NHL ice hockey franchise the Minnesota Wild has entered into a multi-year partnership with supermarket chain Hy-Vee.
Through the deal, Hy-Vee becomes an official team partner and exclusive grocer of the club.
As part of the agreement, the supermarket will receive extensive branding at the Wild’s Xcel Energy Center home arena and on the club’s mobile application.
Hy-Vee will also work with the club on its Little Wild learn-to-play scheme, a training plan aimed at five to eight-year-old fans, and on other community-based initiatives.
The scope of the partnership supports the supermarket’s expansion into the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, which began with the opening of two stores this autumn in New Hope and Oakdale. In the coming years, Hy-Vee plans to add four to five grocery stores annually in the Twin Cities.
The deal with the Wild comes after Hy-Vee in August signed up as the second founding partner for U.S. Bank Stadium, the future home of NFL American football franchise Minnesota Vikings.
“The Wild is an exciting franchise,” Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee chairman, chief executive and president, said. “And with this partnership, we will have the opportunity and privilege to align our brand with its loyal fanbase and support the team’s community efforts.”