Puck has lights on it?

[RussianShark]

Noticed this on Bennett's goal. Looks like the puck has a ring of LED lights on it.

Since when has this been a thing?

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795630220948508835

Players complained about the FoxTrax puck feeling different... I'm guessing with modern technology it's not as much of an issue, but I'd still imagine purists being bothered.

Click to read more...

 

[AzHawk]

How NHL’s sensor-embedded puck allows for better broadcast statistics and graphics, new types of wagers, more

SportTechie has more on the NHL's new puck and how the tech will be used to enhance NHL platforms and fan experiences.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

 

[alko]

Even on World Championships you had to give the puck back. Not allowed to take it home.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

It’s used for puck tracking. Speed, location on the ice, etc.

And before someone comes with the inevitable “Well, if we have puck tracking, how come we can’t tell when a puck crosses the goal line?”

The answer is: We can, but it’s not always accurate. It sometimes registers goals when the puck is jammed in the corner of the net in a scrum, or when the goalie makes a goal line save. The eye test will tell you neither situation were goals, but the technology occasionally registers them as such.

It’s getting better as far as accuracy goes, but it’s not quite reliable enough to be used confidently.

 

[ijuka]

It’s used for puck tracking. Speed, location on the ice, etc.

And before someone comes with the inevitable “Well, if we have puck tracking, how come we can’t tell when a puck crosses the goal line?”

The answer is: We can, but it’s not always accurate. It sometimes registers goals when the puck is jammed in the corner of the net in a scrum, or when the goalie makes a goal line save. The eye test will tell you neither situation were goals, but the technology occasionally registers them as such.

It’s getting better as far as accuracy goes, but it’s not quite reliable enough to be used confidently.

With only two sensors in the puck, you can tell whether the puck 100% crossed the goal line if you have some math ability, and the location measures are accurate.

The exception is when the puck gets on top of the net from behind, but in that case it's pretty easy to just use your eyes.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

With only two sensors in the puck, you can tell whether the puck 100% crossed the goal line if you have some math ability, and the location measures are accurate.

The exception is when the puck gets on top of the net from behind, but in that case it's pretty easy to just use your eyes.

Yes, clearly, the engineers that have put together the puck tracking technology have no idea about basic mathematics. You’re the only one who’s figured out this very difficult concept.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Wait for it, tracking will be used to superimpose adds


This goal review is presented by McDonalds.
tada ta dada

 

[GrumpyKoala]

With only two sensors in the puck, you can tell whether the puck 100% crossed the goal line if you have some math ability, and the location measures are accurate.

Yes, clearly, the engineers that have put together the puck tracking technology have no idea about basic mathematics. You’re the only one who’s figured out this very difficult concept.

Could it be a way to keep the weight of the puck as balanced as possible, while I cant tell you the weight of the sensor vs the normative puck density, an hex pattern like this is a good balance between a low amount of sensor and ok weight distribution

 

[Felonious Python]

Wait for it, tracking will be used to superimpose adds


This goal review is presented by McDonalds.
tada ta dada

Not going anywhere for a while? Grab a Snickers.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Wait for it, tracking will be used to superimpose adds


This goal review is presented by McDonalds.
tada ta dada

I mean, that's basically what DED (digitally enhanced dasherboard) is. They superimpose the ads along the boards and on the ice. The real travesty is they removed the "Stanley Cup Playoffs" logo on the ice and put ads there instead.

 

[Lt Dan]

This goal review is presented by McDonalds.
tada ta dada

I'm lovin' it!

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Yes, clearly, the engineers that have put together the puck tracking technology have no idea about basic mathematics. You’re the only one who’s figured out this very difficult concept.

That technology/math absolutely exists, the snark there isn’t really necessary. It’s just about whether the nhl can successfully implement it or not. The article posted is from 2022- iirc, the league rushed the full-sensor pucks in the playoffs or something, the pucks felt different to the players, and the league hasn’t done much with the sensors since. Could be where they get shot speed numbers from now, but a camera could do that too, I think.

Anywho, my point is that figuring out the math on puck location is actually one of the easier aspects in all this. It should not be difficult to know if it’s a goal if the sensor actually works in every other way.

Right now I just know it lights up, which is pretty cool. Never change, nhl, except in stupid ways that don’t matter.

 

[zizbuka]

It's for all those silly stats we need to know about now.........

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Yes, clearly, the engineers that have put together the puck tracking technology have no idea about basic mathematics. You’re the only one who’s figured out this very difficult concept.

Not to be that guy, but engineers and programmers -- even when working on things critical to sustain human life -- often make a lot of really stupid mistakes. Especially true when the jobs are being farmed out to the cheapest possible contractors. See: the Boeing 737 MAX.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

That technology/math absolutely exists, the snark there isn’t really necessary. It’s just about whether the nhl can successfully implement it or not. The article posted is from 2022- iirc, the league rushed the full-sensor pucks in the playoffs or something, the pucks felt different to the players, and the league hasn’t done much with the sensors since. Could be where they get shot speed numbers from now, but a camera could do that too, I think.

