NHL and NHLPA Agree to Sponsorship Deal with Karmanos and Compuware

The NHL and NHLPA announced today that they have signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Compuware Corporation.   The deal is highlighted by the corporation's title sponsorship of the 2009 NHL Premiere games in Europe. 

Peter Karmanos, the principle owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, is also the Chairman and CEO of Compuware.  Karmanos had this to say about the transaction:

"As a high-performance sports league, the NHL provides an ideal platform from which Compuware can communicate to customers and prospects about our global leadership in application performance.  We will use the NHL's integrated, international platform of high-profile events and branding opportunities to extend the reach of our application performance message, to deliver exceptional sales events and to increase our revenues."

It's interesting that some type of similar agreement has not taken place before because the deal benefits a couple of Karmanos entities.  Perhaps Jim Balsillie needs to speak to Gary Bettman about a major Blackberry sponsorship?