NEW YORK – (Photo from NHL.com) — The National Hockey League (NHL) and the Los Angeles Kings have introduced a rendering of the NHL® Centennial-themed float that will make its debut in the renowned 128th Rose Parade presented by Honda in Pasadena on Jan. 2. Titled “A Century of Greatness (1917-2017),” the float will serve as one of the key elements celebrating the official launch of the NHL’s year-long Centennial festivities, which will commence on New Year’s Day.
The rendering and time lapse footage of the construction of the NHL float was unveiled during last night’s Fox Sports West broadcast of the Kings-Carolina Hurricanes game.
The NHL and the Kings – who will play host to the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend at STAPLES Center as a highlight of their 50th anniversary season – also announced last night that Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille, longtime Kings broadcaster Bob Miller and team mascot Bailey™ will ride aboard the NHL Centennial float in the Jan. 2 parade. The trio will be flanked by youth hockey players, including members of the Junior Kings program, wearing jerseys for all 30 NHL clubs.
“The NHL Centennial float in the 2017 Rose Parade sits at the center of an exciting 48 hours of New Year’s celebrations,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Executive Vice President of & Chief Brand Officer. “From the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic™ in Toronto to the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena to the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® in St. Louis, the NHL will make history in the way it celebrates its 100 year history this New Year’s.”
The float features a floral 55-foot long hockey rink with dual goal nets and lamps. From the front of the float to the back, the official logos of the 30 NHL teams are detailed with flowers and floral material and represented in alphabetical order at the base of the floral gardens. The official NHL Centennial logo stands majestically at mid float (covered in flowers) with the iconic NHL Shield prominently displayed. The floral rink includes two NHL face-off circles, two 2017 NHL All-Star Game logos nestled in a floral garden, four oversized pucks and a base of oversized silver hockey sticks.
“A Century of NHL Greatness (1917-2017)” is one of 40 floats that will participate in the 128th Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed “Echoes of Success.” NBC’s broadcast of the parade will lead into its live coverage of the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® outdoor game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 2.
(Reprinted with permission of NHL.com)
