A Vancouver startup has developed a new app that may help NHL players win back the affections of fans following a prolonged lockout.
Shnarped is the product of a three-person startup that is itself the product of the Launch Academy accelerator.
The Shnarped iPhone app is a Twitter-like digital hockey card where fans can follow individual players or teams and communicate with them with virtual first-bumps. For example, when a player scores a goal, fans can give him a fist-bump, and later on the player can acknowledge it with a response. The app provides player profiles, season and career stats, and Twitter feeds.
Shnarped CEO Dustin Sproat said the recently resolved NHL strike is giving the app some steam as players, like Carolina Hurricanes forward Kevin Westgarth, turn to it to make links with fans.
"There is a massive, senseless disconnect between the players and the fans that has been exacerbated by the recent lockout," Sproat said.
"Shnarped bridges this gap with our interactive 'pound' feature, creating a social environment that is fan-, youth- and player-friendly."
