With the Los Angeles Kings down 0-3 to the San Jose Sharks in first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they somehow managed to claw their way back with four wins to complete the comeback. The players will say it was their relentless belief in one another. The coaches will say the team stuck to the game plan and their systems. Yet, one could argue that the Kings’ success this year could be attributed to a new app that is revolutionizing the game: XOS Digital’s ThunderCloud iBench app.
It’s a modern day sports tale: After a shift in which a player comes back to the bench, unsure if they made the right decision in a particular situation, they no longer have to sit there replaying the situation in their mind, trying to remember the different options. Instead, with only a five-second delay from live action, coaches can immediately utilize the iBench app and offer visual feedback for players right then and there. According to Zach Ziegler, the Kings’ video coordinator, “The ability to telestrate real-time on the iPad through the iBench app really allows us to not only show our players what is needed to succeed, but to teach our players how to succeed.”
Seventeen of the 30 NHL teams are now utilizing the new technology, and six of the teams in the postseason even have iPads right on the bench, for quick and efficient analysis during the games. The Kings use the ThunderCloud “on a daily basis to help prepare players for each game,” Ziegler explained. The free app also provides users the abiity to flag events, add visual and audio notes, zoom, telestrate, and swipe through clips.
It’s an interesting contrast: The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in all of sports, yet the team that wins it this year, might just be the team using the newest technology.