Ultimate Hockey is partnering with Protagonist Partners to leverage strategic marketing expertise and establish innovative 3x3 ice hockey as a modern sportainment platform.

Protagonist Partners and ProOxy AG today announced a strategic partnership within the framework of Ultimate Hockey. Effective immediately, Protagonist Partners assumes the role of official commercial partner, supporting the international positioning and global development of the innovative 3x3 ice hockey format.

Ultimate Hockey represents a new generation of the sport: faster, more dynamic and consistently designed for urban environments and digital-first audiences. The 3x3 format, played on a smaller ice surface, delivers maximum intensity, continuous action and a compact, media-ready experience that meets the expectations of modern fans and platforms.

The international launch of Ultimate Hockey will take place with the Ultimate Hockey – Breaking the Ice Tour, delivered in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The tour brings the new format to central urban locations for the first time, combining elite-level sport with entertainment, music and contemporary event culture.

The opening stop of the Breaking the Ice Tour will take place April 10–12, 2026, in front of Olympiaworld Innsbruck and forms part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck—a powerful and symbolic setting for the launch of a modern, future-oriented ice hockey format

“The commercial partnership with Protagonist Partners is a key strategic lever to translate the strong momentum of our global tour into premium brand partnerships,” said Andreas Goebel, CCO ProOxy AG. “Together, we combine sporting innovation with marketing excellence and establish the Breaking the Ice Tour as an international stage for visionary brand communication and sustainable sponsorship.”

As the official commercial partner, Protagonist Partners is responsible for building an international partner and sponsor ecosystem. The objective is to establish Ultimate Hockey as a globally scalable sports property and to involve brands at an early stage in the development of a forward-looking winter sports format.

Moritz Minkus, Managing Director of Protagonist Partners, added: “We are proud to drive Ultimate Hockey forward together with ProOxy, particularly across Europe. The 3x3 format represents a true innovation in ice hockey, and we are excited to push this development with a clear international perspective and the long-term vision of the Olympic Games.”