NHL Faceoff 2025: Entering Its Fifth Year as League Partner, ESPN Captures the Sport's Speed, SubtletyNew tools, refined workflows bring hockey's breakneck pace closer to the fanBy Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 4:00 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Few sports move as fast - or demand as much precision - as ice hockey. For ESPN's production and operations teams, the challenge is not only to keep up with the puck but also to help fans see what their eyes can't always catch in real time.
Enter a new season of NHL on ESPN, where slow-motion replays, low-angle cameras, on-ice rigs, and dynamic audio mixes converge to bring the sport's speed and skill into sharper focus than ever before.
Our athletes are some of the fastest, strongest, most impressive athletes in the world, says Linda Schulz, VP, production, NHL, ESPN. We're always looking for ways to help people who didn't grow up strapping on skates understand that - and to make it feel as close to being in the arena as possible.
This year, ESPN's NHL coverage - which begins with a tripleheader tonight, starting with the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup banner-raising at 5 p.m. ET - takes another stride toward that immersive experience. From new behind-the-net camera angles to skate-mounted shots and enhanced sound design, the production team is emphasizing intimacy, clarity, and analysis - all in the pursuit of showing the speed of the game in a way that's both beautiful and intelligible.
New Perspectives: The Camera Behind the GoalAt the heart of ESPN's visual upgrade is a new low camera position, just behind the goal and slightly above the glass, a spot developed in collaboration with the NHL over the past year. Outfitted with a small-format POV camera from PROTON Camera Innovations, the position captures the chaos and creativity behind the net like never before: wraparounds, quick passes, and goalie scrambles that often decide games but can be difficult to follow from traditional broadcast angles.
That position speaks to how to bring the fan closer and make them feel like they're in the arena, Schulz explains. It's similar to a handheld on the corner but, with the goal centered in the frame, gives you a new spatial context. Whether you're taking it live or using it in replay, it feels like the view from the seats; it instantly connects you to the game.
The behind-the-net camera also aligns with ESPN's broader push toward high-frame-rate imaging. Through a new exclusive partnership with Game Creek Video, the broadcaster has outfitted its NHL trucks with PROTON's HFR small-form cameras, providing crisp, super-slow-motion detail on shots, deflections, and saves - those blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments that fans and analysts crave.
We've replaced all our POV cameras with a new PROTON series, says Brock Wetherbee, senior remote operations technical specialist, ESPN. We're also experimenting with a high-frame-rate model that lets us see plays develop in a more cinematic way. When you pair that with our new goal-line position, you're not just covering the game; you're explaining it visually.
Skate Cam, MindFly, and On-Ice AccessIf the goal-line camera puts viewers at ice level, the Skate Cam takes them directly onto it. The rig returns this season with expanded access, including post-goal celebrations and bench interactions. The result is a perspective that feels personal and spontaneous, offering flashes of joy, frustration, and energy that typically only players experience.
ESPN is working with NHL to expand the access of Skate Cam. Here, the camera was used by ESPN at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL, during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. (Photos: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
During the Four Nations Face-Off tournament earlier this year, ESPN and the NHL tested new parameters for Skate Cam deployment. The results were electric.
After a goal, getting that Skate Cam onto the ice gave us a view of the celebration that was really special, Schulz recalls. It was one of those moments when everyone in the truck went, Ooh, what's that?' You don't get many of those anymore, that surprise. We're bringing that back for Opening Night and for our major tentpole events.
The broadcaster is also working closely with the NHL to integrate MindFly, a body-mounted camera system that records stabilized, first-person video and audio. It has been used in the past during pregame moments at the Stanley Cup Final.
MindFly's best use might actually be hockey, Schulz points out. Because players are on skates, the movement is so smooth. During Four Nations, we put it on referees, and the experience was outstanding. It's something we're aiming to expand into regular-season and special-event coverage.
Audio as AtmosphereHockey's energy is not only seen but heard: the slicing of skates, the rattle of boards, the smack of a slapshot. ESPN's audio team has worked to elevate that sensory experience into a storytelling tool.
Our sound design is about the experiential part of hockey, says Wetherbee. The puck moves so fast and the cuts are so quick that the sound has to follow the action dynamically.
Each broadcast now features multiple-layered audio mixes, crafted in real time by the A1 inside the truck. Every rinkside-glass microphone - three to six per goal for major events - feeds into a custom 5.1 submix that can pan and fade in sync with the camera cut. The result: a soundscape that tracks with the visuals, bringing the home viewer's ears right to the ice.
For Opening Night, that immersion will go a step further, with limited referee mics and new ambient configurations designed to highlight in-game communication: whistles, line calls, even snippets of player chatt
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
NHL Faceoff 2025: Entering Its Fifth Year as League Partner, ESPN Captures the Sport's Speed, SubtletyNew tools, refined workflows bring hockey's breakneck pace closer to the fanBy Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
