Wharton Moneyball From Ice to Insight: SAP and the NHL’s Partnership Driving Smarter Hockey
Oct 8, 2025
Daniel Beringer, Global Head of Technology and Innovation at SAP, partners with Chris Foster, VP of Digital Business Development at the NHL. They delve into the NHL's tech evolution, including the Coaching Insights app for real-time data across teams. Hear about player and puck tracking challenges and how teams use metrics for instant coaching decisions. They also discuss the NHL Venue Metrics System aimed at reducing sustainability footprints. AI applications and player fatigue measurement round out this tech-savvy conversation, revolutionizing hockey.
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Equal Baseline For In-Game Data
- The league provides a uniform in-game coaching app so all teams get the same real-time source data.
- Clubs retain freedom to analyze and build their own competitive advantage on top of that baseline.
Data Layer: History Plus Tracking
- The partnership digitized a century of NHL game data and added player/puck tracking as a foundation.
- Historical records plus modern tracking enabled advanced analytics and coaching tools.
Hockey Tracking Is Technically Unique
- Hockey posed unique tracking challenges because of speed, ice glare, and fluid shifts.
- Technologies that worked in soccer or tennis required adaptation for hockey's pace and surface.
