NHL officials have been wearing Apple Watches this season to stay better informed about how much time is left in the game.
The new custom NHL Comms watch app shows the game clock and gives the refs haptic alerts when players leave the penalty box and when the period ends. Each timer has a different haptic pattern to make it easy to distinguish which is which.
The tech has been tested at a limited number of rinks over the past few years, with more and more referees choosing to wear an Apple Watch over that time. There was “a participation rate over 90 percent in just the first few years,” said NHL executive vice president David Lehanski.
The big clock at the top shows the game time, and the smaller timers represent penalties.
The watches will be worn by the full official staff for the first time this Saturday when the Detroit Red Wings take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. This game will be the tech’s first outdoor debut, which should help the officials since there will be no jumbotron hanging above the ice.
This app is just the first step. The development team is looking into ways for the on-ice officials and the office support staff to communicate with each other. In Toronto, the tech is even being tested to allow the on-ice refs to talk to the coaches.
While you can’t use the actual NHL Comms app, there are lots of other Apple Watch referee apps for a variety of sports that you could use if you ref minor hockey or most other competitive sports. That said, you will need to control and input timers manually, while the NHL’s app is remote-controlled by someone off the ice, making it just a reference tool for the professional refs.
Header image credit: Getty Images
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
