NHL Ice hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, is working with Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini, and sports advisory firm Sportsology to examine how artificial intelligence could support coaching decisions. The collaboration aims to assess whether AI can offer fresh perspectives by analysing in-game data differently from traditional methods. The team hopes the technology can […]
NHL Ice hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, is working with Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini, and sports advisory firm Sportsology to examine how artificial intelligence could support coaching decisions.
The collaboration aims to assess whether AI can offer fresh perspectives by analysing in-game data differently from traditional methods. The team hopes the technology can help identify patterns in player movement and game dynamics that may not be evident to human analysts.
“There are established and accepted norms and beliefs that have dominated how strategies are employed in sports – and especially within the game of hockey,” said San Jose Sharks president Jonathan Becher.
“We want to challenge these long-held beliefs, with AI being a new voice in the conversation that offers a unique perspective based on its interpretation of match data.”
Brian Leona, VP of programme management for intelligent services at Cambridge Consultants, added: “Currently, coaching tends to start with theory. Data is then used to try to validate that theory. We are using AI to look at the data with no preconceived notions about what is true, and letting the data tell us what is happening.”
The Sharks – who play in the National Hockey League – are particularly interested in using AI to analyse entire sequences of play, rather than isolated moments. The aim is to better understand the patterns, referred to as “geometries in motion”, that contribute to key outcomes, and potentially rethink game strategies.
The team emphasises that the initiative is not intended to replace coaches but to enhance their insight with new tools.
Chris Brady, CIO at Sportsology, noted that people often lean toward consensus or familiar ways of approaching problems, whereas AI can take a more neutral, data-led approach.
Charlie Townsend, director of hockey projects and analytics at the Sharks, summarised: “We are trying to identify whether there are untapped, unbiased solutions by utilising technology to observe, digest and translate data points within a game that can assist with solutions to complex hockey problems.”
