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Time of India
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Goal or No Goal? The NHL's call for enhanced video review technology
Image Via Getty Image Via Getty Image Via Getty Image Via Getty Image Via Getty 1 2 In the high-speed world of the NHL, where every goal counts, video reviews are vital in establishing whether or not a play ended up being a goal. One call can change the fate of a game, a period, or even a playoff series. The current review system has some merits, but it is far from perfect. Oftentimes, it arrives at inconclusive decisions that frustrate players and fans alike. Clearly, the NHL needs to upgrade its review technology to meet the requirements of the game. NHL Review System: A Work in Progress The purpose of reviewing plays is to make the right call, and while it seems to be working in most cases, a lot of work is left to be done. The biggest issue at hand is how long it truly takes to review the big play. An example of this would be the fifth-minute review of a critical play involving Cole Perfetti in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues. Perfetti's one-timer seemed to cross the goal line, but with Blues goalie Jordan Binnington's glove partially in the net, the officials were unable to confirm the outcome with certainty. The NHL Situation Room ultimately upheld the no-goal call, citing that there was not enough evidence to overturn that decision. This kind of indecision can be very costly. Had it counted, the goal would have propelled the Jets toward a comeback, shifting the momentum in their favor. Instead, the Jets went on to lose by a score of 7-2, a loss partially dictated by the controversial no-goal call. These instances showcase the need to take an even more surgical approach and quicker means to determine whether a goal is or is not. The other area the current system is struggling with is identifying offside calls, and the reviews tend to take a while. An example of this came as late as January 2024, when Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid was left visibly frustrated after a 15-minute review to determine offside for a Zach Hyman goal. The time taken, besides affecting the flow of the game, called into question the efficacy of the review system itself. Moving Towards the Tech Seen in Soccer and Tennis Conversely, sports such as soccer, tennis, and football have made huge advances in their use of technology for any sort of goal-related decisions. Hawk-Eye soccer goal-line technology has been in use since 2013 for detecting when the ball has fully crossed the goal line. In this vein, tennis has been using it since 2002 for Electronic Line Calling, giving real-time feedback to players and officials. The NFL recently announced it will use Hawk-Eye for 8K camera-based measures to determine whether the ball crosses the line to gain. There is currently no similar technology present in the NHL for goal-line reviews, whereas good use of NHL Edge technology for advanced stats goes unacknowledged in the league for a system that could instantly verify the scoring of a goal or a player's onside position. With this technology gap, we are seeing the eventuality in postseason competition where an inch here or there could turn the whole outcome. Also Read: Chicago Blackhawks rebuild: Connor Bedard, Korchinski and the next core taking shape While the NHL stands on the doorstep with an eye toward video review technology, some advancements already are in place, but the lack of credible real-time technology for goal-line or offside reviews is a real sticking point. In the modern age, other sports keep on extensively adopting revolutionary technology to ensure accurate decisions for all; the NHL should follow suit lest it find itself needing to catch up and provide a better experience for players and fans. The NHL certainly needs to adopt an advanced tracing technology, as used in soccer and tennis.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lightning to take live game programming to a virtual ‘Hockey Paradise'
TAMPA – For all the hard work the Lightning have done to grow hockey around Tampa Bay, especially among kids, what they'll do to reach new fans Saturday afternoon will introduce them to a whole new world. A virtual, animated world. The Lightning, along with the NHL, will produce a real-time, animated broadcast of the 2 p.m. game against the Islanders, programming they are calling 'Hockey Paradise.' It will be broadcast via the Lightning app, team website and Advertisement Using advances in the league's puck- and player-tracking technology, they will create a real-time simulation of the game on a virtual floating rink in the shadow of palm trees. Jet Skis, speedboats and cruise ships will pass by, ice conditions will not be a concern and players will be sent to a penalty box reminiscent of a desert island. 'This is an extension of just a general approach to get younger kids, whether they can barely walk or even into their teenage years, to think about the sport of hockey,' said Lightning chief marketing officer Matt Corey. 'It's not about getting them to play but learn about it and enjoy it, because people who don't experience hockey, they don't understand how fast the game is, how amazing these athletes are and how fun it is.' In many ways, the Lightning's animated game will pay homage to Tampa Bay. The backdrop will include animated versions of area landmarks such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, St. Pete Pier, Jose Gasparilla pirate ship, roller coasters to represent Busch Gardens, the iconic white balustrade along Bayshore Boulevard, a downtown Tampa backdrop and an animated version of Amalie Arena. During breaks in play, a storyline will be intertwined with Lightning mascot ThunderBug exploring the area. 'We've been collaborating with the NHL for months to design this world,' Corey said. 'You've got all these little Easter eggs all in the environment. It's going to be a fun, different way to show off our city.' Advertisement More than a decade ago, the NHL built a system to track puck and player movement. It captured vast amounts of data to create new statistics, analytics and metrics to incorporate into live broadcasts, such as a player's skating and shot speed. Since then, the league has used the data to create its NHL Edge stat system. But that was only the beginning of creating an animated game. The league began working with Sony's Beyond Sports to see how players and the puck could be tracked on a three-dimensional, virtual rink. 'Admittedly, nobody was, including us, thinking about how we could take that data and turn it into basically a cartoon version of the hockey game, because we didn't know the technology existed,' said Dave Lehanski, the NHL's executive vice president for business development and innovation. 'As the game was being played, instead of looking at the data as blips and dots and zeros and ones, they would visualize the data and we would look at it sort of play out on a virtual rink. ... We reached out to sort of use this technology for validation. But once we saw that we were like, wait a second, this is kind of cool. Like, could we turn this into an actual experience? Could we display this and let people watch this? Could we turn the little sprites for the players into actual avatars?" Advertisement Two years ago, Beyond Sports helped the NHL produce its first full-length animated game, the Big City Greens Classic between the Rangers and Capitals, which streamed live on ESPN+. Last year, the league installed 12-14 cameras in every arena to track the skeletal positions and stick positions of players to complement their existing data and create more realistic movement. After the Blackhawks had the first local animated game last season, the league looked this season to test the programming in other local markets. The Lightning, one of 20 teams to show interest, were among four to get their own game. The Bruins had a STEM-themed animated game broadcast earlier this month. The Predators (April 1) and Flames (April 13) have animated games scheduled for next month. Where the NHL goes from here is uncertain, but Lehanski said the league is pleased with numbers that show increased viewership among younger and female viewers. Nor have the animated broadcasts negatively impacted the regular local broadcasts. (The Lightning's animated game will have a different crew — former Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn and NHL junior reporter Wyatt Ross — from the FanDuel Sports Sun broadcast.) Other animated game forms — highlight videos or condensed games — also could result. 'That's why we're experimenting with a lot of these different elements,' said Casey Hall, the NHL's executive vice president for marketing and innovation. 'It's probably just a little too early to know exactly where this is all gonna lead us and, quite honestly, where the fans (lead us). That's what we need to test the market from is, what is going to appeal to the fans and what type of game presentation do they want and enjoy.' Advertisement The Lightning's animated broadcast will coincide with Kids Day Saturday at Amalie Arena. But even without tickets to the game, the Lightning are inviting families to Thunder Alley to watch the animated broadcast on an LED screen for free. • • • Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida. Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.
Chicago Tribune
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Untapped potential and confidence: What we've learned about Chicago Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov
Naturally, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov has been learning what it takes to play in the NHL – and the traps that await every rookie – with each game. 'How hard it is, how fast,' said Levshunov, who is taking to the English language at almost the same speed he's taking to the pro game. But as much as he has on his plate, the Hawks are quickly finding out more about their top defensive prospect, who was the No. 2 overall pick in this summer's draft. Here are four things we've learned about Levshunov as he gets set to play in his eighth game Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. 1. It's very early, but his offensive potential is still largely untapped. Levshunov profiles as a powerful shooter, but his average shot speed (68.2 mph) is a fraction under the league-average of 68.6 mph, according to NHL Edge stats. He has yet to score his first NHL goal, but his two assists and 1.29 shots per game already rank him third among Hawks defensemen. The rookie has established himself as a threat. 'You can see his instincts offensively, his puck plays,' Hawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen said. Levshunov is averaging 1 minute, 40 seconds on the power play, and has manned the point on the top unit in recent games. Sorensen has been impressed with Levshunov's quick grasp of some of the power play's nuances. 'For any player coming in on a new team, it's hard to get a feel for power play, having chemistry with players,' Sorensen said. 'I just like that he's decisive with shooting. I think he wants to get his shot through and use his shot. 'When you have a threat from the point as a shooter, it makes the whole penalty kill have to be aware of that and respect it. Once you respect that middle shot so much, it opens up flank plays for (Connor) Bedard and Teuvo (Teräväinen) and these guys to make their plays. 