The NHL, SAP and HEC Montréal unveil a free game powered by real hockey data – Developing Students’ Analytical Skills
MONTREAL, April 15, 2026 /CNW/ – To help prepare students from all disciplines for the analytical skills increasingly sought after in the job market, the National Hockey League (NHL), SAP and HEC Montréal are unveiling a free game powered by real professional hockey data: “The Hockey Analyst.”
Developed by the ERPsim Lab team at HEC Montréal under the direction of Professor Pierre–Majorique Léger, the game is designed to equip higher–education teaching staff around the world. It offers students an immersive and intuitive learning experience that helps them naturally acquire skills expected in today’s professional environments, such as data interpretation and visualization, decision–making, and critical thinking.
SAP has been collaborating with the NHL for over ten years and has played a key role in bringing the League into this project.
Learning through the passion of sport
Mathematics and data analysis often lie at the heart of sports discussions, even when people don’t fully realize it. By tapping into the strong enthusiasm for sports, the game’s pedagogical design turns that passion into a powerful and natural learning driver. Students step into a decision–making role–such as team manager–where the concrete and accessible nature of hockey, along with the passion it inspires for many, becomes a relevant lever for developing a key skill in today’s economy: the ability to understand and leverage data.
“When the question feels meaningful, learners lean in, stay focused and keep pushing forward,” says Pierre–Majorique Léger. This develops professional judgment, confidence in analytics, and the ability to communicate strategy and decisions clearly. These skills translate directly into real careers.”
A learning environment built on real data
“Hockey is fast, dynamic, and full of rich data – a perfect environment for teaching critical thinking,” says Brant Berglund, NHL Senior Director of Coaching / GM Applications. “By 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.”
Thanks to this collaboration with the NHL, instructors gain access to a platform that is full of authentic data students can relate to. The NHL generates just under 1.5 million data points per game, including about 120 shot attempts, 1,000 passes, and 5,000 puck touches, raw material for deep, practical analysis.
Students use SAP Analytics Cloud, a software solution widely used in industry, to analyze data, interpret visualizations based on real business scenarios, and strengthen their critical thinking.
They explore questions such as:
- What sets top scorers apart?
- Does shot angle affect scoring?
- Which players lead in goals scored, and from what distances?
- Which shot speeds and shot types yield the highest goal conversion rates?
For instructors, the platform supports large–scale active learning, assessment, and monitoring of student engagement, while making courses more dynamic and aligned with real–world professional expectations.
HEC Montréal develops innovative teaching solutions
Learner experience, learning context and innovation are at the heart of this game’s design. HEC Montréal continues to position itself as an international center of excellence in research on innovative teaching solutions.
“Innovating in data analytics means going beyond traditional teaching methods,” says Pierre–Majorique Léger. “Here, 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.”
The game is part of Business Builders, a free online learning platform developed by the ERPsim Lab for higher–education teaching staff. It enables exploration of real–world scenarios using SAP Analytics Cloud. To date, the platform is used across all levels and disciplines by 1,250+ instructors and 25,000+ students in 600+ institutions across 85 countries.
This platform also includes a research component that has received financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to advance knowledge in the field of learning analytics through gamification.
Business Builders with The Hockey Analyst is a central part of SAP’s teaching portfolio available to educational institutions around the world. SAP has not only invited the NHL to join this initiative but also provides access to SAP Analytics Cloud free of charge to educators and students. In doing so, SAP connects students’ passion for sports with analytical learning and brings real NHL game data into classrooms worldwide.
“Access to business software and real data is essential for preparing students for the future,” says Dr. Katharina Schaefer, Global Head of Academic Partnerships at SAP. “With free learning platforms like Business Builders, we empower educators to bring enterprise-grade analytics into the classroom and help students develop the skills that are increasingly in demand across industries. In a world where data and AI define the competitive advantage, today’s learners need more than conceptual understanding; they need practical experience with real software and real data to build confidence and readiness for work life.”
About HEC Montréal
An internationally renowned French-language university, HEC Montréal is open to the world and firmly rooted in the Quebec community. Founded in 1907, it trains leaders in all areas of management, who contribute responsibly to the success of organizations and the sustainable transition of society. Its community includes more than 14,000 students from 154 countries, 305 faculty members and more than 120,000 graduates worldwide. The School offers more than 160 programs at all undergraduate and graduate levels, and welcomes more than 9,000 managers and executives every year.
Within its research and knowledge–transfer ecosystem, the ERPsim Lab at HEC Montréal develops innovative teaching solutions by transforming business software into dynamic learning platforms.
About the National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with Players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers – League, team and Player accounts combined – across Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 250 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, TNT Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Prime Video, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; and via SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™, Sports USA and TuneIn; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in nearly 200 countries and territories (listed here) via NHL.TV on DAZN.
Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to Player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception. NHL Productions develops compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to Players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s social impact platform, NHL Unites, reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. For more information, visit NHL.com.
About SAP
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
SOURCE HEC Montréal
