If you really take time to think about aspects of its gameplay, hockey is a sport unlike any other. Six starting players battle it out in fierce competitions, all the while balancing on a thin sheet of ice and aiming to perfectly strike a puck into their opponent’s goalposts. It’s rightly one of the most intense, physically demanding professional sports to ever exist.
Because of this, athletes must be in tip-top shape, working to continually improve their game over the course of any given season. Nowadays, new technologies are of immense benefit to the NHL when it comes to training and even fan engagement. Let’s take a look at how emerging 21st-century tech is transforming the league for the better.
The Dawn of Puck and Player Tracking
An exciting new project has recently emerged for the NHL. It’s called puck and player technology, and its goal is to receive on-the-spot information about what’s happening directly on the rink at the exact moment it’s occurring. This is accomplished through various antennas placed around the stadium, as well as cameras and sensors inserted into pucks and the players’ apparel.
After being tested back in 2019, this ground-breaking tech has been rolled out and is already starting to ensure big things for the NHL. For example, hockey commentators and fans in the stands are able to receive exact stats on movement, successful plays, goals and more.
The tech is particularly relevant for sports fans who enjoy analyzing the picks and parlays of leading US sports, as every aspect of the gameplay is recorded in real-time. Furthermore, this ensures increased opportunities for expert pundits to accurately predict favorites and each organization’s most elite athletes of the moment.
For employees of the sports industry, such as reporters, analysts, and commentators, data has become available like never before, making their jobs more efficient and less tasking. For coaches and players, it means they have all the latest information on their performance and the knowledge needed to enhance certain aspects of their gameplay. After all, it’s vital that even the most talented athletes practice a strict training routine, especially given the higher risks of injury in a team sport like hockey.
What Could the Future Hold?
The future of technology in sports is ever-expanding, with new possibilities knocking at the door each moment. In other professional leagues such as tennis, popular players are already exploring the numerous opportunities to advance their game with tech. For example, superstar athlete Novak Djokovic is a key supporter of utilizing advanced technology to replace umpires during tennis tournaments.
