NHLPA launches first of its kind video series: NHLPA Players' PlayBook

Daily episodes capture behind the scenes look at five top NHL stars

TORONTO, Feb. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Whether it's family life or life on the road, shopping trips or autograph sessions, five NHL star players have been given a BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet with a simple goal: film everything. The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) in partnership with BlackBerry® is pleased to officially announce the NHLPA Players' PlayBook, a first of its kind video series that features off-ice action captured by the players themselves.

The new series launched today features footage recorded exclusively on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in high-definition format and edited into short video episodes that are updated daily at http://playbook.nhlpa.com. Creating the ultimate power play, the minute and a half long episodes feature five NHLPA members: Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers), Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks), Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs), Martin Biron (New York Rangers) and Michael Grabner (New York Islanders).

"NHL players live exciting lives both on and off the ice," says Colin Campbell, NHLPA Director of Corporate Partnerships. "This unique program gives fans an opportunity to get a glimpse into players' lives in a way that has never been available to them in the past.  This is very cool stuff. Together with BlackBerry, we're thrilled to provide this access."

The NHLPA Players' PlayBook provides fans with the opportunity to do more than watch video - they also get to call the shots. A fan poll, which will be held every Monday, will determine the Fans' Choice Video. Also, question and answer sessions each Wednesday allow players to respond to fan-submitted questions and challenges. At the end of each week, there will be a wrap up with the Editors' Choice Video, where the behind-the-scenes editing talent will post their favourite footage from everything collected.

"The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's HD video cameras capture exceptional video quality and its light, ultra-portable design makes it easy to carry and record those significant moments," says David Smith, Senior Vice President, Mobile Computing, Research In Motion. "We're excited to see how these five dynamic NHL players use their tablets to let fans into their lives."

"The BlackBerry PlayBook is a great tool to document life on the road," says Martin Biron, New York Rangers goalie, who is thrilled to show his fans another aspect of life as an NHL player. "The HD quality of the video camera is amazing, and many of my teammates have been impressed with how great the videos have turned out. I'm excited to see the fans' reactions as the season goes on."

New episodes are updated throughout the week at http://playbook.nhlpa.com. Episodes will also be available through the NHLPA Facebook, YouTube and Tumblr.

About the National Hockey League Players' Association

The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), established in 1967, is a labour organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHLPA works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labour relations, product licensing, marketing, international hockey and community relations, all in furtherance of its efforts to promote its members and the game of hockey. In 1999, the NHLPA launched the Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 12 years, more than 60,000 deserving children in 25 countries have benefited from the players' donations of hockey equipment. NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $20-million to grassroots hockey programs, making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com.

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