LHSAAAQ Playoffs: Live and Online!

With their finals being broadcast on ApexLiveTV, the LHSAAAQ went from low visibility senior hockey to something of a minor league in appearance overnight. This is a massive win for the league and couldn't have come with a better match up than the one going on right now.

For those not in the province, it can’t be said how good or bad the hockey was, or how much it’s improved, as it couldn't be seen. In a world where visibility matters, the league was completely off the radar. Even their social media was less of a source of information than various fan pages offering insight and home video clips. Short of those fan (mostly fight) clips, the league had no highlight videos, promotional footage or live score updates of its own. This isn’t a knock, its reality. Senior hockey runs on a very limited budget and operating staff. A wise investment, however, paid off BIG TIME. 

ApexTV sent the finals between Granby and Terrebonne across the province (and globe) showcasing a level of on-ice talent and passion that wouldn’t have otherwise been expected from a small provincial league. Each game has been a highly skilled nail biter, either going to OT or not being decided until the final minute of play. The passion from the players is on full display with full speed, gritty self-sacrificing plays and the same physical enforcement most leagues forego when the playoffs start. 

The players are leaving it all on the ice, and the fans are right there with them. One look at the rabid passion spilling out of the seats in Granby and viewers would be forgiven for mistaking this for a Stanley Cup Match.

The broadcast quality was great and surprisingly got better each night. What started as a bare-bones operation in game one was offering more information and on-screen graphics each night. Replays became more synched, and audio became regulated as well. This broadcast quality transferred over to the league, which is now able to offer highlight reels on its social media platform. Welcome to the big time, LHSAAAQ!

Again, it can’t say if hockey has improved since it previously couldn't be seen. That’s irrelevant now, as what has been seen is more than enough to create new fans. We can only hope that that’s the impression everywhere. If there’s an off season wish list, it's that the league offers routine streaming packages next year. Single game, individual team or league pass, we want it! We might even end up with a new blog category!