NHL fights fakes and frauds, safeguards fans with OpSec’s brand protection solutions
Boston, MA — January 21, 2013 — The National Hockey League (NHL®) and OpSec Security, Inc., the global leader in brand protection, announced today that the NHL has signed a new multi-year contract with OpSec, and is enhancing its efforts in the growing fight against counterfeit merchandise. OpSec’s highly secure authentication labels – customized and enhanced specifically for the NHL– will be used by the league to track and authenticate merchandise, protecting licensees and fans from getting scammed by counterfeit and subpar merchandise.
“Our efforts to curb unauthorized merchandise utilizing OpSec’s solutions help protect the NHL from counterfeits, which provides a great service for our fans as well as our licensees,” said Brian JenningsNHL Chief Marketing Officer. “Our licensees are at the core of all merchandising efforts, so it’s paramount we continue to evolve our partnership with OpSec to protect their efforts as we reach not just the milestones this season, but also in the seasons leading up to our centennial.”
The 2013-2014 NHL season has several high-profile events where counterfeiters will look to prey on unsuspecting consumers and the NHL is determined to stop the counterfeiters in their tracks. OpSec security labels have been used by the NHL for nearly 20 years and are applied on all NHL authorized merchandise. They are also featured in marquee events such as the Stanley Cup® Playoffs, the NHL Winter Classic®, the NHL Heritage Classic™ and the debut of the NHL Stadium Series™.
“With such a stellar lineup of major events planned, now more than ever it’s important we protect the iconic NHL brand, as well as all parties affected by the sale of legitimate merchandise, from the licensees to the league’s worldwide audience of ardent fans,” said Bill Patterson, vice president, Global Licensing, OpSec Security. “Counterfeiters are out there to capitalize on this enthusiasm, so we’ve committed every resource we have available to help stop them in their tracks to protect the integrity of the NHL and the good faith of the fans.”
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional 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 younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 250 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (NBCSN, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, and NHL Network™) and radio (NHL Radio™, Sirius XM Radio). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer™ and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and the word mark NHL Winter Classic are registered trademarks and the NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo and NHL Heritage Classic name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
About OpSec Security
OpSec Security, Inc. is the market leader in fighting counterfeits for brands, transaction cards and government documents and currency. OpSec delivers a comprehensive suite of end-to-end solutions, including advanced physical security technologies, supply chain track and trace services, and online and e-commerce monitoring and analysis for more than 300 companies across industry sectors and 50 governments worldwide. OpSec is a wholly-owned division of OpSec Security Group plc (London AIM: OSG) and operates manufacturing and software development facilities and laboratories in the USA and the UK, and Germany and has sales operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.opsecsecurity.com. Follow OpSec on Twitter @BrandSecure and LinkedIn.
For further information, contact:
OpSec Security, Inc.
Lorri Veidenheimer
lveidenheimer@opsecsecurity.com
617-226-3000 Ext. 3075