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Fans can try the VR technology on a Madison Square Garden concourse.
Photo by: MSG
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The New York Rangers goalie starts by strapping on his pads in the locker room alongside his teammates before taking the ice to face a few rounds of shots. But this isn’t a day in the life of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Rather, it’s what fans at Madison Square Garden will see when they participate in a new virtual reality hockey experience starting this week.
“At the Garden, we’re always fan-focused, striving to find ways to enhance that experience for them,” said Andrew Lustgarten, MSG executive vice president of corporate development and strategy. “While other people have touched on the VR experience for consumers, I don’t think they’ve seen anything like this in sports.”
The experience, which will last about two minutes and is narrated by Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen, will be available to fans to try for free, set up on an arena concourse.
The VR sequence begins with the fan appearing to be in the Rangers’ locker room, with members of the team going through pregame activities like lacing their skates and taping sticks. Next, the fan will see the view from center ice at an empty Garden, before heading toward the goal. From there, five different Rangers players will appear to skate toward the person, taking a variety of shots.
The experience is powered by both integrated video and CGI, and the computer will randomize both the players’ approaches and their shots — so it will be a different experience every time. Once the experience ends, the fans will receive an email with a summary of their performance, and photos of them participating.
Lustgarten noted that U.S. Open attendees in New York this year had a VR opportunity to hit with Maria Sharapova. The Rangers’ offering, he said, adds a group element. “You really feel like you’re part of the team,” he said, “and we’re excited for everyone to experience that.”
The simulator was developed, built and implemented by MSG alongside Strivr Labs, which up to this point has focused on created VR training programs for teams, mostly in the NFL.
“The thing that’s really neat about this VR experience is that it’s athletic at its core,” said Strivr Labs founder and CEO Derek Belch. “It’s pretty damn real.”
For Strivr Labs, which works with virtual reality software company WorldViz on the engineering side, Belch said the experience that will be offered to fans at MSG isn’t that far off from what the company offers its team clients, a group that includes the Dallas Cowboys.
In August, Strivr Labs signed a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment and has started to work with the Washington Capitals on VR training as well, but no other teams in the NHL. Belch noted that Strivr has begun to talk with the Rangers on how the technology might also be able to help their players.
He anticipates additional work in the NFL, too.
“Besides just teams, I think we’re going to see more venues show interest in just how they can use technology like this to bring fans to places they’ve never been before,” Belch said. “But the great thing is if a 17-year-old or a professional goalie wanted to jump in to get some work, it can work for that too.”
