The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 1/22
It’s Easter Monday, April 13th, and over on Earth 2 #NHL fans in 16 markets are still in the grips of an exciting opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sadly, everyone here on Earth 1 are self-isolating.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 2/22
@OvertimeScottB @FriedgeHNIC & others are reporting that the @NHL is exploring options to hold the Stanley Cup Playoffs in up to four “neutral” site locations,. NHL fans are all over this. We. Want. The. Cup.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 3/22
@PierreVLeBrun & others are suggesting that the NHL's priority is to play out the regular season but the goal has to be to provide players some “tune-up” games and ultimately decide who all makes the playoffs.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 4/22
@frank_seravalli has floated one option to set the season back to 68 games for the final standings, others say use points percentage, others still have looked at expanding the playoffs to include up to 24 teams.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 5/22
@PKSubban1 has suggested every team should get a shot at the Cup. Insane, but it is just reflective of the fact that NHL fans, and players, and owners all want to have a playoffs this year - with real revenue.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 6/22
What has not, IMHO, been well discussed is the games themselves and ways to modify and perhaps enhance the in-game experience and atmosphere for both fans and players. I have a few suggestions.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 7/22
It’s a simple thing but if the games are going to be in a limited number of locations then the crest at center ice needs to be NHL Stanley Cup Branded. The NHL shield or the Playoff Logo.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 8/22
Of course, there needs to be an on-ice acknowledgement of the COVID-19 victims, health-care and other essential worker heroes and, of course, the fans from around the world.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 9/22
IMO the inhouse presentation needs to be as if the game was in the “home” rink of the “home” team for each game: Player introductions, music, anthem singers, goal horn sounds, @GrittyNHL cam, everything.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 10/22

And there needs to be fan noise. I can’t stress this enough. The players in the arena and the TV audience at home needs to hear the fans - even if the fans aren't in the building. I know, so let me explain.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 11/22
While flipping for “classic” games on TV following the NHL pause I stumbled upon a live Aussie Rules Football game played in a massive but empty and eerily silent stadium.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 12/22
The @AFL played a week of Footie to empty stadiums and the TV experience as a fan was surreal. The competition was elite, I guess - I still don't understand Aussie Rules, but the silence all around was...wrong.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 13/22
I'm not calling for canned crowd noise to be piped into the rink indiscriminately. I am proposing that the @NHL develop an interactive App for their fans to “participate” in the games.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 14/22
I am an App user, not an App builder, but I can’t imagine what I am proposing is that hard. The good people at @BudweiserCanada have the goal lamp synched to your favourite team’s scoring, this is the reverse.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 15/22
Season ticket-holders get the App for free, non-season ticket holders (like me) “purchase” it for a nominal donation to charity and now your “cheers” are pumped into the rink for the players and TV to hear.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 16/22

How many Oiler fans are “at” the game – from Alberta, across Canada, or Sweden? The volume of those cheers can be in proportion to the numbers participating. More @penguins or @NHLFlyers fans "in" the house?
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 17/22
Give some cheering options specific to each team from the banal "GoLeafsGo" to the more creative and yes you should be able to “boo” the refs. Or "whistle" if your are from Europe.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 18/22
The App could also give fans who are linked in a chance to see different angles than are shown on TV, maybe you can be on your team’s bench, or locker room, or in the owner’s box. Make it an experience.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 19/22
The NHL had hoped to have their player tracking technology up and running for this year’s playoffs. No idea if it's ready to go but here's a way to showcase it in real time.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 20/22
The point is we are all missing hockey, well I am, and I am holding out hope that this is an idea that gives us some semblance of the fan experience back. Physical distance doesn't mean a social distance.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 21/22
Sport is a unifier and the App I am proposing is a way to unify hockey fans from around the world to more fully participate and interact with the players and game that they all love.
The @NHL At-Home Ice Advantage App, a proposal in thread form. 22/22
Thanks for putting up with this fan missing NHL hockey. Stay safe everyone. Wash your hands. Hug the ones close to you if you can. Keep two meters apart for everyone else. Keep your sticks on the ice.
You can follow @DougHMcLachlan.
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