Nickelback to Headline 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas

TORONTO – Can you hear the teeth grinding in Detroit?

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Nickelback, the Canadian rockers that got dissed before performing at the NFL’s Thanksgiving game in the Motor City, is to headline the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

The Chad Kroeger-fronted band faced a massive online petition last fall from Detroit Lions fans who urged that Nickelback not perform at halftime during the team’s Thanksgiving game.

Unfazed, the NHL has struck a promotional partnership with Nickelback that will see the band headline the NHL’s post-season awards show on June 20, to air live on the NBC Sports Network and on CBC in Canada.

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Nickelback music will also feature in NHL highlight reels during the upcoming Stanley Cup conference finals, and be used to promote the pro hockey league on Nickelback’s digital and social media platforms.

"As die-hard hockey fans, we can never get enough of the NHL, even when we're on tour," the Canadian rockers, who performed at the 2002 NHL Awards in Toronto, said in a statement Friday.