What if understanding hockey could also help students understand data?<\/p>\n
That is the idea behind a new educational initiative unveiled by the National Hockey League (NHL), SAP and HEC Montr\u00e9al, which are launching a free learning game powered by real professional hockey data.<\/p>\n
Called\u00a0The Hockey Analyst, the platform is designed to help students build analytical skills increasingly sought after in today\u2019s job market, using hockey as the learning environment.<\/p>\n
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National Hockey League (NHL), SAP and HEC Montr\u00e9al unveil The Hockey Analyst, a free learning game powered by real professional hockey data and designed to help students develop analytical skills through sport. (Courtesy: SAP, NHL, NHLPA)<\/p>\n
Developed by the ERPsim Lab team at HEC Montr\u00e9al under the direction of Professor Pierre\u2013Majorique L\u00e9ger, the game is intended for higher-education instructors worldwide. It offers an interactive learning experience focused on data interpretation, visualization, decision-making and critical thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really about using the passion of young students with something they really care about. They really love hockey,\u201d L\u00e9ger said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the playoff, everyone is excited, the Habs are in the playoff. So with the NHL, that was the right timing to announce the game,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The initiative builds on an established collaboration between SAP and the NHL, with both organizations working alongside HEC Montr\u00e9al\u2019s research team and NHL analytics staff to ensure the game reflects real-world professional data environments.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2-1-1024x540.jpg\")
National Hockey League (NHL), SAP and HEC Montr\u00e9al unveil The Hockey Analyst, a free learning game powered by real professional hockey data and designed to help students develop analytical skills through sport. (Courtesy: SAP, NHL, NHLPA)<\/p>\n
Learning through sport<\/p>\n
Organizers say the project is grounded in the idea that sport can make complex analytical concepts more accessible by connecting them to something students already engage with.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the question feels meaningful, learners lean in, stay focused and keep pushing forward,\u201d said L\u00e9ger. \u201cThis develops professional judgment, confidence in analytics, and the ability to communicate strategy and decisions clearly. These skills translate directly into real careers.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the concept also reflects how students already interact with hockey outside the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften in schoolyards, the students will debate hockey statistics, right? And they will use advanced statistics that they will eventually learn in university, right? So it\u2019s very intriguing that sometimes they will say, \u2018Why do I learn all this math?\u2019 Well, in this case, the math they already use. And we use their passion for the stats with hockey to bring that into the classroom so that they can really engage with some very important topics in mathematics and geometry and trigonometry and descriptive statistics and probability.\u201d<\/p>\n
SAP, which has partnered with the NHL for more than a decade, helped enable the integration of professional hockey data and analytics tools into the platform.<\/p>\n
Real NHL data in the classroom<\/p>\n
The game is built using real NHL game data, which includes nearly 1.5 million data points per game, such as shot attempts, passes and puck touches.<\/p>\n
Students use SAP Analytics Cloud to analyze this information, work with visualizations and explore decision-making scenarios based on real game situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re using the exact same dashboard that general managers and coaches use in the real world to make those decisions. A big part of this is data visualization\u2026 it\u2019s all about data literacy \u2014 being able to read visual data and extract insights and make decisions,\u201d L\u00e9ger said.<\/p>\n
Brant Berglund, senior director of coaching and general manager applications at the NHL, said the sport provides a natural entry point for developing analytical thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cHockey is fast, dynamic, and full of rich data \u2014 a perfect environment for teaching critical thinking,\u201d he said. \u201cBy opening up its data to universities in the context of Business Builders, the NHL hopes to inspire a new generation of analysts, leaders and innovators.\u201d<\/p>\n
From data to decisions<\/p>\n
Inside the game, students take on roles such as coach or general manager, where they must interpret performance data and make strategic decisions under constraints.<\/p>\n
They are asked to evaluate what separates top performers, how shot angles influence scoring, and which shot types produce the highest conversion rates.<\/p>\n
L\u00e9ger said the approach is designed to move students beyond theory and into applied decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cInnovating in data analytics means going beyond traditional teaching methods,\u201d he said. \u201cHere, real sports data enrich the learning experience by adding context, complexity and constraints. Students learn to judge what truly matters, justify their decisions, and manage trade-offs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expanding access to data learning tools<\/p>\n