NHL, NHLPA And Verizon Wireless Announce Multi-Year U.S. Relationship

NEW YORK, TORONTO, BASKING RIDGE, NJ - The National Hockey League (NHL®), the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), and Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider, today announced a new multi-year relationship where Verizon Wireless will have exclusive marketing and promotional rights as the "Official Wireless Service Provider" in the United States, and category-exclusive U.S. marketing rights for marquee NHL events - including the NHL All-Star Game, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Awards Show and NHL Entry Draft.

As part of the relationship, Verizon Wireless will have a significant presence at the 2007 NHL All-Star Celebration in Dallas. Verizon Wireless will serve as the title sponsor of the NHL All-Star Concert to Benefit The Leary Firefighters, featuring the Grammy-nominated rock and soul band Robert Randolph & The Family Band and singer/songwriter Amos Lee. Proceeds from the January 21 concert, held at Gille y's Dallas, will support The Leary Firefighters Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by actor Denis Leary. HDNet will air the concert as part of its Concert Series programming at a later date.

Verizon Wireless will have significant media presence on both NBC and VERSUS, and will conduct on-line and in-store advertising and marketing promotions. The NHL will receive prime positioning on the Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0SM main deck and, in addition, Verizon Wireless will provide its V CAST customers with NHL game video highlights and offer its Get It Now® customers the capability to download NHL wallpapers, images and Ring Tones.

"We welcome Verizon Wireless to the NHL," said Ed Horne, President, NHL Enterprises. "This relationship will provide a unique opportunity for us to bring aspects of the game and the players to our tech-savvy fans and Verizon Wireless' wide customer base."

"The NHLPA is pleased to be partnering with such a n innovative and dynamic brand as Verizon Wireless," said Ke! n Kim, N HLPA Senior Director, Business. "Verizon Wireless' commitment to creatively connecting the NHL's passionate fans with their hockey heroes promises to be an exciting opportunity for our game."

"The relationship with the NHL signifies yet another way Verizon Wireless offers its customers content they want on their mobile phones," said John Harrobin, vice president of digital media and advertising for Verizon Wireless. "Verizon Wireless customers can now show their love of hockey, their team and favorite players with their phones, giving the NHL and NHLPA another way to extend their relationship with fans beyond the ice."

Verizon Wireless activated its NHL affiliation as an Associate Sponsor of the NHL All-Star Fan Balloting program, enabling its customers to cast their votes for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star starters for the 2007 NHL All-Star Game from Mobile Web on their Verizon Wireless phones.

About the NHL

The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League's international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are educated, tech-savvy and the youngest of all of the fans of any other professional sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its national television - VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, NHL Network and HDNet - and radio - Sirius and XM Radio - partners. Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer, Hockey's All-Star Kids and NHL Diversity, and supports the charitable efforts of all NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.

About the NHLPA

The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), es tablished in 1967, is a labor union whose members are the pl! ayers in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHLPA is located in Toronto, Ontario and works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labor law, product licensing, marketing, international hockey and community relations. In 1999, the NHLPA launched the Goals & Dreams fund, a $15-million hockey program which is the largest grassroots hockey program ever created. The players' program has donated full sets of hockey equipment to more than 8,000 economically challenged children in 17 countries and assisted with upgrades and the building of hundreds of arenas world-wide. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit nhlpa.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 57 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 60,000 employees nation wide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library.

NHL and Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and the NHL Shield is a trademark of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

National Hockey League Players' Association, NHLPA and the NHLPA Logo are registered trademarks of the NHLPA. All Rights Reserved.