Leon Draisaitl, center for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, has announced a partnership with wearable technology company Vexatec.
The German hockey player will wear Vexatec’s “Agility-shirt” product filled with high-tech tiny textile sensors. The product is fitted with an inbuilt central computing unit, called the 3D-A-Cluster, which the company says can capture, store, and transmit performance measurements including heart and respiratory rate, posture position, calorie consumption and physical acceleration. The overall goal is to help athletes maximize marginal performance gains. The Swiss company said that the product is “in the final stages of development and will be available in men’s and women’s versions in the coming months,” according to a press release.
“Ice hockey is a high-intensity sport requiring explosiveness, acceleration, agility and control of rotation movement,” Draisaitl said in a statement. “New technology is really helping me drive forward my conditioning and reach my goals. It could also really help coaches and doctors to know how athletes’ bodies will react to different burdens and movements.”
Added Vexatec founder, Salvatore Gandolfo in a statement: “Draisaitl is an unbelievable talent and we couldn’t be happier to have him join the Vexatec team. We constantly work together with top athletes to improve our product and optimize performance. We’re really happy to be supporting Draisaitl’s development, but we’re equally excited about the benefits the shirt can have for amateur athletes as well.”
Draisaitl is the son of former German national team player, Peter Draisaitl, who represented Germany in the sport too. Since moving to America, he has played for the Prince Albert Raiders, Kelowna Rockets and the Bakersfield Condors, which earned him an opportunity with the Oilers. In the 2016-17 NHL season, he finished with 29 goals and subsequently signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the team. However, on Monday he was placed on injured reserve due to concussion-like symptoms from an eye injury suffered last week against the Winnipeg Jets.
Vexatec also in June agreed on a partnership with German tennis player Tommy Haas to have him serve as an ambassador and assist the company in further developing the Agility shirt product and its adaptation to the sport.