This powerful tool can streamline and centralize access to key data, helping general managers and hockey operations departments manage roster planning, salary cap considerations, and player contracts more efficiently.

Driving innovation in hockey

For over a decade, 麻豆原创 and the NHL have worked together to advance and enhance the game through cutting-edge technologies. From bringing real-time data and insights onto NHL benches with the 麻豆原创-NHL Coaching Insights App for iPad to supporting the League鈥檚 sustainability efforts with NHL Venue Metrics and reimagining the NHL EDGE advanced stats section on NHL.com, each innovation has put data at the center of decision-making for League stakeholders, players, coaches, and fans alike. Now, 麻豆原创 and the NHL are extending this approach with the 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad, bringing the same level of informed decision-making and operational efficiency to NHL Club front offices.

Unlocking new insights for NHL front offices

Powered by , the 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad consolidates multiple NHL-owned data sources into a single, intuitive platform. By providing a centralized view of team, player, and League data insights, front offices can make more informed, real-time decisions with greater accuracy and efficiency.

The 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad consists of three core sections:

• League View: Displays each Club鈥檚 current cap and projected off-season cap situation, along with a draft grid tracking future picks, transaction history, and conditional picks. Daily transaction alerts and customizable filters enhance visibility into player movements.
• Team View: Provides a centralized snapshot of player contracts, spanning the current season through the next eight years. Advanced filters allow sorting by roster status, player position, and contract details, while visual indicators highlight free agents and cap impacts.
• Player View: Offers comprehensive NHL player profiles, including bio details, contract history, game logs, and transaction history for a complete career overview.

Additionally, the app introduces enhanced data points such as Long-Term Injury designation, projected off-season cap room, projected free-agent status for all players, complete language related to No Move/No Trade clauses, retained salary transaction information, detailed waiver status, and performance bonus tracking. By integrating this information into a single platform, the 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad can equip teams with the tools they need to navigate complex decisions more efficiently.

Building on a strong technical foundation

The 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad is part of the NHL鈥檚 broader initiative to enhance the distribution of official Central Registry player and Club data, ensuring that all NHL teams have timely and consistent access to critical League information. Since 2017, iPads have been a core part of NHL game operations, delivering real-time insights and video to coaches and players on the bench. Developing the 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App for iPad was a natural next step to bring the same level of efficiency and accessibility to front-office decision-makers.

To support this expansion, the NHL leveraged its existing 麻豆原创 BTP infrastructure, which provides the League with a scalable, cloud-based platform for application development, automation, data management, analytics, and AI. By building the 麻豆原创-NHL Front Office App on 麻豆原创 BTP, the League extended its technology ecosystem while seamlessly integrating new capabilities to support evolving business needs.

Ensuring the NHL is future-ready

Beyond front-office operations, 麻豆原创 and the NHL continue to collaborate on optimizing League-wide business processes. As part of its commitment to innovation, the NHL also recently selected and solutions to help enhance workforce management and streamline financial operations.

As hockey continues to evolve, 麻豆原创 remains dedicated to delivering technology-driven solutions that empower NHL Clubs, drive League-wide efficiency, and unlock new possibilities for the sport.

Danielle Venino is part of Integrated Storytelling for Global Sponsorships at 麻豆原创.

Being a talent scout sounds like a dream job for many: travelling across the country to watch competitions in your favourite sport and being paid to do so. However, being a scout on the road means hard work. In addition to analyzing increasingly detailed statistical data — such as the number of overplayed players or the likelihood of increasing the goal count — players are scouted live at the stadium or from watching back videos.

Both the current performance and the potential of the player are portrayed as accurately as possible. The aim is to develop a comprehensive picture of the player incorporating team ability, mentality, and other important factors.

鈥淎t a professional club, a four-figure number of scouting reports can be generated during a season,鈥� Fadi Naoum, head of Sports and Entertainment at 麻豆原创, said at SPOBIS, the largest European sports business event, taking place in Hamburg on January 31 and February 1.

