NHL Hockey is Back: Now With Ref Cams

((ht: cbssports.com))

So, one of the many reasons we love hockey is that they are willing to try stuff other major sports may not be willing to do.

And Wednesday night was the official kickoff to the 2014-15 NHL season. Which for us, is cause for celebration.

Check out what the fine folks at the Sportsnet Canada decided to try this season.

Helmet cams on the ref--

Here's the puck drop at the Toronto Maple Leafs/Montreal Canadiens game:



Pretty cool, eh?

Or there's this. Referee Tim Peel brings you into a scuffle between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.

Yes...

We like this view.

A lot...

Ref Cam Debuts In WNBA

((HT: WNBA))

Lamont Simpson will be the answer to the trivia question:

Who was the WNBA ref that wore the funky glasses and camera on his head when Indiana played Phoenix...

In a league that is trying to find some kind of identity and some other kind of media recognition (other than scoff and/or ridicule when they play), the league decided to push the envelope a little bit...

And this is what they came up with...

"The first half, it took some adjusting to, especially when you started running and actually broke a sweat," the veteran official told wnba.com. "The goggles started to loosen up and the sweat around the band started to loosen up. The first half was pretty much just adjusting the headset."

Here's some of what he saw...


From the league:

Candace Parker tweeted "Ref cam is the most hilarious invention! Omg...comedy"

"Today's broadcast was a great opportunity to be at the forefront in terms of providing viewers with unique perspectives on our game," WNBA President Laurel Richie said. "The use of Ref Cam certainly offered a previously unseen point of view that really brought viewers into the action, adding a whole new visual and audio component to the experience."

It will be interesting to see just how much the league goes to this, or they'll treat it like a cool novelty...