The NHL has "teamed up" with software company SAP and "expanded its partnership with Apple to arm all teams with iPads that will be fed dozens of real-time statistics about each game," according to Jen Booton of SPORT TECHIE. The plan "builds on the NHL's test" during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in spring of '17, in which it "provided teams with three iPad Pros that generated real-time video highlights." That pilot program was then "expanded league-wide" for the following '17-18 season. Teams will now get a fourth iPad that will "complement existing on-bench video to help coaches make decisions on the fly in a game without needing stoppages." When the iPads "officially hit benches shortly after the Jan. 26 All-Star game, coaches will have access to more than 30 on-ice statistics, ranging from time-on-ice to face-off success rates by zone and player." At first, the SAP-NHL Coaching Insights app will be "offered on a separate iPad to the three video highlight iPads, so as not to disturb the workflow of teams." The app will "eventually be integrated with the puck and player tracking technology that the league is in the midst of testing" (SPORTTECHIE.com, 1/17). NHL Senior VP/Business Development & Global Partnerships David Lehanski said, "As far as we know, we'll be the only sports property delivering real-time video and data to the benches for the coaches and the players." ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski noted each data category in the app is "customizable, so coaches can specify which stats they're most interested in tracking," and there is also "player customization." The iPads are "restricted for use in the arena only, because of security concerns" (ESPN.com, 1/17).
