The future NHL broadcast may include some or all of the following elements: multiple screens, three dimensions, swearing, 4K definition, interactivity with announcers, personalized isolated camera shots, a north-south view instead of east-west, and gambling on who scores next.



What it will not be: sitting on the couch and staring at the television screen on your wall. That concept is as much of a relic as a black-and-white set with rabbit ears.



Jack Edwards, who handles play by play duties for Bruins broadcasts on NESN, does not even consider the gigantic, shiny, and crystal-clear set in your living room to be your primary device in the years to come. Because if the majority of today’s viewers use a phone, tablet, or laptop to complement the television, it’s assured that tomorrow’s hockey fans will not just do the same, but will amplify such usage.



“The last briefing I got from NESN on this subject — where our audience is...