Heartlanders introduce fans to hockey via virtual reality [Video]

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – Hockey fans tend to enjoy the physicality of the game, but for those who are not looking to be body checked or involved in the next brawl, virtual hockey may be a better option.

Jim Chaffee, with the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, normally uses virtual reality in a classroom setting.

“We normally don’t use it for games,” he said. “We normally use to help people to understand what it’s like to be in a certain environment. Like in a manufacturing plant or going abroad to certain areas they’ve never been to before like the Louvre.”

This time it was used for hockey.

“He brought it into the office in June and had a couple of our staff try it and we had so much fun with it. At that point, that we said we have to find a way to move forward with this for our fans,” Iowa Heartlanders President …