The NHL has "dropped" N.Y.-based Jogmo World as its "primary technology partner in its player and puck tracking plans, but vows to have the highly anticipated data collection system up and running" by the '20 Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to Kaplan & Wyshynski of ESPN.com. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "Jogmo had some organizational and financial challenges which we were concerned about at the offset, but actually came to fruition." A source said that Durham-based SMT is the NHL's "new partner." Jogmo had "worked to develop a system that would allow the league to collect millions of datapoints for every game played through sensors placed on the players and inside the puck, as well as using in-arena antennas." Bettman said that the change in partners "won't derail the NHL's plans to get puck and player tracking ready" for the '19-20 postseason. However, NHL Exec VP/Global Partnerships & CRO Keith Wachtel said that a "full rollout won't happen" until the '20-21 season. The NHL has "made its puck and player tracking technology a significant priority." The league's television partners will "integrate the data and real-time visualizations into broadcasts, having already experimented with it at previous NHL events" such as the '19 NHL All-Star Game. The tracking technology "promised to usher in a new era of wagering on NHL games." The league already has "cut data exclusivity deals with MGM Grand, FanDuel and William Hill in anticipation of player tracking" (ESPN.com, 9/5).
