NBC Sports Chicago said it is working with the Chicago Blackhawks to create an alternate animated telecast of a Blackhawks NHL game.
When the Blackhawks play the Dallas Stars on April 6, in addition to regular coverage of the game on NBC Sports Chicago, a second version of the game will appear in real time on NBC Sports Chicago Plus.
The alternative version will have cartoon versions of the players and the arena that is designed to appeal to families and younger fans.
The special telecast will also feature a celebration of team mascot Tommy Hawk’s birthday and be preceded by an animated pregame show.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to combine the talents at NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL to produce this first-ever, local, animated pro game telecast,” said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “We’re excited and proud to be delivering a new and fun way for families and younger fans to experience this wonderful sport like never before.”
The animated telecast will take advantage of the positional data available from NHL Edge, which track the players and the puck, plus Hawk-Eye innovations to recreate the action on the ice as it happens.
"Every day, we're challenging ourselves to bring hockey to fans in new ways, and we're incredibly excited to bring the first-ever local animated game to kids across Chicagoland and beyond in partnership with NBC Sports Chicago and the NHL," said Jaime Faulkner, president of business operations for the Blackhawks. “It’s our highest priority to introduce Blackhawks fandom to our youngest generation, and this passion project of ours is fueled by our ongoing efforts to share the game we love with families in ways that connect with their daily lives."
The animated game is being produced in association with Beyond Sports, an NHL innovation partner.
The game will feature Chris Vosters as play-by-play announcer and in-game analysis provided by Dominic Moore with Adam Burish and Tony Granato providing studio coverage for all ages during intermissions.
