Little Show, Giant Heart: NHL in ASL Earns Two Sports Emmy Nominations in 2026

To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language

NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the productions convey a big and meaningful message. The Sports Emmy Awards have certainly noticed: NHL Productions earned two nominations this year - up from one in 2025 - in Outstanding Live Sports Special: Non-Championship Event and Outstanding Interactive Experience: Sports.

The big-time productions, currently in their third year at the league level, are dedicated to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community and are part of an effort to make NHL games more accessible and give more hockey fans an opportunity to experience the sport.

To be honored with two Emmy nominations in one year is incredibly meaningful, says Matt Celli, group VP/coordinating director, NHL Productions. The team is very humbled to be nominated for two Emmys, especially when you look at the other finalists. We are proud of the recognition and prouder of our ability to service this community. We know that we are producing a truly special and unique show for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing hockey fans. The impact is real, and that makes this rewarding.

Among the 19 NHL Productions broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language was an alternative broadcast for a regional game in April, which marked a collaboration with the St. Louis Blues. (Photos: NHL Productions)He notes the league's support and investment in resources and creativity, led by NHL President, Content and Events, Steve Mayer, who creatively winds his messaging into all NHL Productions content. NHL in ASL is a recent arrival on the league's content calendar, having debuted during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Ahead of that event, Celli recalls, NHL Group VP, Social Impact and Strategic Integration, Rachel Segal approached him with a simple question: could NHL Productions orchestrate a show for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community? Shortly after, he says, we had a concept brief that essentially is 90% of what everyone experiences at home.

For the 2024 Final, the NHL produced live game coverage with commentators communicating in ASL for all seven contests between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. It has been a great collaborative effort alongside our partners P-X-P to continue to grow this show the last couple seasons. P-X-P provides ASL interpretation for games and events to make broadcasts more accessible to Deaf sports fans.

NHL Productions' having four total Emmy nominations overall in 2026, he adds, can be directly attributed to Steve Mayer and the team he has assembled. Mayer, who has been with the league since 2015, has a great vision and is committed to creating the best-in-class content. It's a real reflection of a team that pushes creative and quality storytelling. No one does it better.

This year's Sports Emmy nominations also recognized the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series, which featured a match between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings on March 1 at Ohio Stadium.

For that production, NHL Productions increased access and added extra storytelling elements to enhance the broadcast and visualize sound better. There were additional feeds arriving at one of NHL Productions' control rooms. More cameras also brought fans closer to the action, and player interviews provided increased access for the at-home viewer to experience additional components of the broadcast.

This is the first show that has Deaf broadcasters explaining to audiences at home what is going on during action, says Celli. We aim to present the best sport in the world in an organic way to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

NHL's Matt Celli: Doing a show like this has allowed us to upgrade our facilities so that we can produce any show from our studio. We are focused on creating amazing content for hockey fans around the globe. To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 ASL broadcasts, including the NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series. According to Celli, the initiative is currently in the planning phase as the group considers NHL in ASL productions for the 2026-27 regular season and beyond. The focus, for now, is on growing and continuing to expand access for not only NHL tentpole events, such as the Stanley Cup Final, but also for alternative broadcasts for regional games, such as April's collaboration with the St. Louis Blues.

When asked how NHL Productions has improved the NHL in ASL broadcasts over the past couple of years, Celli notes that the group uses all its resources to capacity.

Doing a show like this, he says, has allowed us to upgrade our facilities so that we can produce any show from our studio. We incorporate an enormous amount of content from our NHL Productions group as well. Whether it's scenics and B-roll, promotional material, or specialty shoots, we are focused on creating amazing content for hockey fans around the globe.

The Sports Emmy Awards Ceremony will take place May 26 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. The Sports Emmy Awards honor excellence in sports television programming that aired in 2025.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/05/12/little-show-giant-heart-nhl-in-...
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