Planet Fitness has become the official fitness partner of Hockey Canada, starting a three-year collaboration to support the national program and communities across Canada with a shared commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and fitness. The partnership also includes one-year athlete agreements with National Women's Team players Natalie Spooner, Emily Clark, and Emma Maltais, who will appear in social media campaigns, in-club activations, and community events.
"We are excited to welcome Planet Fitness as our official fitness partner and work together to enhance health and wellness in communities across Canada," said Katherine Henderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Canada via press release. "As our National Winter Sport continues to grow, we are committed to building a healthier hockey for all Canadians and look forward to collaborating with Planet Fitness to achieve this throughout our partnership."
For Spooner, the partnership goes beyond branding. She sees it as a way to extend the inclusive culture of women's hockey into fitness spaces.
"Especially in women's hockey, we are so welcoming and we've created such a community, and I think Planet Fitness has that same community within their walls, which is super important to us," Spooner said. "So it's just a great environment to be in, a great environment to train, whether it's your first time heading to the gym or you've been doing this for many years like I have."
Maltais emphasized a similar point, focusing on inclusion and what young athletes can take away from seeing national team players involved in a campaign like this.
"It's about more than just fitness; it's about inclusion, accessibility, and creating a really welcoming workout environment," Maltais said. "I just hope [the fans] see this partnership as an opportunity to be inclusive with everyone and to encourage everyone to participate in all activities. That this is an opportunity to be together and have an environment where they feel safe."
This emphasis on community will be on full display when Spooner leads a hockey-themed workout at "Spooner's Planet Fitness," located at 1280 Fanshawe Park Rd. W. in London, Ontario on October 22nd at 3:45pm.
Planet Fitness says the partnership aligns with its core values of community and accessibility, and expects to engage hockey fans and gym members through a variety of activations. By combining the reach of a national fitness brand with the visibility of top Canadian athletes, the partnership aims to show that fitness and hockey can be accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone.