The NHL’s new digitally enhanced dasher boards have drawn heavy criticism from fans since their debut, and this week, Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi joined the fray.
On Tuesday, Yamaguchi took to Twitter, venting her frustrations with the NHL’s new approach to advertising, calling the now constantly moving images on boards “distracting” and a detriment to the sports’ growth.
“It’s so distracting when the boards are changing and moving during a game. Especially on TV,” Yamaguchi Tweeted at the NHL. “It’s hard as it is to keep track of the puck, this does not help your sport. At least freeze the boards when play is in the offensive zone.”
In October, ahead of the 2022-23 season, the NHL announced it was replacing the old-school advertisement system which once surrounded the rink with digital boards or DEDs. The debut of DEDs later that month was an immediate disaster, drawing outrage from fans, believing they lessen the experience of watching a game.
Earlier this month, at the NHL’s annual December meeting, commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters, including Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, that the league’s market research said the digital dasher boards were a “non-issue.”
“In fact, many think it looks better than having the numerous logos and ads on dasher boards,” Bettman said. “I think it’s working extraordinarily well, particularly for the complexity that’s involved in doing it.”
While the NHL’s polling may say differently, it’s evident that the new advertisement style impacts how fans take in a hockey game from the comfort of their homes. As the clear number four among the major sports in North America, the NHL needs to be cautious with its new fancy technology as it cannot afford to alienate its existing fanbase while possibly pushing new fans away.
