Hockey isn’t exactly the most gentle of sports. Games have been known to get a bit messy, and they have certainly never been accused of being slow-paced. Injuries are frequent and, while some add to the charm of the game, there is a line. In the stands or on the couch, many people find the learning curve for fandom somewhat steep, with the games being difficult to follow, even for the chosen few with mammoth flatscreens. All of this considered, it isn’t a big wonder that hockey’s major league–the NHL–does what it can to employ the latest technologies available, so as to improve the game and make it a safer and more enjoyable, both for players and spectators.
The NHL is currently testing advanced game-analysis and player-tracking systems. These operate through cameras installed at arenas, gathering information on stats and plays, and allowing for easy monitoring of player and puck movements. This is useful for the NHL on the fan-side to improve quality and accessibility of game broadcasts, and on the player-side to improve the sport, itself. Fans, veterans, and newbies will be able to track and understand the game more easily.
“I don’t even know where the puck is,” will no longer be a complaint by the reluctant New York Ranger. In addition, the teams can get a better sense of their players and their opponents.
According to Sports Illustrated, several teams were using iPads last season during playoffs, taking advantage of apps, like the iBench, to track plays in real-time through local video feeds. The app provides a great tool for figuring out how to adapt strategy on-the-fly during mid-game timeouts. It is also used to review performance during post-game. The iBench has a 5-second delay from live action; and offers a way to give coaches and players visual feedback that can be used to analyze what happened and what can be done to improve their game.
There is another area where hockey and tech are poised to be especially happy partners: the gear.
Helmets have gone through several transformations since being introduced to the NHL in the late 1970s. Besides making strides toward helmets which are more comfortable and better fit to each player’s individual needs, technology has been employed in the last 20 years to help players track and prevent injury. A revolutionary headband and mouthguard system, tested in football over the last few years, assesses impact, gives real-time information about concussions, and may be the next step in the evolution of hockey helmets.
It’s not just game quality and safety that have been improved by integration of technology. The fan experience has been greatly enhanced by technological advances adopted by television broadcasts. Sportvision, innovator behind televised football’s popular yellow-line indicating the first and ten lines, and SportVU are developing technologies that bring advanced game analysis for coaches and viewers alike. These are currently being evaluated for testing, hinting that a new chapter in the relationship between hockey and technology may be upon us.
Back in the 1990s, Sportvision developed a “glow puck” that caused some uproar. Although it helped the game transition into media broadcasting and convert some new fans, it was dropped, as it was never completely taken in by traditional fans. With updates in tracking technology, we might see a new iteration of puck-tracking that does not intrude on the traditional experience, but does serve to enhance viewing for the entire spectrum of fans.
However popular this technology is now becoming, the engagement of hockey and technology is, in most respects, pretty new. In fact, some, like David Ebner, claim the NHL is lagging behind other major league sports when it comes to employing technology in their favor in the areas of player safety, statistics analysis, and fan viewing.
With the current wave of new technologies including smart equipment and apps, and the pressure from seeing successful tech integration in sports like football and baseball, a new era of “technolohockey” is on the horizon. That being said, be sure to properly protect your tablet or smartphone before taking it out on the ice.