The New Jersey Devils hockey team is set to show support for Black businesses in a major way.
The NHL team in partnership with the Prudential Financial Center announced Wednesday (October 13) the logo of a local Black-owned business will be featured on Devils' helmets at 13 home games of the season.
The logo spot on players' helmets it typically used for company advertising and is being donated by Prudential.
As part of the sponsorship extension agreement, Prudential will select a business to be placed on helmets, in-arena and TV ad exposure. The financial company also pledged to provide marketing and finance consulting for the selected business.
"We have an obligation to use this platform to drive change," Devils President Jake Reynolds told CNBC News. "As we know, Black businesses have been challenged on numerous levels. So the opportunity for us to take our brand and the platform we have to be able to drive awareness –– this is just the beginning for something we're going to build on."
According to data collected by National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of Black-owned businesses declined by 41% in the early months of 2020, highlighting the disproportionate economic impact of COVID-19 for Black business owners.
The NHL season began Tuesday (October 12) and will run through April 29, 2022 with a 1,312-game season, the first regular length season since the start of the pandemic.
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