Hockey has always been about more than just the game on the ice. It is about people, collaboration, and the systems that either empower players or hold them back. Recently, I have been reflecting on how technology, from decentralization to AI, could reshape the sport. What started as a conversation with a friend quickly grew into something bigger: a vision for where hockey could go if we take bold steps.
Cutting Out the Middleman
The core idea is simple: athletes should own their data and their decisions. In finance, blockchain showed us that individuals could transact directly without interference. That same principle applies to sports. Imagine a world where players control their own information, careers, and opportunities rather than relying on middlemen.
Beyond the Buzzword: AI as Infrastructure
AI today feels like crypto a decade ago. Everyone talks about it, few truly understand it, and it is often used as a buzzword. The real opportunity is not in the label. It is in creating experiences so seamless that athletes and fans do not even realize they are powered by AI.
On the back end: large language models, automation, and secure data pipelines.
On the front end: simple, player-first experiences.
The outcome: empowerment, fairness, and freedom from purely subjective decisions.
Athletes should be the captains of their own fate. With today’s tools, that vision is closer than most realize.
The Problem with the Old Guard
Take Elite Prospects as an example. They are trying to become the “LinkedIn of hockey,” but their foundation is built on an ad-driven model that created technical debt and a poor user experience. It is nearly impossible for them to pivot. That opens the door for new platforms that start fresh, put players first, and avoid the baggage of legacy tech.
Data Is the Leverage
In the past two years, I have seen some of the world’s most advanced data centers across Hong Kong, Switzerland, and London. The scale and security are astonishing. Done right, data can be geographically secured so no hack or event can erase it. Whoever controls the source of truth, whether video, scoring, or geolocation, controls the ecosystem. That is the real leverage point in hockey’s future.
Starting Small: Hockey IQ as a Test Product
The path forward does not begin with trying to boil the ocean. It begins with the first step. One idea on the table is a Hockey IQ Camp: two hours of on-ice training paired with one hour of video analysis, technology, nutrition, and performance. It is a test product. A demo. A way to attract early users, build proof of concept, and tell a story that resonates with funders.
Timing Matters
Steve Jobs once said Apple lost a decade by stopping innovation. Hockey has had the same problem. Too few exceptional people are pushing the game forward. That is why the timing feels right now.
But alignment is critical. Success has to be defined upfront. Is it a few hundred clients and a couple million in revenue, or millions of users and hundreds of millions in revenue? The roadmap changes depending on the target.
The Big Picture
I believe hockey’s future lies in connecting the entire ecosystem:
- Hardware like cameras, scoreboards, sticks, pucks, and wearables.
- Health and performance data from nutrition to medical devices.
- Seamless integration from rink sensors to fan platforms.
If you own the data, you own the sport. And in the post-information age, that data will come from visual computing and vector embeddings of video, location, and equipment tracking. Imagine every rink in North America equipped with cameras and sensors capturing every moment. Link it with scoring, geolocation, and equipment data, and you have the foundation for scouting, training, betting, fan engagement, and media rights.
That dataset would change hockey forever.
Why This Matters Personally
This is not just theory for me. I am at a turning point. In the next few days, I will be resigning from my job. After a brief transition, I am stepping away to take real time off. That space gives me the chance to hit the whiteboard and focus fully on ideas like this.
And here is the truth: I trust the people I want to build with. Whether it succeeds or fails, I would rather try than look back 40 years from now and wish I had.
Hockey has always been my passion. From shooting pucks in the backyard to skating on ponds until it was dark, the game shaped who I am. I was lucky enough to play Division III, a privilege I will always be grateful for, but like many of us I also saw how the system failed. It took until age 22 for someone to hand me the right flex stick, completely changing my shot. Small details like that compound over time, and too often no one catches them. They alter careers and legacies.
That is what drives me now: legacy. The idea that I can be a fork in the road that honors my dad, my grandparents, and everyone in the chain who came before. Even if my name is never remembered, I want to know I added something of value.
Betting on the Future
I am willing to bet on myself and my reputation a million times over. If that means seeking a small angel investment, I will put in the work, the research, the data, and the pitch. Who we approach is open, but it is worth keeping in mind as an option if we want to test this at scale.
The timing, the opportunity, and the motivation are all aligned. This is not just about technology. It is about people, legacy, and the chance to build something that can change the game we love and maybe our lives along with it.
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