in-stadium signage, an in-ice logo, and digitally enhanced dasherboard advertising during Sportsnet's broadcast coverage. The event gives the brand immediate national visibility at one of hockey's marquee outdoor showcases.
Planned activations extend well beyond single-game exposure. The multiyear deal includes co-branded television, digital, and social advertising; NHL-branded packaging and in-store displays across Canada; a Stanley Cup Final Sweepstakes targeting fans nationwide; and a national retail campaign aimed at adult amateur hockey players and community leagues — a segment that represents millions of active Canadians who regularly gather around the sport.
NA Beer's Live-Venue Moment
The deal reflects a broader shift in beverage industry trends as NA beer transitions from health-food-aisle novelty to a front-of-house staple in stadiums, restaurants, and bars. Athletic, which launched in Canadian retail in 2022, is now stocked in more than 2,500 outlets nationwide and holds the number-one non-alcoholic beer brand position in the U.S. according to NielsenIQ data through August 2026.
"Hockey is woven into the fabric of Canadian culture, and we're thrilled to team up with the NHL to bring Athletic's great-tasting brews to fans," said Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing Company. "We believe everyone deserves a great brew that fits their lifestyle."
Max Paulsen, NHL Vice President of Global Business Development, framed the partnership as fan-first, noting plans to build programs that reach Canadians both in arenas and at local rinks after amateur games. That community-rink angle is particularly relevant for foodservice and beverage operators servicing recreational sports facilities, a venue category increasingly investing in upgraded concession and bar programming.
For restaurant and hospitality professionals tracking non-alcoholic beverage adoption in foodservice, the NHL deal illustrates how NA brands are now pursuing the same high-visibility league sponsorships that alcoholic beer giants have long dominated — a dynamic that is reshaping the bar and arena beverage mix for operators at every scale. Athletic has collected more than 200 taste awards over the past decade and holds top-15 status among all U.S. brewing companies by volume, according to the Brewers Association's 2025 Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
