The NHL and Petco Love partnered up to create a canine hockey game in celebration of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Many are familiar with the Stanley Cup, but meet the Stanley Pup – a furry twist on this classic.
In celebration of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL has teamed up with Petco Love to bring us something special: the Stanley Pup. This doggy hockey game is set to air on June 7 and features adoptable dogs playing on a specially made floor hockey rink. These rescue canines will represent all 32 NHL teams, including the 16 teams that made it to the playoffs.
All 16 dogs in the rink will be putting their best paw forward to take home the Stanley Pup glory. Here’s the best part: most of these dogs will be available for adoption when the event airs, with all the pups chosen from rescues and shelters across the country, thanks to Petco Love.
Producer Michael Levitt shared his enthusiasm, mentioning, “The Stanley Pup is meant to entertain. How could it not with all these adorable puppies playing hockey? But it’s also about messaging. Our hope is that viewers will realize they can actually adopt puppies from their local shelters and rescue organizations. We want people to see firsthand that dogs in our shelters are not second-hand animals and deserve to be part of any family’s starting lineup.”
Levitt is no stranger to putting rescue animals in the spotlight. He’s behind the American Rescue Dog Show and is teaming up with animal advocates such as Kristin Chenoweth and Miranda Lambert for this event.
Levitt added, “I’m so proud to launch this canine sporting spectacular with the NHL and so grateful for their passion in supporting adoption. The show is sure to be the biggest night of the year for dog-loving hockey fans. The cuteness overload is going to be off the charts!”
Don’t miss the Stanley Pup broadcast in the U.S. on NHL Network and ESPN+ on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET, and on Sportsnet in Canada on Saturday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Please note air dates and times may change based on the 2024 Stanley Cup Final schedule.
