Both rinks have gray-blue covers drapped over seats, giving viewers a different look than usualGETTY IMAGES
The NHL has been holding exhibition games the last two days in its Toronto and Edmonton hub cities, and the games have given viewers a "different broadcast experience, one they will see for the weeks to come," according to Mari Faiello of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The NHL "draped gray-blue covers over the seating bowls" in both Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Place. It "provided a clean look to Scotiabank Arena, but was also a grim reminder that there aren't any fans watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs in-person this year." The rink "looked colder and more sterile because of it." The NHL on also "used piped-in cheers for the goals scored." Fans "groaned after a close shot and 'jeered' when officials called a penalty or blew their whistle for a stoppage of play." It was "hard to tell just how loud the sounds of the game were over the play-by-play broadcast" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/30). In Edmonton, Derek Van Diest wrote without fans in the stands for Oilers-Flames, sound reverberated "around Rogers Place like an ancient amphitheatre." Oilers G Mike Smith said of the atmosphere, "To be honest it felt like the Twilight Zone there for a bit. ... It was definitely one of the oddest games that I've ever played since I've been in the NHL" (EDMONTON SUN, 7/30).
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS: SBJ's John Ourand noted some of the NHL's broadcast changes were easy to see during the first exhibition games Tuesday on NBCSN. The new camera positions allowed NBC to use tighter shots, which kept viewers from noticing empty stands. They surrounded the rink with eight LED screens to allow for additional graphics. They also lowered the center ice scoreboard close enough to the ice so that it becomes part of the production. NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer said, "We've taken essentially a 19,000-seat arena out of play" (SBJ Media).
