After an unusual and difficult 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, local hockey team Newcastle Northstars is back in the rink fighting for their chance at the 2021 McCormack Cup.
The 18-game tournament, which is held in conjunction with Mick McCormack and the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), will run from now until August 2021.
The McCormack Cup was announced by the AIHL earlier this year as a modified competition, with the decision made in response to border restrictions and COVID-19 parameters. Supporting them to get the sport back up and running after a tumultuous 2020 season is Insane Signs and Print, once again coming on board as a Gold Sponsor in 2021.
Managing Director of Insane Signs, Rodney James said he was thrilled to see the Northstars back where they belong, on the ice.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to soak up the atmosphere of live hockey games again. I used to live in America where ice hockey is followed religiously, and it’s been interesting to see how ice hockey has grown in Australia since we first started supporting the team back in 2014,” Rodney said.
“We were first introduced to this sponsorship opportunity through our employee, Dave, and it’s been a match made in heaven since. There have been some great signage opportunities as a result, and more importantly we’ve developed a stronger appreciation for the sport and the players.
“This will be our seventh year of supporting the Newcastle Northstars as a Gold Sponsor. And after all these years, it continues to excite us as we see the team inch closer to winning titles.”
Managing Director of Hunter Ice Skating Stadium and Newcastle North Stars, Garry Doré said the support of Insane Signs over the years has helped to keep the Northstars in the competition.
“The Australian Ice Hockey League is probably one of the most geographically difficult leagues for an amateur sport. We travel to WA, SA, Victoria, Canberra, and Sydney throughout the year, sometimes on more than one occasion. Because we are amateur and players receive no pay, it is our responsibility to make sure their cost are covered, and the team can function financially,” Garry said.
“The equipment, uniforms and travel costs can be quite expensive and that is what the sponsorship and gate income provide. If it were not for this, we would not have a team in the league.”
Garry said Insane Signs has gone above and beyond the requirements of a sponsor to provide a friendship the whole team treasures.
“This has been an amazing partnership. We provide an exciting sport that is a great spectacle, and Insane Signs provides us with a great relationship,” he said.
“Rodney always supports our organisation, not just in sponsorship, but encouragement, and is always interested and actively trying to promote more ways for us to grow.
“To be able to back a local team on home soil is special to us. Our love for the sport is a huge drive for our sponsorship, and we are so glad it can make a difference,” Rodney concluded.
IMAGE | Newcastle Northstars shining on the ice at the Hawkesbury 2020 Classic. Picture courtesy of PowerPlay Photographics.