“Fans of all abilities are encouraged to tune-in to experience this first-of-a-kind telecast as a way to understand and share the experience with someone who is Deaf.” Last year, Kim Davis, NHL’s Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs made sure that every viewer witnessed ice hockey in the best way possible. And that meant zero language barriers. The league came up with a unique collaboration, involving ASL, to offer a never-seen-before Stanley Cup experience. And guess what? The praiseworthy initiative has made its return for the 2025 season as well. And the community has already embraced it with open arms!

The Stanley Cup begins on Wednesday, with the Edmonton Oilers facing the defending champions Florida Panthers for the second year straight. Last year, the latter bested Oilers in seven games after going down 3-0 in the series. Since 2008 and 2009, it’s going to be the first cup Final rematch between the same two teams. Back in 2008, the Detroit Red Wings outperformed the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by Penguins taking revenge in 2009. While the hype for this month’s epic clash is through the roof, the league has decided to expand the experience to more hockey lovers. Even those who sometimes get left behind in the noise.

On Monday, the league announced that its “Emmy-nominated alternate telecast dedicated completely to the Deaf and hard of hearing community” is returning for the Stanley Cup. Yes, the NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) is back. Once again, it will feature play-by-play and color commentary in ASL during every match of the Stanley Cup Final.

“Last year during the Stanley Cup Final, we became the first pro sports league to put together a live game broadcast just for the Deaf and hard of hearing community — and it was a big moment for us. Since then, we’ve kept that momentum going by growing our NHL in ASL content all season long,” said President of NHL Content and Events Steve Mayer, as reported by the league’s official website on June 2.

It will be the second year in a row that the NHL has partnered with P-X-P for the noble and admirable campaign.

Mayer added, “The work that goes into making these broadcasts happen is amazing to see, and we’re really proud to wrap up this season with something special for our fans.” Indeed, fans all over have lauded this initiative, as is evident from their response on social media.

Fans give thumbs up to ‘NHL in ASL’ ahead of the Stanley Cup battle

Speaking more of the NHL in ASL telecast, it will feature the likes of Jason Altmann. The latter is the Chief Operating Officer of P-X-P. Joining him will be the co-host Noah Blankenship and remote correspondent David McGregor, a deaf professional referee, who has made guest appearances on previous telecasts. McGregor will be available during intermissions. As soon as the official X account of the NHL announced the return of the ASL alt-cast, fans didn’t take long to show their appreciation. One individual wrote, “Love this inclusive approach to hockey! 🏒 Deaf community representation is a game-changer 👏”

Even P-X-P’s COO Altmann thinks the same. Following the big announcement, he revealed, “We were thrilled by the incredibly positive response from the Deaf community during our first-ever NHL in ASL Stanley Cup Final broadcast,” reported NHL’s official website on Monday. “We are absolutely delighted to return this year to broadcast the Stanley Cup Final to fans in American Sign Language once again.” “Amazing,” wrote another fan in appreciation of the initiative.

Meanwhile, one fan underlined that “NHL in ASL brings hockey to all fans equally.” The ASL broadcast will provide an opportunity to hard-of-hearing sports lovers to have the same experience as regular viewers. It will be done through visual descriptions of all plays. Also included are referee calls and rule explanations to clarify decisions made on the ice. Not to mention the tactical replay analysis of goals and other key highlights. In fact, deaf fans will also get an accurate idea of the atmosphere inside Rogers Place and the Amerant Bank Arena during Stanley Cup games, thanks to the real-time bar that will measure crowd noise levels.

“This is fantastic news for accessibility in sports! It’s amazing to see the NHL continuing to lead the way with this incredible initiative. 🏒👏”, wrote another fan. Back in 2024, when NHL’s ASL campaign was introduced, it marked the first time for a sports-based league to broadcast games in American Sign Language. “Ready for it 🏒”, wrote another hockey enthusiast while commending the noble effort.

What are your thoughts on the league’s efforts with the inclusion of ASL? Also, do you think more leagues should follow this approach? Let us know in the comments below.