NHL asks fans to submit video cheers for playoffs
In an effort to replicate an authentic playoff atmosphere, teams involved in the NHL's expanded postseason have begun emailing season-ticket holders, asking them to record 30-second video clips cheering for their favorite clubs and players, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
The clips will be used during games inside empty arenas in Toronto and Edmonton, as well as on broadcasts and social media networks. Emails to fans include specific guidelines on proper ways to film, and how to avoid potential copyright violations, Wyshynski adds.
Teams that have begun contacting their fans include the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets. Each group of fans received requests for generic "We Want The Cup!" chants, along with clapping "Let's Go!" cheers.
"For this, for the first three seconds, you should pretend that you are anticipating the goal, and then explode into your celebration," the instructions read, according to Wyshynski.
Fans were also asked to provide audio of specific cheers for players on their teams. For example, Bruins fans were asked to chant "Tuukk!" as TD Garden normally does after goaltender Tuukka Rask makes a save.
Other team-specific cheers include Rangers fans shouting "Bread-Man!" in support of winger Artemi Panarin, and Blackhawks fans providing 30 seconds of a "slow clap" along with "30 seconds of how you act/cheer during the national anthem at a home game."
The NHL is set to begin Phase 3 (training camps) of its restart plan Monday with Phase 4 (playoffs) slated to start Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton.