NHL Rising Star Nail Yakupov Agrees Multi-Year Deal with Warrior

NHL No.1 draft pick Nail Yakupov has signed a multi-year equipment and apparel deal with Warrior Sports.

The deal includes helmet, stick, protective gear and undergear, Ian Pulver, who represents Yakupov along with lead agent Igor Larionov, told SportsBusiness Journal‘s Liz Mullen.

Yakupov, who joined the Edmonton Oilers, had discussions with other equipment manufacturers before signing with Warrior, which was founded in ‘92 and acquired by New Balance in ‘04.

“He liked their stick; he liked their product; he liked their message,” Pulver said of Yakupov’s decision to sign with Warrior. The company plans to promote the endorsement through a multimedia campaign. Warrior has a number of sports sponsorships with athletes and teams around the world, including a kit deal with EPL club Liverpool.

Yakupov, 18, had 31 goals and 38 assists in 42 games last season for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He had 49 goals and 101 points in the 2010-11 season. He’s expected to immediately play on one of the Oilers’ top two lines and signed a three-year entry-level deal earlier this week.