How The Oilers’ Mid-Season Switch to Hudl Sportscode Unlocked a Culture of Efficiency

November 2023 was a turning point for the Edmonton Oilers. A coaching change brought Chris Knoblauch to the helm, and with him came a request that would shift the team’s entire technical foundation– he wanted to switch to Hudl Sportscode. Immediately.

For Noah Segall, video coach for the two time reigning Western Conference champs, this wasn't just a software update. It was a complete overhaul of an 11-year habit.

“I spent 11 years on Thunder, and I used it at the NCAA, AHL, NHL levels,” Segall explained during our recent Elite User Workshop. “I worked with a lot of different coaches, saw a lot of different workflows through those 11 years.”

Transitioning a staff that had used the same system for a decade is a daunting task. It requires more than just technical setup—it requires empathy for the coaches’ habits and a bold approach to rebuilding how a team communicates.

Leaning Into Routine

Segall’s  primary goal wasn't just to install new software, it was to facilitate a smooth workflow for a staff that had been with the organization for years. To do that, he leaned into familiarity.

In their old system, coaches were used to a central server. When Segall moved the team to a cloud-based Dropbox workflow, he didn’t try to change the terminology. He created a Dropbox icon on everyone's desktop and labeled it “The Server.”

“I called our Dropbox the server because our coaches know what a server is,” Segall said. “It does make sense to me, and I think it makes sense to them as well to call it a server because they know how that works. The whole big thing for me was trying to keep as much familiarity as possible.”

By replicating the folder structures the coaches already knew, Segall lowered the barrier to entry. He made the new tools feel like an improvement on the old ones rather than a baffling obstacle.

The Power of “The Football”

In the NHL, time and connectivity are luxuries. Whether you’re on a bus from the airport or on an airplane with spotty Wi-Fi, the work doesn't stop. Segall solved this with what he calls “the football.”

“Since 2011, my primary hard drive I've always called the football because it's always my most important hard drive that holds everything,” Segall shared.

This 8 TB drive contains the entire NHL season. By using League Exchange to download every game, Segall and his staff are fully functional from anywhere—a hotel, a practice rink or their own couches. They don’t have to rely on external processing times or internet speeds to pull pre-scout clips.

Building The Ideal Workflow

Because the Oilers were making a clean break from their old system, Segall realized they had a rare opportunity: they weren't inheriting anyone else’s messy habits.

“We could build this from scratch. We could build it however we wanted to. We weren't inheriting a workflow, and we weren't inheriting a structure,” Segall said. “We could teach our coaches the ideal workflow to make our jobs easier and therefore everyone else's lives easier.”

Segall and his colleagues established a clear, simple rule for the staff:

• Pre-scout files are standalone
• Postgame files are reference

By keeping postgame files as reference sorters, the data stays small and syncs almost instantaneously via Dropbox. Even on the  "shittiest Wi-Fi," as Segall puts it, a coach can share their work with the rest of the staff in seconds.

Winning, Together

The transition was a success not just because of the tech, but because of the community. Segall reached out to video coaches across the league to see what worked for them, proving that even in a competitive environment, there’s a shared desire to improve the craft.

The Oilers didn't just switch tools; they improved their culture of efficiency. They decluttered their data, empowered their coaches to work from anywhere and built a system that is future-proof for seasons to come.

As Segall reflected on the successful transition and the season that followed, his advice to other coaches was simple: don't be afraid to scrap the old way if it means building something better for your team.

Ready to ditch the server room and build a workflow that moves as fast as your team? Let’s get your staff started with Hudl Sportscode.