Four takeaways from the NHL's first Big City Greens Classic

The NHL was abuzz on Tuesday night for the very first ever live animated telecast of the NHL Big City Greens Classic between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. The game featured live animation and player tracking of the game, themed to the characters from the hit animated children’s show, Big City Greens.

The Rangers took down the Capitals by a score of 5 to 3 behind a two-goal first period by Mika Zibanejad.

Here are four takeaways from the NHL’s first virtual game with the Disney Channel. Was it good?

The new format

Although social media was critical of the format of the Big City Greens Classic, it was quite impressive to see what the Disney Channel and ESPN were able to pull off with the concept. This was the first live telecast of a sports game being translated into animation, and the technology that was on display was pretty impressive to show the game in a different light and more interesting way for younger viewers. If the NHL is truly invested in growing its younger fan base, this is a great first step.

Fan feedback

This isn’t professional sports' first attempt to reach the children’s audience through the use of branding and graphics. Most sports fans will tell you the similarities between the NHL’s virtual contest on Tuesday and the NFL playoff games hosted by Nickelodeon over the past three seasons.

NHL fans young and old collided on Tuesday night, and the Rangers-Capitals game was by far the most talked about game of the evening due to the event. The graphics add interest for younger viewers, and are something to talk about for older ones.

Graphic quality

The quality of the graphics was not exactly there throughout the entire event. Every player outside of Tilly and Cricket Green had the same player model and looked stilted. Every player’s animation after scoring or without moving was practically just cardboard cutouts moving in a virtual plane.

It was a great first attempt by both the NHL and Disney Channel. The potential is there if the league can create new partnerships in new and different environments throughout the season. Unfortunately, the graphic element came off looking less like Tron and more like Backyard Hockey.

Overall takeaway

The overall takeaway is that an attempt like this is an overall positive for the league. The league has often shown that it’s a league that trends toward older viewers. Years of awful TV contracts have set the league far back in hooking younger generations of fans.

An attempt like this to integrate a popular children’s brand, although looking unfinished and a little corny, should be met with a warm reception from fans. It shows that the league is interested in growing their impact in the sports world as a whole.