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The NHL plans to show it is not a one-hit wonder by parlaying the marketing and ratings boost it scored at its recent outdoor Winter Classic game into a similar success for its upcoming all-star game. Marketing partners, including Bud Light, Reebok, Dodge and Verizon Wireless along with Versus and NHL Network, will spread the word about all-star weekend, Jan. 25-27 in Atlanta. The game at Philips Arena is sold out, but whether or not fans will tune in to Versus is uncertain. Last year's game, also on Versus, drew a 0.7 rating and was seen in an estimated 474,298 homes, per ACNielsen. That was down from the previous all-star game in 2004 on ABC, which was seen in 1,985,000 homes. The all-star game was not played in 2005 due to the NHL shutdown or in 2006 because of the Winter Olympics. In comparison, the outdoor Winter Classic game in Buffalo on Jan. 1 drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share on NBC, the NHL's best TV numbers since 1996. -- Brand Week



The Game: NHL Partners Pad All-Star Push; New Look IFL Looks To Kick Ass