If you’re anything like me, New Year’s Day usually involves nursing a champagne hangover while vowing to really, truly take full advantage of that dreaded gym membership.  But if you’re a hockey enthusiast, New Year’s Day involves one thing – the NHL Winter Classic.  The 2010 Classic (the third annual) will see the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park, which will temporarily morph into an outdoor ice rink.  But this year’s Classic also brings with it some truly innovative digital advertising sponsorship opportunities.

Let’s check out some big-name advertisers that are getting involved.  Bridgestone Tire has title sponsorship of the Winter Classic video channel on NHL.com and is also sponsoring related content like the game’s fan guide and a Webcam that displays Fenway’s transformation into a hockey rink.  Associate sponsor Verizon Wireless, in addition to being the official mobile partner of the NHL, is sponsoring a countdown clock until the game begins.  The U.S. Army (also an associate sponsor) will build on its relationship with the NHL that started last season by presenting the “Hockey’s Finest” Web video series, which spotlights past and current players exhibiting Army-like values.  An Army General will also participate in the Classic’s ceremonial puck drop (during which NBC sportscasters will direct viewers to the series on NHL.com).

In a winter sports landscape all but dominated by football, the NHL has taken a unique and successful approach to courting sponsors with digital advertising opportunities.  So successful, in fact, that the 2010 Classic’s sponsors spent more than double what they did in 2009.  The approach began at the consumer level, though, with the recent redesign of NHL.com.  By providing typically tech-savvy hockey fans with better digital coverage, the NHL was able to extend their fans’ dedication to the sport to its sponsors. Niche advertisers take note.

To read more about other 2010 Winter Classic sponsors, click here.