NHL makes controversial decision on using tracking technology pucks

At the start of the 2021 season, the National Hockey League announced that it would go back to using game pucks without the imbedded tracking technology. 

A few months into the campaign now, it seems that a solution has been found to whatever what not working properly as Elliotte Friedman reported in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the NHL is getting closer to sing tracking technology pucks once again. 

“The NHL is getting closer to re-trying pucks with tracking chips. Their use was stopped six days into the 2020-21 season when concern was raised about performance. There is hope they can be tested in other leagues before returning to the NHL, but nothing is easy this season.”

The reason why they had stop using them is because it had been revealed that several players were complaining about inconsistencies early this season. Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews was one of them. He had noted that the pucks with the chip technology didn’t seem to slide as well as the regular ones. He and Jason Spezza compared them and found the weight to be off, too.

“Spezz was the first one to bring it up. I told him that’s why I couldn’t capitalize on some of the chances I’ve had. There was a little bit of a difference in the weight.”

Players will have something to say about these new pucks if that issue hasn’t been fixed. Let’s see if this technology will stay on the ice in the NHL.