Hockey fans will soon be able to put their skills to the test against their favourite NHL players.
The NHLPA announced a partnership with VR game Sense Arena that will put image and likenesses from the NHL's biggest stars into the popular hockey-training app.
Sense Arena, which is available for the Meta Quest headset, will feature NHL stars such as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Connor Hellebuyck in its new game NHL Sense Arena '26, which launches Wednesday.
Sense Arena, which first launched in 2018, is a VR training tool that allows goalies to practise facing shots and skaters to work on their puck skills in a virtual setting. The game pairs the Meta Quest headset and controllers with real hockey equipment to simulate training experiences anywhere.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NHLPA to further bolster our cutting-edge VR platform, creating a first-of-its-kind experience for NHL fans and hockey players of all abilities,” said Sense Arena Founder and CEO Bob Tetiva in a statement. “The future of hockey training and fan engagement is evolving, and we’re excited to push the boundaries of innovation with the help of the NHLPA.”
Sense Arena says its training tools are used by five NHL teams, as well as PWHL star Taylor Heise, Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord, and 17 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I hockey programs.
In an interview with ESPN, Daccord said he picked up the game during the pandemic and now uses it as part of his daily training routine.
"When I get out on the ice for warmups, I feel like I've already (seen) 150 shots," Daccord said. "I'm good to go. It's almost like I'm not even warming up. I'm kind of in flow. I'm reading the release off the stick pretty well. I think it's a huge advantage for me."
NHL Sense Arena '26 is compatible with the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest 3S.
