Technology capturing action behind Bruins, Blues goalies as never before
![Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (1) Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (1)](https://i0.wp.com/media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/n2jnxc3epxotthkcm3pt.jpg)
By Dave Stubbs
@Dave_Stubbs NHL.com Columnist
BOSTON --They were five unblinking eyes in the net, ready to be the goalie's best friends or worst enemies, depending on what they saw.
The value of those eyes and what gave them sight was roughly $100,000 in each net behind Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask and Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. That's $20,000 per goal in the St. Louis Blues' 3-2 overtime win against the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on Wednesday that tied the best-of-7 series 1-1.
Three stationary cameras were those of the NHL; two were embedded in the crossbar, the third mounted between them a few inches lower, all staring at the goal line ready to determine whether a puck had entered the net.
RELATED: [Complete Stanley Cup Final coverage]
In the middle of the net, just above the ice, was a plexiglass-protected box holding a Canon camera with a 15mm fish-eye lens, shutters released by remote control by two Getty Images photographers, one at each end of the rink.
And mounted on a bracket above that box was the 360-degree robotic camera with full pan and tilt function operated by veteran specialty-camera operator Geoff Gordon, a round eye that viewers saw spinning behind the goalie to follow the action.
Two padded white boxes framed the Canon box, holding batteries and transmitters that fueled the video system and exported their signals.
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1, 2: NHL cameras embedded in crossbar, aimed at goal line; 3: NHL fixed camera aimed at goal line; 4. 360-degree TV camera; 5: Padded bag containing NHL camera transmission system and batteries; 6: Canon camera with 15mm fish-eye lens for still photos; 7: Padded bag containing high-definition super-slow-motion two-stream TV transmission system and batteries.
In-net camera technology has taken a quantum leap from its earliest days. Used for the first time at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, views from behind the goalie came to the NHL soon after, when North American broadcasters realized the value of adding another dimension to their production.
The video Gordon's swiveling camera produced took a dramatic step up from what was seen in Game 1 on Monday; arriving Tuesday from Slovakia, where it was used during the IIHF World Championship, was a high-definition super-slow-motion system, known in the business as super-mo or high frame-rate.
"The Worlds gave the system a really good workout," Gordon said before Game 2.
The system's clarity, at up to 300 frames per second, is stunning, a massive upgrade from the usual format of 30 to 60 frames.
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© Dave Sandford
"A puck last game that sailed in under the goalie's arm is a bit of a blur, a streak, then it lands in the net," said Gordon, known as "Flash" by anyone who works with him. "Tonight, the same shot, if you have a clear view of it, you're going to be able to read that puck as it flutters into the net. You could almost literally read the logo on the puck and almost be able to read the edge of it to see where it was made."
The super-mo system, used in Stanley Cup Final games in Las Vegas last season, is much more complex than the standard. Two streams of video are fed from transmitters, one a live feed to which a TV director can cut at any time, the other a replay-triggered stream that can be used at the frame rate of a director's discretion to replay an event of choice -- a goal, save, deflection or goal-mouth collision.
Gordon, a native of Oakville, Ontario, has been a specialty-camera technician and operator for about 25 years, trained to operate cameras mounted under the scoreboard and over the glass. In Boston, he was responsible for the cameras in each net, as he will be throughout the series. The feed from the nets is provided to NBC/NBCSN, CBC, Sportsnet and his employer in this Final, TVA Sports.
Game 3 is at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
![Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (4) Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (4)](https://i0.wp.com/media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/rickss9gqq8n190fi6dl.jpg)
© Dave Sandford
At TD Garden, Gordon watched the games at a less-than-luxurious nerve center under the stands near the entrance for the ice-resurfacing machines, sitting in front of five monitors tabled among steel girders and a spaghetti-mess of cables. He was constantly manipulating the rotating cameras in each net in anticipation of where he thought the play would be, not where it was.
"My view of the game is through the lens of every each of the cameras in the goal, one at a time, shifting focus to the net where the play moves," he said. "I'm looking through the lens that's behind the goalie, trying to see through an obstructed view to predict where he's going to go and where the shot's going to come from."
The white bag on the left, as you look into the net, contains the system used by the NHL's three cameras. The one on the right houses the CCU, or camera-control unit, for Gordon's mobile eye, with two video transmitters sending two separate streams. That bag has rear mesh openings top and bottom, inhaling cold air from the ice that cools the equipment, exhausted at the top when warmed.
![Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (5) Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (5)](https://i0.wp.com/media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/ald8qvxz92k5brf1dvum.jpg)
© Dave Sandford
The spring-mounted robotic camera, Gordon says, can take a lot of punishment. It's able to withstand a sliding body or a heavy shot.
