The ECHL has found a way to generate more revenue for its league, and it has to do with changing a traditional piece of hockey equipment and selling advertising space on it.

The goal posts. 

Along with selling advertising space on the boards and the ice, the league announced on Thursday that it has reached a "game-changing agreement" with GEICO auto insurance to adorn the goal posts of the 27 United States based teams in the league with the  GEICO logo.

Along with that, the goal posts will also be pained blue instead of the traditional red hockey fans have known for years.

Here is what they will look like.

"The ECHL is very pleased to enter into the multi-year partnership with GEICO, one of the country’s largest insurance companies and most recognized and admired brands,” said ECHL  ommissioner Brian McKenna in a statement released by the league. "The ECHL will bring direct exposure to over 4.5 million fans in some of the best markets and venues in the country, and millions more through our television and digital platforms."

And blue goal posts!

Given how much hockey purists hate the idea of potentially advertising appearing on NHL jerseys in the not-too-distant future, I can't imagine blue goal posts with an advertisement all over them is going to be popular. But can you really blame the ECHL here? It's a major sponsorship agreement that's surely going to bring a ton of money to a league that's probably not exactly swimming in ad revenue. Plus, it's just another advertisement to join the ones that are already plasted all over the boards and the ice.

The ECHL, which began in the late 1980s, is a 28-team (27 in the United States and one in Canada) professional league that is just below the American Hockey League in the North American professional hockey hierarchy that has produced more than 560 NHL players.

Twenty-nine of the NHL's 30 teams have some sort of affiliation with an ECHL team.