Something very cool is happening at the Honda Center in Aneheim. The FSN West feed on NHL Center Ice is showing the LA Kings / Anaheim Ducks game. That’s normal. What isn’t is that there are no 
announcers. Just the sounds of the game and the crowd. Oh, and all the camera angles are from ice level with what they call “Rinkside View.”
So far, the only speaking by any announcers is the typical quick interview with a player at the end of the period and a look at graceful glides of the Zamboni with FSN personality Bill MacDonald riding along. FSN has also taken you the viewer to the vantage from the broadcast booth and the organist.
The 2nd intermission also brought us a short video called “Sport Science” talking about the cat-like reflexes of a hockey goalie. It was filmed at Kettler Capitals Iceplex with Olaf Kolzig and Alex Ovechkin. An Ovechkin slapshot from 25 feet reached Kolzig in .22 seconds. It took .11 seconds for Kolzig to locate the puck, but moved his glove into position in .10 seconds, which proved that Kolzig does indeed have cat-like quickness.
Now for the start of the 3rd from ice level without announcers.
Had I known this was happening, I would have started watching at the beginning of the game and not 3 minutes left in the 2nd. Perhaps Comcast SportsNet might like to try this out once. After all, they broadcasted a game with the announcers between the benches.
[Update: A highlight video from the Rinkside View broadcast can be seen here.]
Friday, 8:00 AM–The phone rings; I awaken and fumble for the receiver. I muzzily hear someone talking about Comcast, so I press “9″ to buzz them in, impressed they showed up so early. Doesn’t work. I press “9″ again, to no avail. Finally I’m awake enough to understand what the caller is saying: it’s Comcast HQ calling to make sure I’ll be home in the 8-11 AM installation window–not someone downstairs waiting to be let in. D’oh. I sheepishly apologize and say yes, I will be here.