"If it takes a direct hit from a Zdeno Chara slap shot, it would take it better than we would," Gordon joked of the Bruins defenseman. "The camera's best defense is the goalie standing in front of it. And he has a vested interest in keeping the puck out of the net."
Gordon will gauge battery life as the game goes on, prepared to install fresh power at the end of the second period if necessary or if the game is close and possibly headed for overtime. The ice crew that shovels the rink during TV timeouts can dust clean a snow-caked lens, which wasn't the case in the system's early days. Gordon often had to do the work himself, which had its entertaining moments.
"Goalies are known to be odd and superstitious, and when they're in game mode, you don't talk to these guys," he said. "But go back to the days when the Bruins' Tim Thomas was playing; he was very personable on the ice, he took an interest in what I was doing.
![Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (6) Stanley Cup Final has all angles covered with in-goal cameras | NHL.com (6)](https://i0.wp.com/media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/sao6s2vj3q5d2kidf1pl.jpg)
© Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
"Chris Osgood [of the Detroit Red Wings] became a friend of mine. He'd speak to me when we were out there fixing something. I'd have a goalie talking to me through his mask, just to escape the pressure of the game for a minute. He'd say, 'How did that last puck beat me? Did you see that? Boy, I [stink] tonight. Tell me how your night's going because I'm not having a good one.' "
Having arrived at TD Garden at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Gordon dismantled the in-net system an hour after the Blues' overtime victory and crated it for Thursday shipment to St. Louis. He'll reassemble it at Enterprise Center for Games 3 and 4, then return to Boston next Tuesday for Game 5.
Nothing was any worse for wear, no angry goalie having considered his camera his worst enemy.
"Ron Hextall was the first goalie to punch my camera," Gordon said, laughing.
He remembered the Philadelphia Flyers' short-fused goalie having been beaten for a goal, laying on his back in the net, then slugging the camera with his glove when he looked up and saw it staring down at him.
"I told Ron about that years later," Gordon said, Hextall's sheepish look as good an apology as he was going to get.
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I am an expert in sports technology, particularly in the realm of capturing action in hockey games through advanced camera systems. My knowledge extends to the latest innovations and applications in this field, making me well-equipped to discuss the technology used in the article titled "Technology capturing action behind Bruins, Blues goalies as never before" by Dave Stubbs, published on May 30, 2019.
In the article, Stubbs explores the evolution of in-net camera technology, highlighting its pivotal role in enhancing the viewer experience during the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. The technology, valued at approximately $100,000 per net, consists of a sophisticated array of cameras strategically positioned to capture critical moments in the game, especially those involving the goalies.
Here's a breakdown of the key concepts mentioned in the article:
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NHL Cameras: Three stationary cameras, two embedded in the crossbar and one fixed, are placed to focus on the goal line. These cameras are instrumental in determining whether a puck has entered the net.
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Canon Camera with Fish-Eye Lens: Positioned in the middle of the net above the ice, this camera is housed in a plexiglass-protected box. Operated by two Getty Images photographers, it captures still photos with a 15mm fish-eye lens.
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360-Degree Robotic Camera: Mounted on a bracket above the Canon box, this camera has full pan and tilt functions. Operated by veteran specialty-camera operator Geoff Gordon, it provides a dynamic, spinning view behind the goalie to follow the action.
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High-Definition Super-Slow-Motion System (Super-Mo): A recent addition to the technology arsenal, this system arrived from Slovakia after being used in the IIHF World Championship. Operating at up to 300 frames per second, it offers unparalleled clarity, allowing viewers to see the puck's trajectory in detail.
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Camera Control Unit (CCU): This unit, housed in a bag on the right, controls Gordon's mobile robotic camera. It includes two video transmitters that send separate streams, one for live feed and the other for replay-triggered stream.
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Specialty-Camera Operator (Geoff Gordon): Gordon, with about 25 years of experience, operates the cameras behind the goalie. His role involves anticipating the play, manipulating rotating cameras, and providing feeds to broadcasting networks like NBC/NBCSN, CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports.
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Robotic Camera Durability: Gordon emphasizes the durability of the robotic camera, stating it can withstand punishment such as a sliding body or a heavy shot. The camera's defense is the goalie standing in front of it.
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History and Anecdotes: The article provides insights into the history of in-net camera technology, including its introduction at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Gordon shares anecdotes about interactions with goalies, highlighting the camaraderie between camera operators and players.
This comprehensive technology setup enhances the broadcast quality of hockey games, offering viewers unique perspectives and detailed insights into critical game moments.