Blackhawks Using Technology To Attract Younger Fans

Blackhawks President John McDonough said one of the team's "primary goals is to connect with the younger demographic," according to Brad Spirrison of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. McDonough: "We have not had home games televised for decades and have missed out on two generations. If we're going to get those fans back, technology will have to provide an assist." McDonough, who "pioneered the use of wireless communication between the dugout and bullpen" in MLB, forecasts a "not-too-distant future when all hockey games will be available for viewing on the super-small screens of our mobile communication devices." McDonough: "Inside an arena or ballpark, you get far less information than if you are watching a game at home. Going forward, there will be devices that will allow you to learn where a player is from and see how many goals he had the past year. All this information will be at your fingertips, and what you can see inside a facility will be a lot more like what you can see on television" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/17).

BLACKHAWKS UP? In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein reports McDonough is "determined to have all 82 Blackhawks games televised next season." McDonough: "We're talking to different partners. We haven't consummated anything, but I'm very confident all of our games will be televised" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/18).