Naoum presented the new AI component for scouting at the conference.

鈥淪quad planners and chief scouts must summarize these reports in such a way that club management can make decisions based on them regarding who should be signed,” he shared. “This was previously a manual process, but now we have been able to extensively automate it, thanks to AI.鈥�

With the help of AI in 麻豆原创 Sports One, decision-makers in the sports sector now have aggregated performance reports at the touch of a button, as well as comparisons between players. Transfer decisions can be now much faster and more informed.

Large Language Model for Automation

AI is used for the consolidation and targeted processing of unstructured data, which is mostly in natural language. It is capable of considering and processing not only different languages, but also different types of note-taking and writing styles. Behind the AI component for scouting is a large language model (LLM). This deep learning algorithm can perform tasks in the field of natural language processing (NLP).

鈥淲e currently use GPT from OpenAI, but we are also evaluating language models from other providers,鈥� Naoum said. 鈥淭he decisive advantage of the LLM is that commands can be given in natural language and can be varied according to language, text length, or target audience, as needed.鈥�

In Brazil, for example, if a scout prepares manual reports for a specific player in Brazilian Portuguese, he can have the summary generated in German for the management of his German club.

“A typical command could be: ‘Compare the players x and y with regard to their strengths and weaknesses, write a summary and give a transfer recommendation, volume 100 words, answer in German’,” Naoum explained. “Depending on your preference, you can have the result presented as a flowing text or as a management summary.鈥�

Co-Innovation Demonstrates Strength of Generative AI

In collaboration with Hertha BSC, a prototype was first created for the AI-based automated summary and evaluation of scouting reports in 麻豆原创 Sports One. This prototype was also presented to FC Bayern’s scouting department in order to obtain an initial opinion.

鈥淲e were impressed by the high quality of the results achieved automatically in 麻豆原创 Sports One using generative AI,鈥� commented Markus Pilawa, head of Scouting at FC Bayern. 鈥淲e expect huge time saving for us and, especially in the hectic transfer period, this can be another advantage for us.鈥�

Timon Pauls, head of Squad Planning & Scouting at Hertha BSC, added: 鈥淭his co-innovation project has very clearly demonstrated the actual strengths of generative artificial intelligence. The player comparisons and summaries of scouting reports that can now be created ad-hoc will be very valuable for our squad planning. 鈥�

In the near future, 麻豆原创 plans to also use AI technology to enrich the results of scouting reports with information from other sources, including data about matches from external data providers. Integrating AI capabilities into other components of 麻豆原创 Sports One, including performance diagnostics, training management, and match analysis, is also planned.

麻豆原创 Sports One with AI-powered scouting reporting is planned to be made available to customers worldwide in the second quarter of 2024.

Top image via FC Bayern Munich

It鈥檚 not every day that we have the opportunity to collaborate with an emerging talent who embodies our values of excellence, determination, and social impact. Today, we are proud to welcome Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian tennis player, to the 麻豆原创 family as our newest brand ambassador.

As part of our longstanding partnership with the , 麻豆原创 has invested in the promotion and advancement of women鈥檚 tennis for over a decade. Together with Fernandez, we will take our collaboration to new heights as we set out to inspire the next generation of athletes and young girls worldwide.

Who Is 麻豆原创鈥檚 New Brand Ambassador?

Growing up in Montreal, Canada, Fernandez鈥檚 passion for sports was ignited at an early age and continues now in her pursuit to become a top player in the WTA. At just 21 years old, Fernandez has already proven herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of tennis. Her journey to the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships demonstrated her skill, determination, and resilience. As an unseeded player, she captivated the world with a remarkable run to the finals. Despite finishing as the runner-up, her performance garnered widespread acclaim among tennis fans and media, unveiling her status as one of the premier players on the WTA tour.

