MANALAPAN, Fla. — The National Hockey League (NHL) has unveiled a new front office application designed to streamline roster management, contract information, and salary cap details for its teams. Developed in collaboration with SAP, the app for Apple iPads centralizes crucial data from the league’s Central Registry, including cap statuses, long-term injury information, and trade restrictions. This tool is now accessible to general managers (GMs) and league executives, aiming to simplify their decision-making processes. The app has been in testing with GMs since late December and was officially announced on Thursday.
Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere highlighted the convenience of having all necessary information in a portable format. “Instead of carrying around a cumbersome booklet that resembles a magazine or a Bible, having everything on an iPad will make it easier to track your roster and transactions,” Briere expressed. This development aims to mirror the success of the league’s earlier initiative, which introduced iPads to coaches and players for in-game use approximately eight years ago. The expectation is that this new app will become just as integral for managing trades, free agent signings, and other team operations.
Stephen McArdle, NHL’s chief operating officer, stated, “The on-bench coaching app transformed the game with its everyday use. We have innovated on the coaching side and the fan engagement side with refreshed statistical insights. This new roster management tool completes our trifecta of digital enhancements.” McArdle highlighted the app as a significant step forward for league operations, akin to past collaborations with SAP that revamped NHL.com’s statistics.
Don Waddell, Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM, mentioned the utility of having a quick-reference tool for essential information like no-trade clauses. He noted, “This app is bound to improve continually, and we’re excited about its current capabilities, which are already proving beneficial.”
The inaugural version of the SAP-NHL Front Office App offers three main categories:
1. **League View**: This component displays a comprehensive overview of each team’s current and projected salary cap situations, including alerts for daily transactions with custom filters, as well as a player watch list and draft grid showing future picks with transaction details.
2. **Team View**: This section provides detailed contract information for every player affiliated with a team for the ongoing season and future projections spanning the next eight years.
3. **Player View**: This includes detailed player biographies, contract specifics, game logs, transaction history, and more.
McArdle explained that this app emerged from a synergy between existing technological capabilities and the needs identified by franchises across the NHL. Dan Fleetwood, SAP’s VP of Global Sponsorships, acknowledged the importance of the coaching app in laying the groundwork for this new initiative, which could potentially accelerate player transactions within the league.
In light of the Washington Capitals’ acquisition and closure of the CapFriendly site, which shifted some sources of information from public access, alternatives like PuckPedia and CapWages have surfaced for fan use. However, this new NHL app is designed solely for team use, with plans for future availability on iPhone, though it will not be offered to the public at this time.
“Our current focus is on delivering optimal solutions for team front offices,” McArdle noted. “There is a wealth of detailed information in this app that makes it best suited for internal club use. While there’s potential for public adaptation, that’s not our primary concern right now.”