NHL Puck and Player Tracking System

Introduction to jogmo / Fraunhofer:

After many years of extensive research and testing, Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest applied research organization, met the NHL’s standards of tracking the puck and players as well as the engineering and manufacturing of the puck itself. As a result, the NHL has officially partnered with Fraunhofer’s subsidiary company, jogmo world.

“Being on the forefront of innovation is good for our game, and most especially our fans,” said NHL Commisioner Gary Bettman. “As a League, we have made significant investments to create new technology that quite literally didn’t exist. We think many of our fans – especially the innovation generations – millennials and Gen Z – are going to love this new frontier. These kinds of advancements are only possible with great partners, like the Fraunhofer Institute and their subsidiary, jogmo world. They’ve developed a system that met our standards not only for the puck and player tracking technology but also the engineering and manufacturing associated with this complex endeavor.”

How It Works:

Once officially implemented, the NHL Puck and Player Tracking technology will track every movement of the puck and both teams’ players during every game. The system will have the ability to track the players at 200 times per second, and the puck at up to 2,000 times per second.

The NHL Puck and Player Tracking technology will include the following:

• 14-16 antennae installed in the arena rafters
• Four cameras that support the tracking functionality
• One sensor placed on the shoulder pads of every player on both teams.
• 40 pucks manufactured with the sensor inside (for each game)

On average, this technology will generate millions of datapoints for every game played.

This data will be used to create new stats, analytics, and in-game graphics. Some of the first examples fans will see once the system is implemented League-wide will occur in the broadcasts on NBC and Rogers, and will likely highlight puck/player speed, puck/player location, player distance traveled, and player time on ice, to name a few. In addition to the broadcasts, this data is going to enhance a multitude of fan experiences including sports betting/gaming.

“The jogmo team is excited and honored that the NHL has selected our puck and player tracking system as the best technology available in the market after a thorough and professional testing process. We can’t wait to see data and analytics produced by jogmo come to life in real time on broadcast, streams and apps for coaches and fans. It will change the way the world will enjoy and better understand the fascinating sport of hockey first and more sports in the future!” – Martin Bachmayer, Founder & CEO, jogmo world

Puck and Player Tracking Technology at 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend

For the first time-ever, puck and player tracking technology will be used in an NHL All-Star Game broadcast. NBC and Rogers will be using the puck and player tracking data to enhance the SAP NHL All-Star Skills and Honda NHL All-Star Game live broadcasts and bring fans closer to the game.

Puck and Player Tracking Timeline

1996 NHL All-Star Game, Boston: Introduction of FoxTrax puck, continued use through 1998 Stanley Cup Final.

2015 NHL All-Star Weekend, Columbus: Tested IR-based (infrared) puck and player tracking solution in All-Star Skills and All-Star Game.

2016 World Cup of Hockey, Toronto: Full deployment of IR-tracking solution, used by ESPN and Rogers in live broadcasts.

2018 NHL All-Star Weekend, Tampa: Piloted jogmo/Fraunhofer RF (radio frequency) solution at 2018 All-Star Weekend.

January 8 & 10, 2019, NHL Regular Season, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas (New York Rangers @ Vegas Golden Knights; San Jose Sharks at VGK): First time puck and player tracking is tested in an NHL regular season game. Using the jogmo RF-based tracking solution, a variety of tech companies that have been collaborating with the NHL used the NHL’s puck and player tracking system to showcase how the data can be leveraged with apps, analytics, visualizations and live betting and mobile gaming products.

2019 NHL All-Star Weekend, San Jose: The jogmo-based puck and player tracking system will be used in a broadcast pilot by NBC and Rogers for the SAP NHL All-Star Skills and Honda NHL All-Star Game.