Are Golden Knights Drafting Bugs Bunny?

Could cartoon legend Bugs Bunny be joining the Vegas Golden Knights? Will that rascally rabbit be helping them in their drive to repeat as Stanley Cup champions? It’s entirely possible.

Then again, the Golden Knights might also be selecting Batman, Wonder Woman, or even Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Any of them could be helping Vegas retain its grasp on Lord Stanley’s treasured mug.

How is this all possible? Well, that’s a good question, and one with a ready answer. It’s all part of the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off slated for Sunday, April 14.

A first look at some of the game play for the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off 🍿 pic.twitter.com/UBd7LVAi6k

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) April 3, 2024

TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Games and the National Hockey League are joining forces. They’ll be bringing viewers a clash of excellence in hockey and real-time animation for the first time ever. The game will be broadcast exclusively on truTV and Max’s B/R Sports Add-on. Puck drop us set for 12:30 p.m. PT.

Golden Knights Facing Avalanche In Cash Of Recent Cup Winners

The MultiVersus NHL Face-Off will feature a clash between the Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche, the two most recent Stanley Cup champions.

Along with NHL stars such as Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel of the Golden Knights and Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar of the Avalanche, the fully animated contest will also feature participation from several cartoon legends and dynamic superheroes. Among those slated to suit up are Bugs Bunny, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, Velma and Shaggy, Steven Universe and Finn the Human.

As well, the slobbery and short-fused Looney Tunes character Tasmanian Devil will be officiating the game.

Before they take the ice, a special team selection draft of the MultiVersus icons willbe taking place. This event will be happening during NHL on TNT’s postgame coverage of the Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, April 7.

Here’s How It Will All Work

The animated presentation of Avalanche at Golden Knights will use the NHL’s innovative NHL EDGE tracking technology. It will be recreating the action on the ice as it happens in real-time. The animated game will be featuring the characters of MultiVersus alongside avatars of the NHL’s biggest stars. The ice rink for the alternate telecast will be dynamic and incorporate rotating elements based on environments from the MultiVersus game. These will the Space Jam Court, Adventure Time Tree Fort, Sky Arena and Trophy’s E.D.G.E.

MultiVersus NHL Face-Off will merge two different tracking technologies. Those are NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player tracking) and Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking. They will be utilizing this technology to be generating realistic character and player avatar movements to best represent the movements of the NHL players on the ice. The real-time animation will be produced in association with NHL innovation partner Beyond Sports.

Warner Bros. Games is hitting the ice with @tntsports and the @NHL to co-produce their first animated simulcast of a live pro hockey game.https://t.co/C4rzbWMuOl

— Kidscreen (@kidscreen) April 3, 2024

Steve Mears will be calling the game, with color commentary from Colby Armstrong.

Warner Bros. Games is the publisher of MultiVersus. Its developer is Player First Games. It’s a free-to-play videogame with an ever-expanding cast of iconic heroes and personalities. The action is taking place against the backdrop of reimagined universes and environments. The game is scheduled to officially launch on May 28.

If you prefer the traditional broadcast of Avalanche at Golden Knights, it will be available on TNT and Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher will be on the call.