The NHL claims hockey is for everyone, but there is still work to be done. One of the many ways the NHL continues to fall short is with social media accessibility. This issue is most prominent on Twitter, which has built-in tools for alt text and captions. To look at the issue across the NHL, Hockey of Tomorrow conducted surveys to determine how much each team uses these features. A wide range of people use captions, from those who are Deaf to those with auditory processing disorders to those with full hearing who can’t listen to sound at that moment.

The usage of captions makes video content equally accessible to all. Twitter allows users to embed captions into their videos by uploading an SRT (secured reliable transport) file with their video. If they don’t want to create an SRT file, users can use outside software to lay captions over the video before attaching it to a tweet. These few extra steps are essential for ensuring equal access for all, yet no NHL teams consistently take them.

Below you’ll find a survey of the NHL Eastern Conference team’s use of captions in their video content containing sound (minus game-day graphics) on Twitter over a two-week period in March 2023.

On average, NHL Eastern Conference teams used captions on their videos only 7% of the time.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were the best, using them in 37% of their video content.

Two teams never used captions, while only four teams used them more than four times.

This is unacceptable.

Teams know how to caption videos but it only seems like they do it when they feel like it. It is not difficult yet captions go a long way toward making hockey for everyone. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the most unusual Eastern Conference team. All of the videos counted as captioned were only partially done. Typically, the primary speaker’s words were captioned, but any background speech was left uncaptioned. This is unacceptable.

If you are going to caption a video, it must be done properly, or it is not accessible. Of the 14 teams who used captions, only the Maple Leafs regularly attempted to use captions on video replays containing play-by-play. The Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens were good about using it for interviews but did not utilize the tool elsewhere. The Canadiens post all interviews twice, one in French and one in English, and captions were available in the respective language of each video.

All of the NHL's Eastern Conference teams have a long way to go in regard to video accessibility. The inconsistent (or nonexistent) use of captions excludes countless people. Many of these teams profess to be inclusive and say all are welcome, yet their social media accessibility tells a different story.

It is long past time for these teams and social media managers to realize this and make a clear effort to change. Part of the problem can be attributed to the rush to be first and push content out as quickly as possible. Social media managers are often focused on getting as many eyes on their content as quickly as possible, which would be delayed by adding captions.

Excluding communities may not always be intentional, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. While it requires an extra step and added time, captioning videos is necessary to ensure equal access to video content for all. The few eyes you may lose by taking an extra minute or two to caption content can be made up for in the people you’ll gain by making content accessible. It is well worth the time and effort.

Until teams decide this, hockey cannot be for everyone.