Skip to content
NHL/NHLPA Innovation Competition, presented by SAP — home
NHL/NHLPA Innovation Competition — Presented by SAP

California Bay Area

2027 Case Challenge

Presented by SAP with the San Jose Sharks Foundation. Finalists pitch on the arena floor at the home of the Sharks for a chance to win $10,000 USD each.

San Jose, CA · SAP Center

Register your teamLearn more
Submission deadline
Nov 23, 2026
Semi-finals
Jan 2027
Final Pitch Day
Feb 2027
Scholarships
$10,000 USD each

Hosted by

  • NHL

Presented by

  • SAP

Supported by

  • Sharks Foundation

Bay AreaChallenge.

Hockey’s future will not be shaped by tradition alone. It will be shaped by new voices, bold ideas, and people who see the game differently. We invite students to show us hockey through their eyes, using their discipline, lived experience, or passion to identify a problem, barrier, or opportunity in the game and develop an idea that delivers measurable impact.

The question

What do you believe hockey needs next? What problem, barrier, or opportunity are you uniquely positioned to solve?

Use what you know best to identify a specific problem, barrier, or opportunity in hockey, then propose a business, organization, program, product, service, or plan that responds to it. The strongest submissions clearly define the issue, explain why it matters now, and show how the idea will change the game for the better.

Start with

Your field of study, lived experience, passions, interests, career goals, or a challenge you feel uniquely positioned to help solve. Then ask: what problem am I solving, why does it matter, and how could my idea create meaningful impact?

Ideas. Opportunity. Impact. Student voice. Real ideas. Real impact.

YourSubmission.

Every entry answers the same five questions. Step 5 asks how technology, including SAP tools, strengthens your idea.

Competition documents

  • Rules & regulationsOfficial rules
  • Case review2026–27 case

SAPResources

Tools students have used in past seasons to research, prototype and measure their ideas.

  • Academic Alliances | SAP

    Events, programs and learning for students and educators.

  • SAP Build

    Prototype apps and automations with low-code tools.

  • SAP Joule

    Explore how AI could improve the experience.

  • SAP Analytics Cloud

    Visualize data and model the impact of your idea.

  • SAP Learning

    Free courses to get up to speed fast.

  • SAP Business Technology Platform

    Connect data, AI and apps to scale a solution.

Visit the SAP resource hub(opens in a new tab)

The road toPitch Day.

Key dates for the 2026–27 season. Final dates confirmed at registration.

  1. Oct 2026

    Register

    Build your team and sign up through the competition portal.

  2. Nov 23, 2026

    Submit

    5-page report and 10-slide deck, plus an optional 5-min video.

  3. Jan 2027

    Semi-finals

    20 teams advance to the semi-finals.

  4. Feb 2027

    Pitch & win

    Top 6 finalists pitch live at SAP Center, San Jose.

The details

Everything you need to enter, at a glance.

Who can enter
Full- and part-time students at a participating college or university in the California Bay Area
Teams
1–4 students from the same school. One team per student.
Age
18+ at the time of entry
Deadline
November 23, 2026
Format
Max 5-page report + 10-slide presentation (optional 5-min video pitch)
  • Case (PDF)
  • Rules (PDF)
InnovationComp@nhl.com
Submission guidelinesWhat every entry must include
  • Clearly identify a real-world problem.
  • Propose a feasible, scalable solution that aligns with the challenge.
  • Include how the impact will be measured and how it could be implemented by the NHL or its Clubs.
Judging criteriaHow entries are scored
Problem definition
Is the challenge clearly defined and relevant?
Innovation & practicality
Is the idea creative but also implementable within the NHL?
Impact
Will it increase fan engagement, grow participation, or improve operations?
Feasibility, scalability & technology
Can it be realistically tested or piloted within the next year, scaled over time, and use technology and data to enable and measure impact?
Communication
Is the idea clearly explained and compellingly presented?
Rules & regulationsHighlights plus the official PDF
  • Eligibility: Open to full-time and part-time students at a participating university or college in the California Bay Area. All participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.
  • Team composition: Teams of 1–4 students, all enrolled at the same participating university or college. A student may not be on more than one team.
  • Submission format: Maximum 5-page report plus a 10-slide presentation. Optional 5-minute video pitch. Every entry answers the five submission prompts.
  • Intellectual property: Teams retain ownership of their work. Organizers may share submissions for promotional purposes with credit.
Frequently asked questionsWhat students ask before signing up
Do I need to know a lot about hockey?
No. Fresh perspective is the point. Judges look for clear thinking, creativity and a solution that could actually work.
How are winners selected?
Submissions are scored against the judging criteria. Top teams advance to the semi-finals, and finalists pitch live at Final Pitch Day.
What can I win?
Up to $10,000 in scholarships, exclusive NHL prizes and recognition, plus networking and mentorship with NHL and SAP professionals.

Your ideaCould win.

A chance to win

$10,000USD each

in scholarships, plus exclusive NHL prizes

Finalists also receive a VIP suite experience courtesy of SAP. Details confirmed at registration.

Why participate

  • Mentorship & tools

    Access to mentorship, tools and guidance from NHL, SAP and industry leaders to shape and strengthen your pitch.

  • Build connections

    Connect across sport, business, technology, community impact and innovation.

  • Real-world skills

    Develop pitch, problem-solving, leadership and professional skills you can use anywhere.

  • Prizes & opportunities

    Compete for incredible NHL prizes, scholarships and career-building opportunities.

Who’s behind it

Industry Growth Fund

Invested
$200M
Clubs supported
32
Participants across North America
13M+

Established in 2013 by the NHL and NHLPA, and supported by the NHL’s 32 Clubs, the Industry Growth Fund (IGF) supports initiatives that promote long-term fan development and increase participation at all levels of hockey, with an emphasis on youth.

Since its inception, the IGF has dedicated more than $200 million to programming, initiatives, events and education that bring hockey to communities across North America.

Academic Alliances | SAP

Educational institutions
2,700+
Students annually
1M+
Years of innovation
50+

Academic Alliances | SAP empowers educators to elevate their teaching of business and technology skills, with resources centered on SAP applications and computer science.

Today SAP partners with more than 2,700 educational institutions around the globe, giving more than one million students a year hands-on learning experience.

Explore Academic Alliances | SAP

Sharks Foundation

Community impact
$21M+

The Sharks Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, was established in 1994 and is dedicated to empowering youth through education and wellness programs while advancing equitable access to hockey for all. Since inception, the Sharks Foundation has positively impacted millions of individuals in the community through its programs, projects, and contributions to local nonprofits, including more than $21 million donated to Bay Area organizations. To learn more about how the Sharks Foundation is helping youth, visit sharksfoundation.org or connect via Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Visit sharksfoundation.org

Real impact.Real moments.

Moments from past California Bay Area events. This is what competing actually looks like.

Hockey does not need one kind of thinker.

It needs your expertise, lived experience, passion, and reason for caring. Show us what you know, why it matters, and how it can change the game for the better.

Register for California Bay Area