The NHL is creating a new youth-focused program called NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week, debuting Saturday on the NHL Network in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada and globally on the league's YouTube channel.
The series, which leans on NHL Edge Positional Data and is produced by NHL Productions in collaboration with Beyond Sports, will take games from the previous week of NHL competition and turn them into 30-minute recaps in an outdoor animated environment. The first episode will look back at the Jan. 25 Canucks-Capitals matchup.
This builds on the league’s history with alternative viewing options. The league first rolled out an animated alt-cast in 2023 with the rollout of the NHL’s Big City Greens Classic, another Beyond Sports collaboration that aired on Disney. The NHL brought back the game in 2024.