Anywho, my point is that figuring out the math on puck location is actually one of the easier aspects in all this. It should not be difficult to know if it’s a goal if the sensor actually works in every other way.

Right now I just know it lights up, which is pretty cool. Never change, nhl, except in stupid ways that don’t matter.

The league has been using Sports Media Technology (SMT) for the puck and player tracking since 2019. It's still in use today. What do you think NHL Edge is? Or the Datacast broadcasts they've been doing this playoff round?

The players claimed the pucks felt different, but nothing has changed in that regard and no one's said anything. So it was either psychological or they adjusted to these new pucks.

The point is, there's a lot more behind the scenes regarding puck/playing tracking than most people realize, so claiming "Oh, they just need to do simple math to find out if the puck crossed" severely underestimates what actually goes on.

 

[Spaced Cowboy]

Wait for it, tracking will be used to superimpose adds


This goal review is presented by McDonalds.
tada ta dada

Man, no kidding! You KNOW it's coming.

 

[Number8]

I get the whole puck tracking thing. Don't like it, but I get it.

However the little light up sparkly twinkling puck is cheesy and tacky. Maybe the NFL and NBA should do away with leather balls so that they can play with some composite that lights up neon pink when someone sinks a basket or scores a TD?

NHL sometimes feels likes it's only a decades or so away from just being virtual games where the season consists of geeks sitting in game chairs playing NHL video games and we just bet on the outcomes and expected ga and gf.

But, on the plus side, playoffs are so much more exciting now that the puck lights up!!!!

 

[ijuka]

Yes, clearly, the engineers that have put together the puck tracking technology have no idea about basic mathematics. You’re the only one who’s figured out this very difficult concept.

Okay, so why is it not being done?

With two points(in the center but at different heights) you can calculate whether the puck crossed the goal line as long as you have the location data.

You could have it recorded 10k times per second for example and could identify when any of those have the puck in goal.

And btw, one thing I've learned is that people, even engineers, frequently don't do the logical thing.


Since lights aren't necessary. You can have it record the location data internally and then send the log over when you want to inspect the data, which you can then go through in like a second to determine whether it was a goal at the time in question.

The fact that they're using something as useless as lights makes me indeed assume that they're not doing it properly. And the fact that it apparently gets false positives in the stated circumstances also makes me assume that. Since technology should be more than advanced enough for much more precise measurements.


So to clarify, with two points in the center but at different heights, you can first calculate their angle and then calculate the distance of the edges from these points in the horizontal dimension and then calculate the distance to the goal line's edge, aka you can determine whether the puck completely crossed the goal line or didn't. Simple pythagoras theorem if you know the puck's dimensions.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

People do realize those lights are infrared and only show up in cameras, yeah? It's not actually a "sparkly twinkling puck."

 

[Ezekial]

People do realize those lights are infrared and only show up in cameras, yeah? It's not actually a "sparkly twinkling puck."

You have way too much faith in humanity.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

So tacky!! Am I right guys?

 

[Oilslick941611]

People do realize those lights are infrared and only show up in cameras, yeah? It's not actually a "sparkly twinkling puck."

Correct. Here is a game puck from last season. As you can see the "sensors" are opaque and clearly not LED lights.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Its high time the NHL did develop this technology. Whether or not its perfected is up for debate. This would solve once and for all if the puck completely crossed the line in a goalies glove, Flames/Lightning in 2004, etc.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Not to be that guy, but engineers and programmers -- even when working on things critical to sustain human life -- often make a lot of really stupid mistakes. Especially true when the jobs are being farmed out to the cheapest possible contractors. See: the Boeing 737 MAX.

Someone get this man in the witness protection program, stat!!!

 

[Oilslick941611]

Okay, so why is it not being done?

With two points(in the center but at different heights) you can calculate whether the puck crossed the goal line as long as you have the location data.

You could have it recorded 10k times per second for example and could identify when any of those have the puck in goal.

And btw, one thing I've learned is that people, even engineers, frequently don't do the logical thing.


Since lights aren't necessary. You can have it record the location data internally and then send the log over when you want to inspect the data, which you can then go through in like a second to determine whether it was a goal at the time in question.

The fact that they're using something as useless as lights makes me indeed assume that they're not doing it properly. And the fact that it apparently gets false positives in the stated circumstances also makes me assume that. Since technology should be more than advanced enough for much more precise measurements.


So to clarify, with two points in the center but at different heights, you can first calculate their angle and then calculate the distance of the edges from these points in the horizontal dimension and then calculate the distance to the goal line's edge, aka you can determine whether the puck completely crossed the goal line or didn't. Simple pythagoras theorem if you know the puck's dimensions.

because the people who can implement it don't see a need for it.