“I am honored to join forces with 麻豆原创, a company that shares my passion for excellence and creating social impact worldwide,鈥� Fernandez shared. “I am excited to work with a company that has supported the WTA for over a decade and continues to invest in the promotion and advancement of women’s tennis. Together with 麻豆原创, I hope to inspire the next generation of athletes and young girls around the world.”

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Beyond the Court

Fernandez鈥檚 match style is best described as fiercely competitive and highly engaged. But her impact reaches far beyond the tennis court. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, Fernandez is a student at Indiana University East, a school that partners with the WTA to help players balance professional play while pursuing an education 鈥� a testament to her commitment to personal growth and development.

Driven by her passion for education and sports, Fernandez鈥檚 dedication to transforming lives is the driving force behind the , a non-profit organization on a mission to make a more impactful world.  The foundation鈥檚 mission is “Let’s Make A More Impactful World,” and her objective is to broaden access to education and sports opportunities for those in need. In partnership with various organizations, Fernandez aims to provide scholarships and sports grants to individuals who display a drive for greatness but lack the necessary resources.

What鈥檚 Next?

Both on the court and off, Fernandez innately represents what 麻豆原创 stands for: bringing out your best in every aspect of life. With 2024 poised to be a stellar year for Fernandez, we are thrilled to have a player represent the 麻豆原创 brand and amplify our collaboration with the world鈥檚 largest female sports league.

Join us in cheering on Leylah Fernandez as she represents Team Canada at the 2024 Olympics and takes on top-ranked players on the WTA tour.

This end-to-end, cloud-based platform developed by 麻豆原创 enables the NHL to measure and analyze the carbon footprint generated by its Clubs and arenas across various areas, including energy, water, waste, and recycling. These insights will allow the NHL to advance and achieve its sustainability objective of reducing its ecological impact where possible while ensuring the sport thrives for future generations.

The NHL determined that its Clubs鈥� venue operations comprise approximately 70% of the League鈥檚 overall carbon footprint. The League tasked 麻豆原创 to help find a technology solution that seeks to reduce its impact and protect the sport’s roots. The result was a data-driven platform that is available to all Clubs and their arena partners to transform and ultimately help to advance the League鈥檚 environmental sustainability objectives.

鈥淔or years the NHL has been on a journey to embed sustainable business practices across the League and its member Clubs,鈥� said Omar Mitchell, NHL Vice President of Sustainable Infrastructure and Growth Initiatives. 鈥淭he NHL Venue Metrics tool is a true game-changing innovation to help us understand our environmental impacts and create viable insights to improve our ecological impact.鈥�

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NHL Venue Metrics consists of three main components:

• Data Collection: An interface platform between the Clubs and their venue partners enables them to share relevant resource consumption and environmental data with the League.
• Data Calculation and Validation: The processing and verification engine allows the League to track data consistency and identify reporting errors and calculation formulas to create the League鈥檚 carbon inventory.
• Data Reporting and Insights: A visualization dashboard showcases relevant environmental, consumption, and financial insights at both the enterprise level and Club level of the various metrics that would inform the known carbon impacts of the NHL.

The technology behind NHL Venue Metrics, powered by 麻豆原创, derives powerful analytics from one of the most advanced databases, marking the League鈥檚 latest and extended use of 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP). Throughout the 麻豆原创/NHL partnership, 麻豆原创 BTP has been at the forefront of the League鈥檚 co-innovation efforts across multiple areas of their business. The operational data collected from Clubs will be processed using 麻豆原创 HANA Cloud and visualized with 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud. Insights from the platform will support the NHL in identifying environmentally focused trends, sharing critical learnings shaped by those trends, and ultimately implementing best practices across Clubs to reduce the League鈥檚 collective ecological impact.