'So I think that's what's nice is he has a heavy shot, and it's natural for him to shoot it.' Forward Frank Nazar, Levshunov's teammate with the Rockford IceHogs, agrees. 'He's always a threat up top. He likes to shoot,' Nazar said. 'That's something that teams take into account. And then if a team is overplaying the shot, he's able to make the pass. That's something that is really good for him, and it's really good for his team.' Levshunov might have been timid to use his shot during his first power play, but he's not any more. He's eager, and now just has to figure out when to use it as part of his role in the unit. 'Over time, when they build chemistry, that's going to open up more plays,' defenseman Connor Murphy said. 2. Confident? Yes? Borderline overconfident? No. Even before Levshunov made his NHL debut in Colorado on March 10, he had consistently maintained he wasn't nervous after spending most of the season with the IceHogs. 'Why should I be nervous?' he said. 'I'm playing hockey. I don't need to be nervous.' He then admitted that those 'first games, I was nervous, for sure … but I try to be not nervous because it's a game. I've got to play hard, play for my team.' Levshunov may force himself to shake off those nerves on occasion, but then his instincts kick in and he's directing teammates. 'He's got the air traffic controller going and pointing (directions)' Sorensen said. 'It's good, he wants to be involved. He's taking charge, right? 'As a young player coming in in this environment, it could be easier to (shut) down. But he wants to be on the ice, he wants the puck, he wants to tell the other guys what to do, and it's all good.' 3. Levshunov has taken the biggest strides with his gaps. It was an area of focus in Rockford — and it's been his biggest strength so far with the Hawks. 'Early in the year, he just reads and gaps,' said Sorensen, who was Levshunov's coach with the IceHogs early on. 'I think that's gotten a lot better' in Chicago. Murphy said for young defensemen, 'it's hard to have confidence in gaps, gaps being like how tight you can play up on forwards when they're trying to break out. 'He made a lot of plays disrupting breakouts, whether it's rolling pucks coming up his side or the forward is trying to break out, and he's coming forward at them and keeping plays alive to get more offensive zone time. And that's not easy.' The tendency for a lot of defensemen – either rookie or veteran – is to play it safe, skate backward and keep the play in front, Murphy added. But Levshunov is sure enough in his skating ability that he stays up on puck carriers. 'To have confidence is going against skilled players to step up and disrupt plays, that's a really big part of defending,' Murphy said. 4. Levshunov has some defensive nuances to learn. He hasn't mastered the Hawks offense just yet, but defense can take longer to solidify, especially for offensive defensemen. Positioning is one key area, Murphy said. 'The game is really detailed, more so than college and junior,' he said. 'So just positioning on knowing with certainty, whether it's offensive, neutral or D-zone, little ways you can stand and stick positioning you can use when the puck is in certain areas, or (whether) it's your guy or not your guy. It allows yourself to limit the damage if things break down.' Sorensen said Levshunov is getting better about battling in front of the net, where big forwards can box you out or push you around. 'He's a young kid,' he said. 'He's learning to play in the league and understanding that every day is a new day, and it's a relentless schedule here, and you're playing teams that are fighting for playoff spots.' Levshunov had a teachable moment Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings when he followed up a turnover in the Hawks' end with a slashing penalty. 'Yeah, I lost the puck there,' he said. 'Just maybe I should play more simple there, maybe pass from the board, not through the middle. I needed to go and take the puck back, for sure. It was slashing, but it was a good lesson for me.'
New York Times
21-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Edmonton Oilers' new defenceman Jake Walman is a perfect fit
One of the things Edmonton Oilers management has excelled in during recent seasons is deadline acquisitions of quality defencemen. Stan Bowman's first deadline saw Jake Walman arrive in a deal with the San Jose Sharks. Early results suggest he will join an impressive group of blueliners who have boosted the Oilers upon arrival at the trade deadline. Previous acquisitions include current Oilers defencemen Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak. Advertisement Now that Walman is here, and performing well, the question surrounds where to deploy him on the roster. The injury to Ekholm made the decision easy early on, but Ekholm returned for the game on Tuesday night versus the Utah Hockey Club. What's next? Fans have been discussing Walman's ideal spot in the lineup since the trade. On Tuesday night, with Ekholm back in action, coach Kris Knoblauch enjoyed an embarrassment of riches. He ran Walman with Darnell Nurse for 12:40 five-on-five, the duo outscoring Utah 1-0 with a 50 percent shot share. Here are the numbers for Walman through six games: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick Through 105 total minutes, Knoblauch had deployed Walman as a front-line defender. His primary defensive partners were the best available with Ekholm on the shelf. The results are impressive no matter his partner. Fans and observers can know much about a specific veteran who has played in the league for years, but the close attention Walman has received since his arrival in Edmonton is on a completely different level. A more