By Kevin Young Photos by Mark Singelis
HOCKEY
LIKE IT ’ S NEVER
BEEN SEEN BEFORE
Behind-the-Scenes with the Lighting & Video Teams for the NHL Bubble
BY KEVIN YOUNG PHOTOS BY MARK SINGELIS
After it was forced to take a months-long hiatus , getting the NHL back on the ice during the pandemic was no easy task . The primary concern was to keep everyone involved safe . Consequently , how and where to mount the games required a rethink . An important piece of the puzzle was how to capture the excitement and immediacy of the game for both fans and players without the two groups inhabiting the same space . To do so , the league partnered with Seattle design firm Hotopp to create a vision for moving forward and salvaging the remainder of the 2020 season .
18 | Winter
2020
With the season suspended on March 12 , 2020 , and a four-stage plan for return to play set for Aug . 1 st , time was of the essence . “ That was a big deal . We didn ’ t get confirmation on the venues until July 2 nd , and we started loading in July 17 th . So , we had landed on the design and budgeted it , but we were still trying to figure out how we were going to get it in in time ,” says Gary Wichansky , Hotopp CEO and head of creative . “ In early May when I got the first call , the NHL knew at that point games were going to take place in two bubbles , but that was basically all they knew ,” he continues . “ I had a pre-existing relationship with Steve Mayer , [ chief content officer for the NHL ], and he said to me , ‘ We ’ re coming back . We ’ ve got empty arenas . We need a plan , and I ’ m looking for help .’ That ’ s how it started .”
Typically , Wichansky takes the lead on Hotopp ’ s most complex projects , either as production designer or creative director depending on the market , he notes . “ We do a lot of different things ; televised events , in-studio television , immersive experiences – projects that are brand-focused as well as IT- and entertainment-focused . Steve knew about my theatrical work and that we ’ ve done a lot of live and ‘ for camera ’ events . He knew he didn ’ t want this to be an all-virtual experience , but he didn ’ t know what that was . It was kind of a speculative effort in the beginning because he was working with me to figure out the concept and flesh out that vision .”
In turn , that gave Mayer the tools to approach the teams , ownership , and the league and garner support for that vision .