Snapchat Spectacles are now being used in professional sports too

With the NBA, NFL and other pro sports leagues already embracing Snapchat, the NHL is throwing its hat in the ring — er, on the ice — by incorporating Snapchat Spectacles into its fan experience.

The Minnesota Wild used Snapchat's video-recording glasses — which wirelessly transfer 10-second video to a user's Snapchat app — to capture behind-the-scenes action, including pre-game warmups, locker room shots and T-shirt canon firing, at a game in November.

By breaking out the Spectacles, Minnesota is the first professional sports team to use wearable. Snapchat partnered with advertising agency space150 to pull it off.

"We're always looking for new ways to bring our fans closer to the team and the game," Phil Ervin, digital managing editor and content strategist for the Minnesota Wild, said. "The Spectacles certainly delivered, providing a cool, new point-of-view that was really simple to execute."

Snapchat has emerged as one of the premier social media networks for sports. It launched deals with the NFL and NBA to show game highlights on the app's Discover tab, and players are also embracing the app for personal use.

Spectacles could be a game changer for the way sports fans see the action too, though it's much more likely that we'd see it used in a non-game situation — like a goalie snagging pucks from his teammates or an outfielder taking fly balls.

It might not happen soon, considering how tough Snapchat is making it to get a pair, but it looks like Snapchat is here to stay, at least in the world of sports.

The Wild gave fans a new perspective. Other teams might soon follow suit.