Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

For the last few weeks, the NHL has been releasing images and videos detailing 30 superheroes created by comics legend Stan Lee and Guardian Media Entertainment — with designs and abilities representative of each NHL team and city. Many hockey fans have greeted this bold marketing initiative with clever ridicule or outright scorn, rhetorically pummeling these characters like a Marvel piñata on message boards, blogs and social media.

Cutting through that cynicism, said Baratta, is the fact that the Guardian Project’s Facebook campaign has generated over 1,000,000 votes from fans in an ongoing contest to see which Guardians are revealed on NHL.com each day.

The NHL has put so much faith in the project that it’s made the Guardians part of its All-Star Game marketing hook this season. The superheroes will officially debut in a 5-minute live segment during next Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh; “a combination of in-arena ice projection and hologram show,” according to Baratta, as the 30 heroes “save” the Carolina fans from their arch enemy after he takes over the arena.

Written by Greg Wyshynski & Full Story here