Case Study: National Hockey League (NHL) achieves real-time in-game coaching insights with SAP HANA

From Coaches to Players to Fans, helping revolutionize the game on ice with instant coaching insights

The National Hockey League (NHL), a 32‑club, global sports league with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, needed to modernize how coaching staff access performance data. Coaches were reliant on paper reports and intermission summaries rather than live metrics, and the League wanted real‑time, customizable player stats and visualizations to support faster in‑game decisions while optimizing data processing and operational costs.

Working with SAP, the NHL deployed the SAP‑NHL Coaching Insights iPad app on SAP Business Technology Platform using SAP HANA Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud, supported by SAP Preferred Success. The solution analyzes roughly 2 billion EDGE data points per season (about 30 GB per game) to deliver instant, granular analytics that let coaches make tactical adjustments on the fly, enhancing gameplay and the fan experience while enabling clubs to focus on higher‑value strategic activities.

NHL

Peter DelGiacco

Chief Technology Officer