How the NHL pulled off its new goal simulation animations — and what comes next
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
In an overtime game against the Philadelphia Flyers recently, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid flew into the zone on a breakaway, shot the puck off the post, recovered it and passed over to a streaking Leon Draisaitl for the winning goal.
Fans could watch a video clip of that goal, but the NHL’s official website offers a different way to process the play: a “goal simulation” animation.
McDavid is a small dark circle with 97 on it, being defended by orange circles with corresponding jersey numbers to the Flyers. The puck is a black speck. One can track Draisaitl’s journey from his own zone to the winning goal — and Travis Sanheim‘s inability to catch up to him — including what happened outside the frame of the television cameras.
Finally, in the cheekiest part of the simulation, a series of quickly multiplying Oilers “dots” appear on the ice, as Edmonton players hop over the boards to celebrate the win and mob Draisaitl.
“People kind of discovered it organically,” said Russ Levine, group vice president of statistics & information for the NHL. “They’re finding unique things or little viral moments, and that has been rewarding. That’s what we hoped fans would discover.”
The “goal simulations” are created through the NHL’s puck- and player-tracking technology, which collects data and tracks the movements of every player on the ice and the puck itself.
“We think it allows you to see a play in a different way. You can see the spacing, player positioning, gaps or lack thereof in a way that’s very stark and different from a broadcast view because it’s two dimensional and straight over the top,” Levine said. “We think it’s a really unique, quick way to review a play and see it in a different light.”
HOCKEY IS A SPORT of constant motion. Levine said this presentation of scoring plays allows fans to see how every part of that offensive chance develops.
“I think we’re always searching for things that will help fans better understand what’s happening on the ice,” he said. “Puck and player tracking is a way to take this very chaotic game — with live substitutions, players hopping on and off the ice and the best players playing a third of the game — and finding new ways to quantify performance or evaluate what happens on a play.”
But the goal simulations also have an old-school charm. Seeing plays develop into digitized shots and passes conjures memories of early hockey video games, too.
“The nostalgia for that era of video games seems to be never-ending,” Levine said. “And I do think you’re right: It’s simple, and it looks kind of like those early games.”
The NHL first started developing puck- and player-tracking technology in 2013, using several different variations of infrared and optical tracking systems. In 2019, the NHL and NHLPA announced that players would wear sensors inside their uniforms that, when combined with a chip located inside the puck, would capture real-time data ranging from speed to distance to mapping locations on the ice. There’s also an optical tracking component that validates that data “within a few milliseconds,” according to the league, which renamed its tracking technology NHL Edge.
Over the years, the league has learned how to handle some of the challenges to ensuring NHL Edge’s accuracy. Sometimes arenas move things around to obscure the sightlines of the cameras, which is part of the league’s game-night checklist for system calibration. Sometimes a chip goes out or gets knocked out of a player’s gear, so the league works with equipment managers to ensure they’re on the case.
“There’s some technical challenges, maintenance, and then there’s just some real life events that happen in games where things have to be corrected in a hurry to make sure we’re accurately capturing everything,” Levine explained.
Once captured, one of the uses for that data was through the SAP NHL Coaching Insights App, available to coaches and players on the bench during games via tablets. Levine said that’s where the goal simulations first showed up in 2022, as a way for teams to clip and analyze how plays developed. Known as “Virtual Replay” on the app, where full games are available, the NHL says its coaches have responded positively to it.
“They’ve appreciated the amount of tactical focus the view provides, along with the ability to see an accurate portrayal of width and depth on the playing surface that the traditional red line camera can skew,” said Brant Berglund, senior director of coaching and GM applications for the NHL. “They’ve also used it in video rooms and on the bench for various play reviews and coaching purposes.”
But the league believed that NHL Edge data could also be used to entertain and educate fans. It started working with a company called Beyond Sports to develop real-time digital recreations of NHL games in virtual reality and platforms such as Roblox.
Things took a giant leap forward in 2023 when the NHL and Disney worked together to create the Big City Greens Classic, which combined the NHL Edge location mapping with live, real-time volumetric animations of players and teams modeled after characters on the Emmy Award-winning show “Big City Greens.” As the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers played a game at Madison Square Garden, animated players mimicked their movements — under the watchful eye of a chicken in a referee shirt.
Incremental improvements were made last season for the Big City Greens Classic 2, with the Boston Bruins playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins:
THE NHL EDGE goal simulation animations are decidedly more low tech than the Big City Greens Classic, and that’s by design: While there’s inherent entertainment value in watching little circles race around the ice, the goal is more educational and analytical.
“It’s the same underlying data: multiple position points per second that can be translated, whether it’s in a virtual broadcast featuring Disney characters or O’s on a ring plot,” Levine said. “There’s a lot of different uses for it that we can imagine in the future.”
The league decided to add “goal simulations” this season as part of a larger overhaul of NHL.com’s game presentations. After the NHL sold its stake in MLB Advanced Media to Disney in 2021, the league eventually began running its official website in-house. The league wanted to integrate more content into its box scores, including from its tracking data. Levine said starting with a commonplace event, like a goal, made the most sense.
“The thought was, ‘What can we add that will immediately sort of benefit the fan experience?’ Those six-plus goal events a game are the most important bits of data we have,” he said. “The idea is to just show people a clear view of what’s happening on a goal.”
The NHLPA signed off on player tracking years ago. Despite goal simulations occasionally putting the spotlight on players who negatively impact a play, Levine said he hasn’t heard of any pushback from the players, and doesn’t anticipate any.
“I don’t think there’s any risk of an exposure of a player-performance issue in moving dots that wouldn’t be exposed by television,” he said.
The next evolution for the goal simulations is to allow fans to share the clips on social media.
“That’s something we’re working on. I think the response we’ve seen on social from people reacting to them on the site indicates there is an interest in it,” Levine said. “It’s kind of a different way to look at a goal. There can be sort of viral aspects of some of these goals. We’re excited to see what fans will do with it when we’re able to make them completely shareable.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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