Last night, the NHL had its first-ever Frozen Frenzy, where all 32 teams played.
Last night, the NHL had its first-ever Frozen Frenzy, where all 32 teams played.
As a massive fan of NFL Redzone, the pure excitement of something similar happening with hockey was incredible.
Last night, the NHL's version of that came to life with the Frozen Frenzy. ESPN had hosts John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes take fans through the entire NHL card.
Here are my main takeaways from the eventful night:
Overall, it was successful and tons of fun
ESPN did a good job going from game to game. Buccigross and Weekes found a balance between talking about the game in general or whatever game the broadcast focused on.
They brought the action to life and made the show fun, which it needed to be. Yes, there were some kinks, but I will talk about that on its own.
Fans were tweeting into the show, explaining how they would have to sleep on the couch because of the late night and much more. ESPN did an excellent job including the fans with tweets in the broadcast.
I saw plenty of incredible moments live. Whether it was Alex Ovechkin's first goal of the season or some amazing saves. I also enjoyed the goal counter throughout the night.
The timing could've been better
Although it was generally okay, there were times when ESPN cut away from a game at a crucial moment.
There was one moment that stood out to me. The Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken were tied at four with 20 seconds left. ESPN was in a double box showing that game and the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets game. As the Red Wings entered the offensive zone, ESPN cut away from both games, and fans couldn't see what happened.
Staggered game times all the time, PLEASE
The NHL staggered all the games' start times by 15 minutes the entire night. There was never a time when all the games were at intermission.
It was constant hockey all the time. It was non-stop action, which is exactly what fans have wanted for a long time. Even on nights with 11-12 matchups, staggering the start times would still be effective.
Fans who have ESPN+ will be able to watch their favorite team and, during intermission, flip over to another game. This will allow the casual fan to see more teams and grow the knowledge of the entire NHL.
Staggering the start times is one of the best things the NHL can do going forward.
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