Like any discipline, especially if we’re talking about contact and team sports, ice hockey is affected by the changes. Some of them seem more evident than others, and they have to do with safety and protection. Although, hockey wasn’t always particularly quick to adjust, even to the most basic precautionary standards like protective headgears.

It became a mandatory rule for new NHL players to wear helmets in 1979, and for game officials – in 1988. The general trend is for the game to be faster and more dynamic, and for the players to be stronger and better. Technology is continually helping to achieve the best results. While players are getting heavier and more muscular, their clothing and equipment become lighter yet more durable. Moreover, carbon components in the sticks make them more flexible yet lightweight.

Hockey is certainly a fast-pace game and, considering the small size of a puck, keeping up with the gameplay can be difficult sometimes. This is why investing in high-tech equipment will help the spectators to enjoy the show and assist referees in making difficult decisions. Cutting-edge TV cameras to capture all the action, aerial video shots for coaches to make adjustments on the fly, and referee cams, which are a relatively recent addition, are all good ideas to keep this sport exciting. Advanced tracking is possible due to chips that are put in the puck and players’ jerseys. Thanks to that we can take a look at some interesting stats of the game.

Perhaps, the typical hockey statistics could even become a part of something bigger, as big data is more and more critical in the modern world. Indeed, the world is all about it data, as it could change the way we play games, at least those based on math equations, numbers, and analytical approaches. In any case, all the data that comes from hockey games should be a big help to coaches, scouts, performance analysts, and so on. We can be sure that technology will find ways to provide more accurate information in greater detail.