writ-technik

A site for the students of CS 115 to showcase their written works.

Technology in the NHL

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“Shinny Hockey the Austrian Way” by roliathBrickworx is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.

            The NHL was founded in 1917 and is now the top and most prestigious hockey league in the world. A lot of support from the fans has let the league grow massively over the last 107 years. The league originally had 6 teams, and now 32 teams compete for the Stanley Cup every season. Hockey isn’t a consistently popular sport around the world. Some places eat, drink, and breathe hockey, but most places don’t. Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner is aware of their popularity and has been on a mission to bring in viewers and fans, especially Gen-Z. He says the best way to bring in Gen-Z is to use technology because that’s kind of the fingerprint of their generation. This is ironic because technology has also been the NHL’s biggest asset in evolving since all the way back to the first season when they had tools to make sticks out of large tree trunks, or when the first game broadcasted on TV in 1952, or when the first video replay was introduced in 1991. Technology has changed the game from using frozen cow manure as pucks, to the 21st century where coaches and players have amazing pieces of technological equipment at their disposal during games. As well as fans being able to interact with the games using their phones. The question is which new technologies are practical and commonly used, and which new technologies are less popular.

During an NHL game, or any hockey game, the players who aren’t on the ice sit on the bench for a short period of time to rest in between their shifts. It is normal for players to drink water, talk about the game, talk to caches, or simply just watch the game while they sit on the bench. This has been the same through all levels of hockey since the sport was invented until about 2017 when the NHL took a big technological leap. The NHL thought the players might benefit from watching their own game while also playing at the same time. In 2017, each NHL team was allowed a certain number of Microsoft tablets on their bench. The tablets have the live game on with the ability to rewind so the players can watch back their shifts and improve their future play. The tablets are controlled by the team’s video coach, and the players can ask for them whenever they want. The NHL executive vice president and chief technology officer Peter DelGiacco said “By the time the player gets off his shift, that content is available within a minute, I guess, from the time it actually took place.” The point of the video tablets are so the players have another resource to get better. Some players use that resource after each shift, and some players don’t even think the tablets are necessary at all. Even young hockey players can be old school and just prefer to play the game with no distractions. A forward for the Florida Panthers, Sam Reinhart said, “I wouldn’t want to be staring at a screen, then going out for shift 2 minutes later.” I personally understand both sides of it and it is totally player preference. The tablets are just the newest technology that the players consistently use. They have been around for 7 years now, and I can see the players using the tablets on TV when I watch. These tablets are now very common, and I wonder what the next in-game tech will be for the players.

NHL coaches have many responsibilities and if they don’t execute to the general manager’s or owner’s standard, they could get fired. NHL teams want to win, and if the coach doesn’t give the team their best chance to do that, the team will find a new coach. On the contrary, if a team is consistently successful and winning lots of games, that team’s coach might have created a reputation for himself that would secure him a job for a long time. The coaches that have long careers could be coaching in the NHL for more than 30 years. There are currently many coaches in the NHL that have coached professionally for more than 30 years. These men have had the unique privilege of witnessing the evolvement of the top technology in the NHL since the 1980’s. Rob Cookson said “When I started as a video coach with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998, we were still using VHS tapes. Now, everything is available digitally.”  These coaches give their all in preparing their team for battle, so they will use every single tool and every resource possible to do so. I think the coaches’ biggest asset in today’s game is being able to play back their opponents’ games and then focusing on whatever part they think they need to be most prepared for. The technology allows these coaches the easily make clips for the team to watch. The Head Coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Sullivan said “You need to get better in all aspects, and you need to use every tool that’s available to you, and that’s where the technology and these iPads have become so important.” Another reason technology is so important to coaches is recruiting. Coaches can’t be all over the world, but they still need to recruit and see young guys play. Players put their own video on the internet, and coaches can go to different platforms to view these players. Before video was invented, coaches had to travel in person or send a scout to talk to and evaluate players. Technology has given all players a chance to put themselves out there, and for coaches to widen their search for talent across the world.

The biggest aspects of the NHL are obviously the players and the coaches because those are the pieces of a hockey team. However, the NHL wouldn’t be nearly as successful as they are if not for the massive support of the fans. The fans are the people who spend money to enjoy the league’s entertainment. Tickets to games, subscriptions to streaming apps, and merchandise purchased by fans heavily support the league. The fanbase for the game has grown massively over the last decade, and the Commissioner Gary Bettman wants to keep it growing using new technology to attract Gen Z. In an ESPN article, Greg Wyshynski wrote “The NHL wants to make things that present hockey in ways that speak to Gen Z.” The technology is an app you can download from your phone and then film the game you’re watching to experience something completely different than a regular hockey game. The app allows you follow the puck with a bright streak trailing it so you can easily see the puck. Wyshynski described it as “Point the phone at the ice and the game transforms. Streaks of color follow the puck as it moves around the ice.” Other features include in-game stats for any player you want to see, and the puck has sensors in it that track shot speed. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the new technology is an app because Gen Z all have iPhones. In a similar article, Greg Wyshynski wrote, “Much of it seemed tailored to tech-savvy Gen Z, which is an audience that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has long targeted.” The NHL can’t just make all this new technology and not have a way to advertise it. The league is focusing on partnering with popular brands, and making commercials featuring young NHL players that promote the brand and also market the NHL. The commercials feature the young players because Gary Bettman wants young kids at home to feel connected and seeing the younger players help. Overall, the commercials definitely improve the popularity of the league so I think the future path will be developing new ways to engage new Generations on TV.

In conclusion, technology has helped the NHL take a huge leap in the last decade compared to the previous decades. There are stats being tracked that wouldn’t have been believable 30 years ago. The league has opened a new era of the game and the possibilities are unknown. However, the league still consists of old school guys like Sam Reinhart that don’t merge with the new technology. There are many other guys similar to Reinhart that are superstitious to their habits they’ve been doing for a long time. I think that is interesting because this technology is so amazing and they spend so much time creating it, and then some players just aren’t interested in using it. I wonder if when the old school players flush out of the league, and there are only Gen Z NHL players, what the habits of players will look like. What will the technology look like once these bench tablets are considered old school?

Works Cited

  1. Wyshynski, Greg. “The NHL’s Tech-heavy Plan to Draw in Young Fans.” Espn, 26 Apr. 2022, www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/33803500/the-nhl-tech-heavy-plan-draw-young-fans.