NHL Stanley Cup
2020
During the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL tasked Howl Motion with creating four unique social media edits designed to turn game highlights into viral-worthy moments. With full creative freedom, we transformed playoff highlights into unexpected, playful animations that pushed beyond traditional sports content.
Each video brought its own distinct style, combining custom artwork, creative storytelling, and a healthy dose of personality.
Project #1 - Pinball
A wild, ricocheting shot that somehow found its way into the net became the perfect inspiration for a pinball-themed edit. We designed a custom NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs pinball machine from scratch in Photoshop, brought it to life in After Effects, and intercut the animation with the original game footage to turn an unpredictable goal into a playful, arcade-inspired highlight.
Details
We wanted our custom pinball machine to feel like the real deal, packing it with hockey-inspired details from top to bottom. Custom Coyotes and Predators matchup bumpers, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, hockey defender bumpers, and equipment-inspired obstacles brought the game to life.
We even designed a full rules sticker explaining how to score points, a working score meter, and a goalie mechanism that flips open to release the puck. Finished with a subtle layer of dirty glass texture, every detail was designed to give the machine an authentic, well-loved arcade feel.
Project #2 - Kale Rotoscope
We were tasked with creating a hand-drawn, rotoscoped animation of Cale Makar that would seamlessly transition into the original game footage. Simple enough, until we got one additional request: make it rain kale. Yes, the vegetable.
We filled the background with falling kale, turning an already playful animation into something completely unexpected. The Colorado Avalanche fans loved it, and the video quickly became a fan favorite. Sometimes the most ridiculous ideas make for the best content.
Details
Bringing Cale Makar to life through hand-drawn rotoscoping meant carefully tracing and stylizing the original footage, frame by frame, to create a unique illustrated look while preserving the energy of his movement.
We took the animation a step further by incorporating Cale’s name as a repeating background texture and, of course, adding a healthy amount of falling kale. These playful details gave the animation its own personality while showcasing our ability to combine traditional animation techniques with creative motion design.
Project #3 - Super Mari-Bo Bros
Bo Horvat was unstoppable during the playoffs, so naturally, we gave him the Super Mario Bros. treatment. Complete with a custom “Super Mari-Bo Bros” title screen (a bit of a stretch, but we couldn't resist), we transformed his highlight into a retro Nintendo-inspired adventure.
After collecting a power-up star at center ice, Horvat skates toward the net glowing with star power before scoring and triggering a classic level-complete screen. A playful mix of hockey highlights, nostalgic video game graphics, and a healthy dose of creative freedom.
Details
Pivoting
Creative direction can change quickly, and being able to adapt on the fly is a big part of what we do. When we needed to pivot away from our original Super Mari-Bo Bros concept, we quickly repurposed the existing rotoscoped footage and took the animation in a fiery new direction.
Bo Horvat was still on a hot streak, so we took that literally, setting him ablaze with animated flames. A quick creative pivot that allowed us to make the most of our existing work while delivering a fresh take on the highlight.
Project #4 - Storybook Ending
Denis Gurianov capped off an incredible team play with an overtime game-winning goal, sending the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the perfect moment for a literal storybook ending.
We illustrated key frames from the highlight and brought them to life as animated storybook pages, using captions pulled directly from the commentator’s call to narrate the action. The result was a playful, illustrated retelling of one of the biggest moments of the Stars’ playoff run, giving an unforgettable goal the storybook treatment it deserved.
Final
Our Rough Edit
Project Recap
Created for the NHL during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, this series of four custom social media edits transformed memorable game highlights into playful, unexpected animations designed to capture attention and engage hockey fans.
Each video explored a completely different creative direction, from a custom-built pinball machine and retro video game graphics to hand-drawn rotoscoping and illustrated storybook sequences. Combining original artwork, detailed animation, and creative storytelling, we brought a unique personality to every highlight.
With creative freedom at the heart of the project, we were able to experiment with a wide range of styles and techniques while staying flexible enough to adapt to changing creative needs. The result was a collection of entertaining, one-of-a-kind edits that pushed beyond traditional sports highlights.
NHL
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2020