NHL announces significant changes ahead of game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals

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Hunter Bowman
June 7, 2024 (11:46 PM)

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The NHL has recently announced some significant changes to the playoffs broadcast ahead of game 1 is the Stanley Cup Finals.

During an announcement yesterday, CBC will be doing the first ever American Sign Language coverage on Hockey Night in Canada for the Stanley Cup Finals.

Making this the first time ever that any major sports league will have American Sign Language coverage. Truly an amazing move by the NHL.

"This is a great first step of having representation, having deaf people on screen, having the Deaf community connect to people like them," said Brice Christianson, the founder and CEO of P-X-P, the company who will be doing the broadcast. "For the NHL to sign off on this and to believe in this, it's groundbreaking. It's truly historic and also they've doubled down and said that they want to continue to do this."

With the NHL trying to provide ways to make viewership more inclusive, this is definitely a perfect way to that with people who are hearing impaired.

"For us to be able to have this real-time coverage of play by play and colour commentary in American Sign Language being called directly as opposed to a re-interpretation is really what the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community want," said Kim Davis, the NHL's senior executive VP of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs.

"It's what they deserve. That makes the game truly meaningful for them. It is not like you're re-interpreting for them basically from another language. They are hearing the game live in their own language and the way in which they understand it best."

The NHL is making history among all major sports by taking a big step forward with trying to involve everyone with the sport by doing this!