Toronto Maple Leafs: A Problem With the Pucks

The Toronto Maple Leafs have played five games so far this season, winning three and losing two.

During nearly all of their games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been using the NHL’s unfinished puck tracking technology that players have argued affect their play.

Six days into the NHL season, the NHL is pulling their puck tracking technology. Although this technology had been used during the previous playoffs, the current pucks were fault and  negatively affected play.

Complaints included that the pucks didn’t slide properly and that they bounced too much. In response the NHL has switched back to unchipped pucks, for now.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have used puck tracking tech before

The first time puck tracking was used was during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey (in which the Toronto Maple Leafs had nine players over seven teams) and its success was the reason why the NHL adopted it. While the technology was not meant to replace officiating, it was meant to be “a helpful reference point,” such as in deciding offside, high sticks, and deflections. Our phones have been tracking out locations for ages. The hope is that puck and player tracking will be beneficial for the game of hockey, but it is clear that more tweaking is necessary.

Puck tracking is beneficial for numerous reasons, it provides additional data, enhance broadcasts, and makes it easier for new viewers to keep track of the game. As can be seen in the Tweet below, puck tracking during the playoffs allowed those of us at home to track shift lengths, shot speed, and the location of each player.

However, despite its benefits, these pucks were not ready to be played with.  Jason Spezza appears to have been the first Toronto Maple Leafs player to ring the alarm bells about the pucks.

Upon hearing the news of the NHL pulling the pucks, Auston Matthews said, “Actually, [teammate Jason] Spezza was the first one to bring it up to me, and I told him that’s why I couldn’t capitalize on some of these chances I’ve had in the first four games — because these pucks are all messed up.”  I think he’s joking, but still…..

This is not the first time new additions to the game have had a negative impact on its players. In 2006, the NBA introduced new basketballs without player discussion and it turned out to be a huge nightmare.  Many players claimed the balls caused paper cuts and their hands to bleed during games. When organizations introduce changes without the player perspectives, they threaten to underme their trust in the organization and growing the game.

Overall, if the Toronto Maple Leafs still managed to win three games with wonky pucks I think they’ll be just fine as the game continues.