Animated data visualization game first of its kind in Canada
The Calgary Flames, in partnership with our broadcast partner Sportsnet and the National Hockey League announced Canada’s first ever real-time full-length NHL Animated Data Visualization “Harvey’s Mountain Classic” when the Flames take on the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, April 13th at 6:00 PM MST.
“Engaging with our youngest fans and creating new ones is a huge priority for the Calgary Flames and the game of hockey, which is why we’re so excited to have worked with the NHL and our wonderful broadcast partner Sportsnet on Canada’s first ever animated data visualization,” said Calgary Sports and Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer Lorenzo DeCicco. “We’ve had so much fun collaborating on the creation of this new and innovative content and can’t wait for the C of Red to see it on Sunday night. This is all in support of our commitment to delivering the most entertaining and engaging content to the best fans in the NHL.”
“Harvey’s Mountain Classic” will air on Sportsnet 360 and stream on Sportsnet+ alongside the main Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks national broadcast on Sportsnet One. Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound has made it his mission to ensure his team experiences hockey at its purest by playing an outdoor game this season. Harvey will lead the teams up to the Rocky Mountains of Alberta to a beautiful rink on a frozen lake where the conditions will be perfect to watch the Flames and explore the great outdoors. “Harvey’s Mountain Classic” content will also be available on-demand on Sportsnet+, @NHL on Youtube and NHL.com after the initial airing.
The program will feature two names very well known to Flames fans. Brendan Parker, the host of Flames TV will provide the play-by-play voice alongside Meaghan Mikkelson from Sportsnet 960 the Fan for colour commentary. Both Brendan and Meaghan will be immersed in “Harvey’s Mountain Classic” as their very own animated avatars, calling the game from NHL Studios in New York. This will also be a family affair with Brendan’s son Kade and Meaghan’s son Calder being featured all program long with an exclusive content series featuring Calgary Flames players, education around hockey and much more.
NHL animated data visualizations represent a continuation of the NHL’s global efforts to feature innovative applications of NHL technology, such as NHL EDGE Positional Data (NHL Puck & Player Tracking), and deliver the game of hockey to fans of all ages in fun and engaging ways. These new animated programs are produced in association with Sony’s Beyond Sports. Powered by Sony’s Beyond Sports’ cutting-edge technology, real-time data from NHL EDGE Positional Data merges with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking, and animates it to bring every shot, save, pass, check, and goal to life in NHL animated programs.
