from Tim Newcomb at Forbes,

When Adidas signed a seven-year deal to become the on-ice uniform provider for the NHL, the German company didn’t have anyone working in a hockey-related business unit. Sure, the company owned Reebok, then the rights holder, but for Adidas, signing an agreement at the end of 2015 that would start in 2017 meant the company needed to create — and create quickly.

Now, over a year removed from the start of the Adidas-NHL partnership, not only has Adidas built an internal business unit that hadn’t existed, but it has fashioned a new model for brand engagement, both for the sneaker and apparel company and for the NHL.

And Adidas is quick to point out: Expect plenty more in the next six years.

Dan Near, senior director of Adidas Hockey, says when the brand signed with the NHL, it was clear they needed a shift in brand-league relationship thinking. Long gone was a structure of creating some cool jerseys and selling licensed product.

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