Sebastian Sinclair

<div id="highlights-block_62eb08ef1da9b" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>The NHL is looking for a senior-level hire to assist the league&#8217;s NFT and blockchain initiatives</li>
 <li>The position will require a combination of project management, partner development, revenue generation and execution skills, the NHL said</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



The NHL is looking to make a key hire to support the league&#8217;s nascent foray into NFTs. The move comes two months after the top hockey league inked a deal with digital collectibles marketplace Sweet.



Betting fans will engage with NFTs (non-fungible tokens) — the NHL is attempting to &#8220;enhance&#8221; the experience for fans while also generating &#8220;incremental revenue&#8221; for the league and its clubs, according to a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/director-innovation-nft-blockchain-at-national-hockey-league-nhl-3154547372/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&amp;utm_source=google_jobs_apply&amp;utm_medium=organic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn job listing</a>. 



An NHL spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. 



The NHL joins other major US sports leagues toying with the idea of NFT-derived revenue — including the <a href="https://twitter.com/Blockworks_/status/1514543992188243972?s=20&amp;t=xUHKzfAOL9Ag9VLqzP_IUA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA</a>,<a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/candy-digital-hits-home-runs-with-mlb-nfts-plans-to-recruit-new-fans-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> MLB</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/Blockworks_/status/1518899114771156999?s=20&amp;t=Ji9UQmZn5zaPMoXRVZxi2g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL</a>.



As the director of &#8220;Innovation for NFT and Blockchain,&#8221; the hire would be responsible for shoring up the league&#8217;s digital collectible initiatives by acting as the primary point of contact for external technology partners and internal league departments.



The position will require a combination of project management, partner development, revenue generation and execution skills, the NHL said. Building and maintaining a &#8220;deep professional network&#8221; with companies, investors, industry experts and other stakeholders across the NFT and <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/tag/web3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web3</a> industry is also critical, according to the league.



The director is expected to work closely with strategic partners and vendors — including Sweet, which was named the NHL&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-nhlpa-announce-nft-partnership-with-sweet/c-334699756" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Official NFT Digital Collectibles Marketplace</a>&#8221; in June — to drive NFT and blockchain initiatives.



To ensure the league stays abreast of the NFT sector&#8217;s potentially lucrative avenues for the brand, executives plan to analyze the value and growth trajectory of the market and related &#8220;blockchain opportunities&#8221; through research, quantitative analysis and knowledge of marketplace dynamics.



The new role aside, the NHL intends to deploy league-wide NFT programs and platforms with external partners and vendors as well as hash out dates and milestones with developer teams to ensure deliverables are met, according to the posting.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire">Subscribe to the Empire newsletter</a>.



Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/onthemargin">Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter</a>.



Get alpha directly in your inbox with the <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/research">0xResearch newsletter</a> — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.



The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. <a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed">Subscribe to daily Solana news</a> from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.