Leafs’ fans may not be looking forward to the NHL Draft this year, but LG Electronics Canada certainly will be, as it kicks off a new partnership agreement with the NHL and NHLPA.

The Canadian division of the global brand announced today that is now a ‘proud partner’ of the hockey league in the Canadian marketplace, in an agreement that includes a number of consumer-facing initiatives. The deal complements a multi-year agreement LG Canada signed with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment last fall.

Toronto’s XMC Sports and Entertainment worked with the two brands to negotiate the deal, which kicks off publicly tomorrow, April 13, with the live 30-minute 2010 LG NHL Draft Lottery special on TSN. The show will feature in-studio reps from each of the five NHL teams eligible to win the number-one pick in the draft, a release on the show stated, and marks the first time in 10 years that a Canadian team, the Edmonton Oilers, has a shot at nabbing the number-one pick.

LG’s partnership also includes exclusive marketing rights of NHL trademarks within the brand’s TV, home audio and video and appliance divisions, a licensing agreement with the NHLPA for the use of NHL player likenesses and images for advertising, POS and promotion, as well as activation opps at the NHL Winter Classic, NHL Awards show and NHL Entry Draft.

The deal also includes a sponsorship of the NHL Top 10, a video highlight package that airs weekly on the NHL Network. LG will have title sponsorship of the package, branding and drive-to-retail promo.

The partnership also extends to opportunities within other NHL properties as well, such as NHL GameCentre Live and the Canadian NHL retail website.