In October, Tim Hortons and their agency Zulu Alpha Kilo shared the story of the Ice Lions, Kenya’s only hockey team. Tim Hortons flew 12 members of the senior Ice Lions team to Canada, they had never had the opportunity to play against another team. After dressing in brand new CCM hockey equipment and personalised jerseys, the team was joined by some surprise teammates - National Hockey League stars Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

The video quickly went viral in Canada, the US and around the world in countries including the UK, Spain, Germany, Kenya and Russia. Canadians wanted to know more about the team and how they could help support hockey in Kenya. In response to the overwhelming interest, Tim Hortons partnered with Sportsnet to air a special 20-minute documentary on November 7th following the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals game.

“We were completely blown away by the amount of support the story received from Canadians and hockey fans all over the world,” says Jorge Zaidan, head of marketing, Tim Hortons Canada. “Our guests were inspired as much as we were and wanted to learn more about the team. So we’re thrilled that the documentary will share more of the Ice Lions’ story.”

Tim Hortons agency, Toronto’s Zulu Alpha Kilo, created the Ice Lions video and documentary. “We had over 80 hours of footage and such a rich story to tell. It’s exciting for us to be able to share the complete story of the Ice Lions and their journey to Canada,” said Zak Mroueh chief creative officer and founder.

“After Tim Hortons shared our story, the offers to help our team and grow hockey in Kenya have not stopped,” says Benard Azegere, captain of the Kenya Ice Lions. “The attention is more than anything we could have imagined. Truly a dream come true.”

To ensure support for the next generation of Kenyan hockey players, Tim Hortons made a donation to Kenya’s Youth Hockey League. Since the original video aired, the Ice Lions are determined more than ever to expand their membership and to have enough players to form Kenya’s first women’s hockey team.