critical eye in the hockey world may not exist. Oilers fans have high expectations of this team. So far, the player has delivered and then some. Walman brings several above average skills that make him an attractive addition to Edmonton's defence: According to NHL Edge, Walman's top skating speed (35.55 kph) is in the 66th percentile leaguewide. He also delivers strong numbers in speed bursts and skating distance. Among current Oilers regulars, Walman's top skating speed is a doppelganger for Nurse (35.45 kph) and indicates just how significant a pairing of Walman and Nurse could be during the coming playoffs this spring. His shot speed is in the 95th percentile, again as per NHL Edge, and he joins an impressive and varied group of shooters on the Oilers blue line. Advertisement One of the best ways to evaluate pairings is via expected goals. The expected goals formula estimates the chances of each shot resulting in success, evaluating multiple factors in the process. An exceptional (and lengthy) explanation is here. The idea is to take luck out of the equation (as much as possible) and give a more accurate view of each singular scoring opportunity. Hockey is a difficult game to evaluate (it's a series of broken plays); expected goals give us a more accurate view of what's going on. Walman has been an Oilers defenceman for very little time, so the sample is small. With that understood, here are Edmonton's top 10 defensive pairings in 2024-25 (at five-on-five) using expected goals: All numbers five-on-five, excluding Thursday night's game The Ekholm-Bouchard pairing runs like a finely tuned engine and has proven it in enormous minutes. A pairing that delivers those impressive results is a foundation piece of the roster. Bowman acquired Walman in hopes of creating a second pairing that could approach the goal share of Ekholm-Bouchard. Enter Walman, with Nurse the likely defensive partner. On the list of pairings above, Nurse can be found in several places. His primary partner (Troy Stecher) is playing second-pair minutes without being a bona fide top-four defenceman. The results are good, but the gap in expected goal share between the top pair (Ekholm-Bouchard) and Nurse-Stecher is significant. It's a game-changer. Oilers fans universally love Kulak on the third pair, and endorse his fine work with Nurse on the second pair. With Walman on the depth chart, the coach can run with the duo that's working best at the time. Early results suggest Nurse and Walman are the second pair in Edmonton. Beyond five-on-five, Walman has been deployed for well over two minutes a game on the penalty kill, delivering solid results. He's also seen power-play time, but that's likely as a result of Ekholm's roster absence. Advertisement In the exciting game against Winnipeg on Thursday night, Nurse and Walman were high event (2-2 goals, Walman had some chaos in his game early) in a playoff-style tilt. The expected goals was 70 percent. Overall, the ice is tilted in a good direction with Walman on the ice. Edmonton has two top-flight pairings and an outstanding third-pairing defender in Kulak. It's been years, at least 15, since the club boasted this kind of quality and depth on defence. Bowman delivered in his first deadline, just as Ken Holland did in past years with Ekholm, Kulak and others. Despite the small sample, it's obvious targeting Walman was an astute move by Edmonton's general manager.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Foegele Signing Looking Better and Better for the LA Kings
When LA Kings' general manager Rob Blake signed winger Warren Foegele to a three-year deal last July, fans could be forgiven for asking, 'who?' Among the many Oilers who have tormented the Kings the past three years in the playoffs, the name Foegele would probably come well after Bouchard, Draisaitl, Ekholm, Hyman, Kane, and McDavid. However, when one looks at Foegele's numbers so far this season and factor in his reasonable $3.5 AAV over three years, this may turn out to be one of Blake's best signings. Sorry Ilya Kovalchuk. The 28-year-old forward leads the Kings with 18 goals and 33 points at even strength. With LA only sitting at 18th in the league at 2.84 GF/G, it's hard to imagine where they might be without the addition of Foegele. Foegdaddy makes it four — LA Kings (@LAKings) March 10, 2025 With 20 games remaining in the regular season, Foegele is well on his way to surpassing his career best offensive production from last year. In that 2023-24 season with Edmonton, Foegele struck for 20 goals and 21 assists but is projected to hit 24 goals and 22 assists this year with the Kings. Could a 30-goal season even be in the cards one day? Teammate Trevor Moore seemingly came out of nowhere to score 31 goals for LA at the ripe old age of 29, using a similar blend of speed and slick hands in tight around the net. Maybe LA is the place to be when it comes to late-blooming goal scorers. On a squad with certified burners like Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe, Foegele can also hold his own in the wheels department. In fact, according to NHL Edge, Foegele registered a max speed burst of 23.19 miles per hour this season, ranking in the 92nd percentile. Tops on the Kings this year? Notorious speed demon Quinton Byfield at 23.40 (98th percentile). Long story short, Warren Foegele has been an impactful player for LA in the first year of his contract. If he builds on his long postseason run with the Oilers last season, could he be the piece that LA needs to finally get past Edmonton and into the second round? If LA were able to finally vanquish the firm of Draisaitl, McDavid and Associates with solid contributions from Foegele, the deal could end up being last summer's best free agent signing.
