Scotiabank and London Knights deck the halls in time for the holidays

New partnership agreement with London Knights takes hospitality to a club level

LONDON , ON, Dec. 11 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and the London Knights today revealed a new name and look for the hospitality suites area at the London Knights' home, the John Labatt Centre. The Scotiabank Hockey Club Suites are part of a new three-year partnership between the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team and Scotiabank, making the Bank the Official Bank of the London Knights.

In addition to the Scotiabank Hockey Club Suites' area, the agreement includes rinkboards, in-bowl and concourse signage, advertising and promotional rights, program ads and sponsorship of the regular 20 Questions feature in the program guide, and player access for many of Scotiabank's grassroots hockey and community events as well as autograph session.

"Scotiabank is very proud to build on our relationship with the London Knights and go from being involved fans to becoming the first official Bank of the team," said James McPhedran, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Ontario Region. "The Knights are a prominent part of our hockey community in London and have made some significant contributions to professional hockey leagues. Both Scotiabank and the London Knights share the same goals of working together to make hockey even more fun and accessible within our community and we look forward to growing this relationship."

"Partnering with Scotiabank as our Official Bank is truly an honour," said Mark Hunter Owner and General Manager of the London Knights Hockey Club. "We are very proud to align the London Knights with an organization that shares the same values, goals, and dedication to the local community as we do. The foundation that we have set today is one we look forward to build on as we move into the future."

About London Knights:

With a history dating back to the 1960s, the London Knights have been significant contributors to both grassroots and professional hockey. Currently in their 45th season the Knights won there first Memorial Cup in 2005 by defeating Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Oceanic. The London Knights over the years have produced exceptional hockey players excelling in all levels of professional hockey including Rick Nash , Brendan Shanahan , Darryl Sittler, and the 2009 ( Steve Mason ) and 2008 ( Patrick Kane ) NHL Rookies of the Year. The London Knights have recently had 3 players drafted 1st Overall in the National Hockey League Draft with Rick Nash (2002- Columbus), Patrick Kane (2007-Chicago) and John Tavares (2009- New York Islanders). The London Knights currently have enough players playing in the National Hockey League to make up an entire team. The London Knights All-Time Leading Scorer is current Anaheim Ducks star Corey Perry who had 380 points in his 4 year career with the London Knights from 2001-2005.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Through its partnerships, Scotiabank's hockey programs enrich the communities where Canadians live and work by engaging fans and players in new ways to celebrate our game. Scotiabank supports the passion and pride Canadians feel for the game and believes it is fundamental to helping young people learn about teamwork camaraderie and the spirit of competition. Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL, NHLPA, NHL Alumni and CWHL, and has partnerships with the Calgary Flames and the Ottawa Senators whose home arena is Scotiabank Place. For more information on Scotiabank's hockey programs visit www.scotiahockeyclub.com

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2009 the Bank provided about $43 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

For further information: Livy Feldgajer, Scotiabank Public Affairs, [phone] or [email protected]; Geoffrey Hare, Director of Marketing London Knights Hockey Club, [phone] x6443 or [email protected]