There’s nothing better than playoff hockey. The speed and physicality of the play are unmatched. From the crash of every check against the boards to the roar of the crowd down to the expert analysis of the play-by-play announcers, the energy is palpable even through a television screen. But what if all of those sounds of the game that make us feel a part of the action were missing? This is a reality for over 30 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss. For the 2024 Stanley Cup Final the NHL has implemented a new program to make sure everyone can be a part of the action.

Making History

This year NHL has teamed up with a company called P-X-P to create a live American Sign Language (ASL) stream for every Stanley Cup game.This feature goes far beyond what closed captioning offered in the past.The stream features two announcers, Jason Altmann & Noah Blankenship, who break down the game’s action in ASL and translate hockey terms that don’t have direct translations, such as “five hole.” The stream also has a crowd intensity meter and uses emojis to mimic noises from the crowd.

“The opportunity to do a deaf-centric broadcast of a premier sporting event in ASL is a positive, seismic change for the Deaf community,” Jason Altman, Chief Operating Officer of P-X-P, who is also deaf, told NHL.com. “As a sports fan growing up, I couldn’t relate to 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.” Check out a day in the life of the ASL announcers below.

The Chase for the Cup

Game three between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be on Thursday. The Panthers currently lead the series 2-0. If you missed any of the action from game two of the Stanley Cup Final you can check out an ASL recap below.

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