Top-scoring defenceman joins fellow Canadian, Sidney Crosby, as official athlete ambassador

TORONTO, June 24, 2015 /CNW/ - Gatorade Canada today announced the signing of hockey legend in the making, P.K. Subban to their roster of high-performing athletes.

"We are thrilled to have P.K. on board with us at Gatorade," said Claudia Calderon, Marketing Director, Gatorade Canada. "He embodies so much of what our brand stands for. When we talk about Winning From Within, it's athletes like P.K. that come to mind. He is someone who puts in the hard work, has the inherent desire to win and is a leader in the game. His performance on the ice and his commitment to giving back to his community make him a natural fit for the Gatorade brand."

Subban is a rising star. With five seasons behind him playing for the Montreal Canadiens, he is widely considered one of the NHL's top players and is one of the most irreverent, modern voices of the sport. At age 26, he has already been the recipient of the Norris Trophy (2013) as the league's top defenceman, and is a nominee for the same award in 2015. He has won gold for Canada at multiple levels and has consistently been one of the league's top scoring defencemen. His skill, unorthodox approach to the game, on ice persona and phenomenal rise to success have been widely featured.

"I've got a lot of reasons to smile on the ice, and Gatorade just gave me another one," says Subban. "Being a celebrated Gatorade athlete is a milestone that I've always wanted to achieve in my career. I'm absolutely proud to be associated with a winning brand so focused on fueling excellence in athletic performance."

P.K. Subban joins an elite roster of global athletes affiliated with the Gatorade brand including Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Usain Bolt, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams and Dwyane Wade. For nearly 50 years, Gatorade has studied elite athletes from a wide variety of sports to understand their hydration and nutrition needs from a scientific perspective, with the ultimate objective of improving their performance.

For more information on Gatorade Canada, please visit www.gatorade.ca

About PepsiCo Beverages Canada
PepsiCo Beverages Canada (PBC), a business unit of PepsiCo Canada ULC, manufactures, distributes, markets and sells a broad range of beverages.  Employing approximately 5,000 associates across the country, PepsiCo Beverages Canada's beverage portfolio of brands includes Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, 7UP, Aquafina, Lipton Pure Leaf, Tropicana and Gatorade. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.ca.

About Gatorade Canada
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), provides sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes at all competitive levels and across a broad range of sports. Gatorade Thirst Quencher® is backed by 50 years of research and is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, and provide carbohydrate energy to support athletic performance. Gatorade has been a partner of Hockey Canada for 26 years, the NHL for 8 years and the CHL for 26 years. Follow Gatorade Canada online:

• Facebook.com/GatoradeCanada
• Twitter.com/GatoradeCanada
• #WinFromWithin

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages Canada

Video with caption: "Video: Gatorade Canada welcomes P.K. Subban to team Gatorade.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20150624_C9879_VIDEO_EN_43804.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20150624_C9879_PHOTO_EN_43804.jpg&clientName=PepsiCo%20Beverages%20Canada&caption=Video%3A%20Gatorade%20Canada%20welcomes%20P%2EK%2E%20Subban%20to%20team%20Gatorade%2E&title=PEPSICO%20BEVERAGES%20CANADA%20%2D%20Gatorade%20Canada%20Announces%20Addition%20of%20P%2EK%2E%20Subban%20to%20Growing%20Athlete%20Roster&headline=Gatorade%20Canada%20Announces%20Addition%20of%20P%2EK%2E%20Subban%20to%20Growing%20Athlete%20Roster

Image with caption: "Claudia Calderon (left), Marketing Director, Gatorade Canada, welcomes P.K. Subban (right) to team Gatorade with commemorative Gatorade logo. (CNW Group/PepsiCo Beverages Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150624_C9879_PHOTO_EN_43799.jpg

Image with caption: "P.K. Subban, Canada's newest Gatorade athlete, celebrates joining team Gatorade. (CNW Group/PepsiCo Beverages Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150624_C9879_PHOTO_EN_43797.jpg