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NHL Bringing an Animated Game to Saturday Morning TV

mike barnes
·2-min read

Love those cellys when NHL players get animated after scoring a goal? Well, now you’re in for a treat.

In two days, the league is launching a weekly youth-centric animated program that will recap a recent game and air on Saturdays on NHL Network in the U.S., on Sportsnet in Canada and globally on the NHL YouTube channel, it was announced Thursday.

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The first episode will feature a version of the Canucks’ 2-1 victory over Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals on Jan. 25, a game that featured two goals from standout Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The 30-minute NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week will “bring viewers into an animated world where NHL player avatars, powered by NHL EDGE Positional Data, will create a visualization of the on-ice action with stunning realism and dynamic movements,” the league said in a news release.

In a nod to the NHL’s popular Winter Classic and Stadium Series games, the fast-paced program will feature the players in an outdoor environment “inspired by the essence and character of Canadian cities.”

There will be unique camera angles (think views from “inside the helmet”) and teenage commentators (they’re avatars, too) calling the game and offering fun insights, facts and stories. It’s all meant to “further connect young fans and families to the NHL,” David Lehanski, NHL executive vp business development & innovation, said in a statement.

The NHL has done animated games on a national and local level before, but this is taking it up a notch. NFL broadcast partners have featured lives football games with animation based on Toy Story films, The Simpsons and Nickelodeon shows, and Major League Baseball and the NBA have aired animated games as well.

NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week is produced by NHL Productions in collaboration with Sony’s Beyond Sports. It will air at 9 a.m. ET on NHL Network (re-airing at noon ET) and on Sportsnet at noon ET.

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