Game On! Nex Playground Partners With National Hockey League to Launch First-Ever Sports League Title - NHL Puck Rush

Nex Playground expands retail availability into Canada

Nex, the leading motion technology and entertainment company, and the National Hockey League (NHL®) today announced the launch of NHL Puck Rush, the first-ever sports league title for Nex Playground, the active play system that gets families moving together. To make the console more accessible, Nex Playground will be expanding retail availability into Canada later this month.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251002395048/en/

Nex announced the launch of NHL Puck Rush, the first-ever sports league title exclusively for Nex Playground, partnering with the National Hockey League (NHL®). Nex Playground will also be expanding retail availability into Canada later this month.

“Partnering with the National Hockey League to bring NHL Puck Rush to fans marks an important milestone as we expand into Canadian retailers,” said David Lee, CEO and co-founder of Nex. “In Canada, hockey is more than a sport – it’s part of Canadian culture. Nex Playground was designed to create experiences that bring people together in active, engaging ways, and with NHL Puck Rush, we’re giving fans a whole new way to connect with the game and their favorite teams.”

In NHL Puck Rush, players connect with their favorite NHL teams through a dynamic, interactive game that syncs directly with the excitement of each NHL season. Players take on the challenge of scoring as many goals as possible in a limited timeframe. Designed for ages six and up, NHL Puck Rush delivers an intense, full-body gameplay experience that combines physical activity, competitive spirit, and NHL fandom in one immersive motion game.

“The NHL is partnering with Nex Playground to offer kids an imaginative and safe way to play hockey, right in their living room,” said David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development & Innovation. “In a time where playing sports can come with significant time commitments and pressure, we’re excited to release a style of fun, casual play where hockey families – alongside those who have yet to experience the thrill of the NHL, can blast slapshots without needing a hockey stick.”

NHL Puck Rush will launch with the below features, with regular programming to be introduced over time, including for tentpole NHL events.

• Fan-Favorite NHL Teams – NHL Puck Rush allows players to virtually support and compete on behalf of their favorite NHL teams. By earning points during play, fans contribute to their team’s overall standing on the game’s leaderboard, fueling rivalries throughout the season.
• Exclusive In-Game Items – During gameplay, players can unlock their favorite team’s jerseys, sticks, pucks, mascots, and more as they progress and earn experience points based on performance.
• Leaderboards and Community – NHL Puck Rush taps into fans’ competitive nature with NHL team and match leaderboards, tracking wins across all 32 NHL teams and ranking players for individual matchups.

Fans can experience NHL Puck Rush on Nex Playground in person from Oct. 7-9 at the NHL Shop NYC flagship store during store operating hours. NHL Shop visitors can receive 20% off the Nex Playground device when purchasing from the Nex Playground online store (terms apply).

Nex Playground is a controller-free console designed for families with young kids, making active, communal play more accessible and engaging than ever. Fully motion-powered gameplay means body movements are used rather than controllers, getting players to get off the couch and making physical activity fun for all ages. Additionally, Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA certified, with no online interactions, ads, and in-game purchases, making it a standout family gaming option. All motion-tracking data stays local to the device, and the system comes with a built-in camera cover, highlighting Nex’s commitment to privacy and safety. After selling over 250,000 units to date, Nex Playground is gaining serious traction as a top choice for family gaming.

Families interested in purchasing Nex Playground in the U.S. can find the system on Amazon as well as in Best Buy®, Target®, Sam’s Club®, and Walmart® online and select retail stores nationwide. Store availability can be found at https://nexplayground.com/stores.

To learn more about Nex Playground, visit https://nexplayground.com.

NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. © 2025 NHL. All Rights Reserved.

About Nex

Nex is on a mission to help families rediscover the joy of movement. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion, encouraging kids and adults to move more, play more, and have fun together. Nex Playground, the company’s award-winning active play system, is purpose-built to get families moving year-round, with safety and privacy as core considerations in its intentional design. It is certified kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and built to support healthy, active play for all ages and abilities. Nex is also a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families.

Nex Playground features a growing library of 40+ experiences, including motion and dance games, fitness and educational experiences, and Nex Originals. Content includes collaborations with partners like Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards.

To learn more, visit https://www.nex.inc or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.

About the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, WBD Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordics, Baltics, and Poland; YLE in Finland; Nova in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Sky Sports and ProSieben in Germany; MySports in Switzerland; and CCTV5+ in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.

The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone™ initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251002395048/en/

With NHL Puck Rush, we’re giving fans a whole new way to connect with the game and their favorite teams.