The height of summer might be upon us, but it’s never too early in the season to get Canadians fired up for their favourite sport, especially when the star of the campaign is in hot demand.

This year’s top NHL Draft pick, Connor McDavid, headlines a new campaign from CCM Hockey, which highlights his drive to make it to the big leagues. “‘Made of Hockey’ revolves around the principle that hockey is more than just a game; it is passion, pride, and quite simply, a way of life that only those excited by the drop of a puck or a clean sheet of ice can understand,” it says in a release.

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A spot running on TV and online shares the story of how McDavid’s father challenged him to break a piece of plywood by taking practice shots at it – a metaphor for the work it takes to make it into the NHL. And this pursuit of his ultimate goal is deemed the crux of “Made of Hockey.”

Working with Exacto Communications, Kartel Films and Audio Z, the campaign also features a website with video content and paid social, with additional content slated in the coming months. The spot was unveiled last month in conjunction with an announcement that McDavid would be sporting CCM equipment exclusively for his NHL debut. Other professional hockey players who work with the brand include John Tavares, Nathan MacKinnon and Patrice Bergeron.

While Exacto continues to be the brand’s AOR, Reebok-CCM Hockey has recently selected Cossette to review its digital strategy and create a new site.