Hockey Night In Canada will be broadcast in 3D this Saturday for the first time, but fans of the show may be disappointed that the Coach’s Corner segment will not be.
Although the much larger colour palette of high-definition television can now allow viewers to see almost all the colours in Don Cherry’s brilliant sport jackets and ties, he and his cohost Ron MacLean will remain in 2D for now.
That’s because their intermission segments are shot in studio, instead of at the Air Canada Centre where 3D cameras will be set to film the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens battle it out.
At a cost of about $300,000 per game, this Saturday is the first of two schedule games to be shown in the new 3D format.
CBC and Panasonic will also be airing the Heritage Classic game between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames in 3D when they play at McMahon Stadium on February 20. After that, they may announce new 3D broadcasts or wait until the technology costs lower and 3D television ownership increases in homes.
Other technological advances in hockey television include the switch from black & white to colour broadcasts in 1965, and the very short-lived “glowing puck”gimmick last seen on the Fox Network’s airing of the 1998 Stanley Cup final
In a media interview, analyst Kelly Hrudey – who will be working the 3D broadcast – said “I don’t think this is a gimmick. I do know that it’s a bit of an experiment to see what the positives and negatives are.”
He later admitted to having watched a gold game in 3D and not liking it, but added “It would have been nice if they had the red ball or the flaming ball because with the distance and the 3D it made it very hard to follow. But with hockey and the size of the players and the hitting, like the soccer match I saw and just loved, it should be pretty cool.”
Don Cherry was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario.
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Photo by Astro Guy
