- Apple and NHL cooperate to give its officials Apple Watches
- They are being used in an outdoor game for the first time on March 1
- A custom app can give officials countdowns and even tell them which players are in the penalty shingle
Apple and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announced the next step in a partnership that has seen officials throughout the league equipped with the best Apple Watches to help them officate games.
Advertised by NHL, officials will wear Apple Watches and use a custom NHL Watch Comms app during an outdoor game for the first time, specifically the match between Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium, March 1.
NHL says officials across the league have used the technology on a widespread scale, with almost all officials wearing a watch this season.
In fact, they have used and refined it for a few seasons. Apple Watches come with a custom app developed by Presidio offering real -time notices in the game.
Apple Watch on ice
NHL says communication between officials is difficult during games due to crowd noise and the electric pace in play. An outdoor environment makes it even more challenging, the biggest is the lack of a scoreboard hanging over Midtis, limiting how officials can keep track of game hours and situations.
Officials who carry the clock get haptic messages during the game, including gambling and countdowns of penalties, and even the Jersey numbers, of which players are in the penalty area at all times.
NHL Executive Vice President of Business Development and Innovation David Lehanski says the league has a 90 percent participation rate among officials using the technology. The NHL has been working with Apple for a number of years, especially using iPad and Mac to deliver real -time videos to coaches and players in the game for the past eight years.
The NHL has future plans to expand the technology, including the addition of support for direct communication between the four officials on the ice, other Arena officials and officials at League HQ in Toronto. Apple Watch can even facilitate communication between officials and coaches in the future.