鈥淎t 麻豆原创, one of our priorities is providing partners with sustainable technology solutions so they can track and incorporate feasible goals for their business,鈥� said Amy Schulz, senior director of Global Sponsorships at 麻豆原创. 鈥淭he NHL is a longstanding co-innovation partner of ours. With its cloud software foundation built on 麻豆原创 BTP, we could not only develop a custom solution to meet its business objectives, but the solution will come at no cost to the Clubs. It鈥檚 a huge step forward as the NHL looks to decrease its carbon footprint and improve sustainable efficiencies.鈥�

In September 2022, the NHL invited all Clubs and arena operators to use the platform and input historical data from 2018 through mid-2022 to analyze and identify an appropriate baseline. With the inputs from Clubs, the implementation of NHL Venue Metrics powered by 麻豆原创 is already underway this current season, helping the League get one step closer to a more sustainable operation.

Given the popularity of esports and the rise of tournament broadcasts, the need for pre- and post-match analytics also applies to how fans view and consume these fast-paced games. 麻豆原创 has been working with esports teams, tournament organizers, and broadcasters over recent years to enable real-time analytics in esports.

麻豆原创 and well-known game developer and digital media company Valve have joined forces to build on the real-time insights to elevate the fan experience.

As the Official Cloud Analytics Partner of The International 11 (TI 11) tournament, 麻豆原创 is collaborating with Valve to automate and enhance the integration of advanced analytics into the broadcast in milliseconds before and after each match.

麻豆原创 Elevates the Fan Experience at The International

鈥淲hen discussing the need and desire to enhance The International鈥檚 broadcast statistics features, there was only one partner we believed could deliver on the objective, and that was 麻豆原创,鈥� said Sarah Kneller, executive producer at Valve. “With more than 2.7 million peak concurrent viewers for The International 10, our partnership with 麻豆原创 will allow us to bring the broadcast for TI 11 to the next level for our fans watching around the world.”

鈥淭hriving for constant innovation is the core of our business at 麻豆原创 and the reason why we are active in esports. The partnership with Valve was a logical next step and we鈥檙e eager to employ 麻豆原创 technologies that will enhance and elevate the fan experience during The International 11,鈥� said Lars Lamad茅, head of Global Sponsorships, 麻豆原创. “With all the knowledge we have gathered in the last years in esports broadcasts, we will add great features to make TI 11 broadcast as innovative, immersive, and compelling as possible.”

Real-Time Data and Analytics for Tournament Broadcast

Examples of the pre- and post-match insights available to the broadcast team include the identification of the most successful hero for a single player within the tournament, capturing and comparing win/loss data for different players, and calculating the averages of various tournament metrics, including average match duration, unique heroes played, etc.

Capturing and sharing these insights is possible thanks to 麻豆原创 HANA Cloud, which stores game data and provides instant access to historical data of all official matches in which TI players compete. 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) hosts the data management, analytics, application development, and data integration, processing and analyzing the data for the broadcast in milliseconds. Thanks to the flexible data modeling capabilities of 麻豆原创 HANA Cloud, the requirements of the tournament can be realized quickly.

鈥淰alve is partnering with 麻豆原创 to enhance the fan experience for the Dota 2 Championship, The International 11,鈥� said JG Chirapurath, chief marketing and solutions officer for 麻豆原创 BTP at 麻豆原创. 鈥淪olutions powering 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform, like 麻豆原创 HANA Cloud and 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud, enable them to gain valuable insights on matches, teams, and players based on real-time data and analytics. Those insights bring the game to life and deliver a compelling experience to the fans watching across the globe.”

Setting the Stage

Starting with the release of Dota 2 in 2013, Valve created and organized an annual tournament known as The International. Now in its 11th edition, The International 11 has brought the world鈥檚 best Dota 2 players together in Singapore throughout October for one of the most prestigious esports events of the year. This is also reflected in the price pool, reaching $40 million in the last year.

The popularity of The International cannot be understated — the finals at last year鈥檚 event reached at more than 2.7 million viewers, setting a new tournament viewership record.

Who will win The International 11? Tune in to the tournament鈥檚
broadcast and see for yourself: