Hockey isn’t just a game. It’s a feeling – felt in packed arenas, living rooms across the globe, and in the split-second decisions that define careers and decide championships. For the National Hockey League®, behind those moments is an extraordinary amount of technology working flawlessly, in real-time, under intense pressure. And behind that technology is NHL technology partner, Presidio. As an Official Technology Innovation Partner of the NHL®, Presidio works side-by-side with the League to design, build, and operate solutions that touch various aspect of the sport.
Our work with the NHL is proof that when innovation is done right, it becomes invisible, and indispensable. Here’s how it all works:
Live Sports Broadcasting Technology That Reaches Fans Anywhere
For fans, the experience starts long before the puck drops, and often thousands of miles from the rink. Today’s fans expect to watch NHL games anywhere, on any device, without disruption. Meeting that expectation requires resilient, scalable live sports broadcasting technology-built upon modern cloud.
Presidio partnered with the NHL to design and operate the Virtual Technology Operations Center (VTOC) – a centralized, cloud-based control system that integrates dozens of production workflows and venue feeds into one unified interface, supporting live game production across the entire NHL season.
With VTOC, the NHL can:
- Deliver thousands of uninterrupted live broadcasts to fans globally.
- Scale broadcast operations efficiently using cloud infrastructure.
- Enable real-time visibility and decision-making for production teams.
This approach modernizes how live sports content is delivered across the overall fan experience, with the built-in comfort of knowing it will perform when moments matter most.
Sports App Development That Helps Modernize the NHL Draft Experience
The NHL Draft™ is one of the most critical moments in professional hockey, involving NHL Club Front Offices, League executives, coaches and dedicated fan bases watching closely. Futures are decided in real-time, under intense scrutiny. Previously, the player selection process was a closed one – each workstation was assigned to one team with servers hosting the application on a private physical network. Servers had to be physically transported to the host arena for each NHL Draft.
Presidio and the League worked together to reimagine the Draft experience. Presidio built the new NHL Draft App on a hybrid cloud environment to be a secure, real-time collaboration platform. First rolled out at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, the platform centralizes and integrates all Draft information across the NHL ecosystem.
With specific persona-based design and functionality, the NHL Draft App supports:
- General Managers and coaches making franchise-defining decisions.
- Scouts and executives collaborating across locations.
- The Commissioner and League officials maintaining confidence and control.
The NHL Draft App modernizes the experience for everyone involved, behind the scenes and in front of the camera, allowing fans to experience the excitement without friction.In 2025, the NHL Draft App achieved a new milestone: successfully supporting a fully decentralized Draft experience. It’s a perfect example of how Presidio balances high-stakes requirements with usability, security, and scale.
Officiating Technology That Improves Safety and Performance on the Ice
Innovation doesn’t stop off the ice. Presidio also supports on-ice operations with technology designed to improve safety, communication, and focus.
The NHL Watch Comms App, a custom Apple Watch application developed by Presidio in partnership with the NHL and Apple, delivers real-time haptic notifications to on-ice NHL Officials during games.
With 95% adoption, the solution helps:
- Reduce distractions during play.
- Support game situational awareness.
- Enhance safety for both on-ice NHL Officials and players.
It’s a small device with a big impact – proof that thoughtful officiating technology and player safety solutions can enhance performance without getting in the way.
One Sports Technology Partner. End-to-End Impact.
What sets Presidio apart is not a single product or service, it’s the ability to deliver end-to-end sports technology solutions across the NHL’s ecosystem.
From fans to players.
From on-ice NHL Officials to League executives.
From broadcast operations to Club Front Office war rooms.
Presidio touches it all. And we do it the same way we do for every enterprise client: by deeply understanding the mission, designing technology around real human needs, and operating it reliably on an immense scale.
For Presidio and the NHL, the best of this long-term strategic partnership is yet to come.
A Repeatable Model for Sports Leagues and Enterprise Organizations
While this story is rooted in hockey, the model is universal.
The same principles Presidio applies for the NHL – cloud modernization, real-time data, human-centered design, and long-term operational support – are the same ones we bring to enterprise digital transformation across industries.
If it can perform in the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of professional sports, it can perform anywhere.
See Sports Technology Innovation in Action
Watch the video: Innovation in Action — Presidio x NHL
Discover how Presidio is shaping the future of sports technology, and how that same approach can drive innovation for your organization.
