FoxTrax (also called the Glow Puck) was a specialized ice hockey puck designed for NHL telecasts on the FOX television network.

In 1994, FOX won a contract to broadcast NHL games in the United States. A common complaint among American fans was that the puck was difficult to follow on the ice. Thus, the FoxTrax was created to remedy this problem. The FoxTrax puck was first used during the 1996 NHL All-Star Game. It was last used during Game 1 of the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals.

Construction and Operation

A standard NHL puck was cut in half and a tiny circuit board with battery was placed inside. The circuit board contained motion detectors and infrared emitters that were located on the flat surfaces and sides of the puck. These additional enhacements weighed less than one-hundredth of a gram. The two halves were sealed with epoxy and the puck could be used for gameplay. However, the battery only had a 10 minute lifespan, so at least 50 FoxTrax pucks were produced before each game. The puck was activated when it was struck by a hockey stick.

During a FOX NHL broadcast, the puck emitted infrared pulses to motion sensors located along the boards of the rink. These sensors were synchronized to the pulses. Next, infrared cameras along the rafters detected these pulses and transmitted their coordinates to a television van (also called the Puck Truck). The truck contained computers that superimposed computer graphics on the puck coordinates, which could be seen by viewers at home.

The visual result was a blueish glow around the puck. Passes wree indicated with the blueish glow and a comet tail indicating its path. When the puck moved faster than 70 miles per hour (say during a slapshot), there would be a red comet tail following the path of the puck.

Public response

There was a divided response to the implementation of the FoxTrax puck. Newcomers enjoyed the feature, since they could follow the game more easily. In fact, a FOX Sports survey found that 7 out of 10 respondents liked the new puck.

However, there was a strong backlash among hockey purists. They argued that the video graphics were a distraction and turned hockey into a video game.