What is NHL's Big City Greens? All we know about alt-cast for Boston Bruins-Pittsburgh Penguins game

The NHL is set to bring a unique and entertaining twist to its upcoming matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins through the "NHL Big City Greens Classic." Scheduled to air on March 9 on various Disney platforms, including ESPN+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney+, the event features a real-time volumetric animation that blends NHL players with characters from the Disney Channel's animated comedy "Big City Greens."

Last season's experiment with the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers proved successful, showcasing characters like Cricket, Tilly, Gramma, and a chicken referee in an alternative viewing experience.

David Lehanski, the NHL's executive VP for business development and innovation, highlighted the positive impact, noting that the audience composition shifted from the typical 60% male viewership to 60% female.

This edition of the "Big City Greens Classic" introduces advancements in puck and player tracking technology, incorporating the NHL's new Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking system alongside the existing NHL Edge tracking system.

The Hawk-Eye system, installed in six to eight arenas presently, is anticipated to be deployed across all 32 arenas at the start of the 2024-25 season. Lehanski emphasized the system's ability to capture detailed player movements, offering a more realistic portrayal of the animated characters' actions, including stick and limb positions.

The optical tracking system aims to provide valuable context to plays that the previous location tracking couldn't fully capture.

Lehanski explained (via ESPN.com):

"If you have the puck and you're skating towards me and I'm playing defense, we'll see that data. But if the puck all of a sudden goes into the corner, we don't really know in real time why that happened. Now, we'll see that."

NHL Big City Greens Classic: Enhanced realism and skills competition

In addition to enhanced realism in player movements, the "Big City Greens Classic" promises to amplify the absurdity from the previous edition. Characters like Cricket and Gramma take on coaching roles for the Penguins and Bruins, occasionally morphing into animated penguins during play, endorsed by Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand, respectively.

The event also introduces a skills competition between periods featuring the "Big City Greens" characters, catering to a younger audience. Bruins captain Brad Marchand expressed optimism"

"This is an opportunity for the young generation to connect with the game. Hopefully, it allows them to have a better understanding and be a little more excited about watching."

For the animated telecast, ESPN commentators Drew Carter, Kevin Weekes and Arda Ocal will wear virtual reality headsets for motion capture, immersing themselves in the animated environment of Times Circle.

The real-time animation production will be handled by ESPN Edge Innovation Center and NHL Edge Innovation partner Beyond Sports. Internationally, the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" will be available on Disney+ in select countries.