Another month, another series… After the great success of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the hockey fans are heading straight to another major event. The NHL Stadium Series is beginning in March, which means that hockey games will be held under the sky. As teams move towards the 60th game mark in the 82-game regular season, every point is crucial for those in the playoff chase. The race is heating up for squads sitting in the 6-10 range, desperate to punch their ticket to mid-April’s postseason battle.

That includes two hungry squads—the Detroit Red Wings (30-23-6, 66 points) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (29-22-8, 66 points) that are set for Saturday’s showdown at Ohio Stadium (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+, TVAS-D, FX-CA). But wait—this ain’t just any old hockey spectacle. The excitement just increased even further because Apple is getting involved in the NHL Stadium Series, and you know that technology is going to be on full display when the Blue Jackets take on the Red Wings. But what exactly does that mean?

Hockey just got a little more high-tech! On February 28th, Front Office Sports took to X to drop some seriously cool news—NHL officials are about to get a futuristic upgrade for Saturday’s Stadium Series showdown. And no, we’re not talking about new skates or fancier whistles. We’re talking Apple Watches stepping into the game! These sleek wrist gadgets will be dishing out real-time haptic notifications, making sure the refs stay on top of every crucial second.

As Front Office Sports shared, “NHL officials will use Apple Watches to help officiate Saturday’s Stadium Series. Referees will receive haptic notifications for: • Game clock countdowns • Penalty clock countdowns • Jersey numbers of players in the penalty box at a given time.”

Yes, the days of looking at the scoreboard in a state of panic are over. Now, each referee will have a possibility of getting instant updates right on their wrist–because in the high-adrenaline hockey match, every second counts. The NHL has been working on this particular tech for a few years now, but it just entered the bright lights of the outdoor stadium with the Stadium Series!

Saturday’s showdown between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium isn’t just about the action on the ice—it’s a game-changer for officiating too. With roaring crowds and the open-air chaos, communication can get tricky, but the NHL Watch Comms App is here to keep things smooth. Now, let’s talk about the real excitement—this game is shaping up to be an absolute thriller!

NHL Stadium Series brings a wave of excitement!

Mark your calendars as the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series is going to be one of the most spectacular events in the history of the NHL. Over 90,000 spectators are likely to turn up for the Ohio stadium to watch the first outdoor game to feature two teams tied for the same spot in a playoff race after the midpoint of the season.. The Blue Jackets already threw the first punch by beating the Red Wings 5-2, so the Red Wings are coming into the ice ready to fight for their pride. And now with Alex DeBrincat riding on an eight-game 12-point streak (tying with Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings for the longest point streak going into an outdoor game), Detroit brings some serious punch.

As for Columbus, they have their young talent in Adam Fantilli, who has been performing exceptionally in 2024. After having a slow start to the season, the former Michigan standout seems to have found a purple patch scoring 21 points in as many games. Any guesses as to what the first game in the 21-game stretch was? The Red Wings.

Besides, the Blue Jackets will be honoring the legacy of Johnny Gaudreau on 1st March and would want to ensure that the Gaudreau family leaves the stadium celebrating a win for their Johnny’s former team.