The NHL and P-X-P are dedicating an alternate broadcast of the Stanley Cup final between the Panthers and Oilers to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community using ASL.
The Stanley Cup final is expected to have alternate telecasts featuring Deaf commentators and the use of American Sign Language.For the upcoming Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, the NHL says it wil provide coverage in a way that’s never been done before.
The NHL announced a partnership with P-X-P to provide an alternate telecast using American Sign Language (ASL). Fans can stream the ASL telecast on ESPN+ for American viewers and on Sportsnet+ for Canadian viewers.
Deaf commentators will provide real-time coverage of play-by-play commentary and color commentary on what will be called NHL in ASL.
For major plays such as goals, hits and referee calls, the broadcasters will provide ASL visual descriptions. Graphic visuals will also be included to help viewers understand crowd noise levels, as well as emotes to illustrate goals, penalties, the puck hitting the post or crossbar and more.
Jason Altmann and Noah Blankenship will appear in the telecast.
Altmann, the chief operating officer of P-X-P, has more than 20 years of experience supporting and leading teams and programs that serve people with disabilities. Blankenship works under the City and County of Denver at the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. Together, they intend to make sports more accessible and inclusive to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
"The opportunity to do a Deaf-centric broadcast of a premier sporting event in ASL is a positive, seismic change for the Deaf community,” Altmann said in a press release. “As a sports fan growing up, I couldn't relate with the broadcasters because some elements were not well captured with closed captioning. Now, we are creating an opportunity for Deaf sports fans and viewers to watch Deaf broadcasters and feel engaged through ASL. It’s absolutely remarkable.”
Among all other professional sports in the world, there is room for growth in the hockey community, and efforts like these will expand the audience.
“This initiative demonstrates a commitment to innovation and inclusivity that we value so deeply at the NHL,” said Steve Mayer, the NHL's senior executive VP and chief content officer. He also mentioned the league hopes to extend this plan beyond these Cup finals and into the 2024-25 NHL season.
"Fans of all abilities are encouraged to tune in to experience this first-of-a-kind telecast as a way to understand and share the experience with someone who is Deaf," said Kim Davis, the league's senior executive VP of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs.
There will be standard coverage of the final on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada and on ABC and ESPN+ in the United States. The final begins with Game 1 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
