P.E.I.’s tourism minister says Island operators are already feeling the benefits of the government’s partnership with the NHL, but the province’s opposition parties aren’t convinced yet.
More than 70 National Hockey League officials and sponsors were on the Island last week, along with their media and corporate partners, for an industry summit to discuss the upcoming hockey season. The meetings were part of the controversial contract the province announced in 2024 that saw P.E.I. named as the “official travel destination of the NHL.”
The contract with the league shows that the province will pay $7.5 million to the NHL over the course of three years in exchange for access to the league’s marketing machine.
Under the partnership P.E.I. will have its logo displayed along NHL rink boards and on ice surfaces during television broadcasts in key markets, and the province can host events during the NHL All-Star Game and Winter Classic. The Island also gets to host NHL officials, sponsors and partners for industry meetings like last week’s summit.
“This has been great for P.E.I.,” said Tourism Minister Zack Bell. “They’ve been absolutely loving P.E.I.”
Brian Jennings, the NHL’s chief brand officer, was part of the summit. He said now, more than a year after the deal was made, he can see the benefits the partnership brings to the Island.
“We believe strongly in our brand and the power of our brand,” he said.
“We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to establish with Tourism P.E.I. These types of meetings bring a lot of economic benefit to the Island and to showcase the Island.”
Is the NHL deal benefitting P.E.I.? It depends who you ask
Jennings said the summit gives NHL officials a chance to network and share ways to promote the league for the upcoming hockey season. Industry partners are also hosted at venues across the Island, which will encourage repeat visits.
Officials with the province say the estimated marketing value of the deal so far is $34 million, with $13 million in direct spending from visitors to the Island.
Last week’s summit was the second event of its kind hosted on P.E.I. Last year, a three-day event with NHL officials brought $582,000 to Island tourism operators, according to the province.
While the governing Progressive Conservatives say they’re already seeing a return on their investment, the province’s opposition parties aren’t buying that the deal is money well-spent.
The goverment’s decision to enter the contract has been heavily debated in the P.E.I. Legislature, with the opposition criticizing the costs associated with signing the deal, along with travel and potential perks for government ministers travelling to NHL events.
Last year, MLAs from the opposition Liberal and Green parties had to push through a subpoena from a legislative standing committee ordering the Tourism Department to release an unredacted copy of the contract in order to find out all of the costs associated with it.
Back in the spring — as U.S. President Donald Trump waged a trade war with Canada and many other countries — the opposition also called on the province to cancel the NHL deal and focus its tourism dollars on encouraging Canadians to travel to the Island.
Robert Henderson, a Liberal MLA who was also the province’s tourism minister from 2011 to 2015, said he still questions whether Islanders are seeing any value from the partnership. Apart from the summit meetings, he said, tourism operators in his district of O’Leary-Inverness are still waiting to see the benefits of the deal.
“I’ve talked to a number of tourism operators in my riding and I’ve asked that very same question — how many [visitors] actually come because of the NHL promotions?” he said.
“It’s usually a snicker and a laugh. I can’t think of even one, other than the people who come for the meetings.”
While tourism numbers increased this season across P.E.I., Henderson said that’s more likely the result of reduced fees at the Island’s points of entry and people opting to travel within Canada rather than the U.S.
Chelsea Lefurgey is one of the operators who hosted NHL officials this year at the Carriage House in New London.
Lefurgey said the NHL paid to host an event at her venue, giving local musicians, chefs and decorators a chance to show their talents.
“It brought awareness. There were people there from all over Canada, some in the U.S., that had never been and experienced P.E.I. before,” she said.
“The biggest benefit for us is that a lot of these events that they’re hosting here were outside of prime tourist season, so we were able to extend our season a little bit too.”
Bell said the awareness the partnership is creating for P.E.I. will pay off with more visitors.
“I think it’s extremely beneficial to have those people on P.E.I. helping to tell that story of how great P.E.I. is, what a great destination it is,” the tourism minister said.
“This whole partnership is trying to tell that story of… P.E.I.”
The province’s contract with the NHL expires at the end of next year, and Bell said his department hasn’t decided if it will renew the deal yet.
Jennings said the NHL would like to see the contract renewed.
