Sport Management Students Shine in Inaugural NHL Innovation Competition
HLOs: 
On January 29th, the Sport Management program achieved a remarkable milestone, with two student groups competing in the inaugural National Hockey League (NHL) Innovation Competition. Out of 63 proposals from 13 colleges and universities—representing 252 student participants—seven outstanding Humber Polytechnic's Sport Management students advanced to the first-ever NHL Innovation Competition.
As part of their third-year Sport Research Methods course, students were challenged to explore the topic: How would you make the NHL brand more relevant through immersive experiences with current fans and new audiences who currently do not have a relationship with the league and hockey?
Two teams from Humber were selected by the NHL to present their innovative ideas, offering them the unique opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders who mentored them throughout the process. These mentors played a key role in helping the students refine their concepts and prepare their presentations for NHL executives, the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), and NHL corporate partners.
This competition was made possible through the efforts of Humber alumni and founders of Relate Social Capital. Together with a dedicated team from the NHL and NHLPA, they created an invaluable platform for aspiring sports business professionals to tackle real-world challenges and present their ideas on a major stage.
The Sport Management program takes immense pride in the dedication and passion these students demonstrated throughout the competition. Despite juggling coursework, internships, and part-time jobs, they committed themselves to developing compelling presentations—delivering them with confidence before some of the sports industry's top decision-makers.
Congratulations to Humber’s Sport Management innovators for their hard work and creativity.
Team Fortnite Partnership – 1st Place Winners
This group introduced the concept of integrating all NHL teams into a virtual world, enhancing fan engagement through the Fortnite gaming platform.
- Camilo A. Velásquez B.
- Kate Stepanova
- Rohan Roy
- Jayden Tin
Team Disney Partnership – 2nd Place Winners
This team proposed a strategic partnership between the NHL and Disney to engage younger audiences while fostering family connections through Canada’s favourite sport—hockey.
- Hunter Sutherland
- Joshua Mastandrea
- Ryan Mee
Read more about this achievement on the following websites:
