TORRANCE, California — Even great National Hockey League stars such as Alexander Ovechkin are not household names in the United States. So it comes as something of a surprise to hear that Honda has entered into a three-year marketing agreement with the National Hockey League.As part of the deal, the Japanese automaker becomes the official vehicle of the NHL. This, at a time when such publications as Sports Business News have described hockey as a poor little sister compared with such powerhouses as the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and Major League Baseball.Hockey 'remains a niche sport in America with little if any awareness beyond its regional base,' said Sports Business News. Despite the fact that the NHL's Stanley Cup is the oldest pro sports trophy in North America, hockey is still struggling to create awareness and demand for its teams, detractors say.However, Honda notes that hockey has 'more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada' and that 'the NHL is a big part of the sports landscape in North America.'The agreement includes provisions for advertising on NHL.com and on-site displays of Honda vehicles at select events, the automaker said.What this means to you: Honda goes after hockey fans — small in number versus basketball, baseball and football — in a big way with this new marketing arrangement. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent