Latest news with #NTDP
Leaders
25-05-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Ignites AI Innovation with Groundbreaking Startup Incubator
Saudi Arabia is significantly increasing its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) by launching a national incubator program. This initiative aims to accelerate the growth of early-stage AI startups across the Kingdom. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) leads this four-month program through its Centre of Digital Entrepreneurship. Comprehensive Support for Startups The incubator will support 20 AI ventures by providing essential resources such as mentorship, funding, and workspace. Additionally, participants will gain access to government-backed digital incentives that enhance their growth potential. Financial support will come from the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), ensuring startups receive the necessary funding to thrive. Moreover, strategic partnerships with key organizations will help startups access vital technical and commercial expertise. Collaborations with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence, SambaNova, and BIM Ventures will strengthen the program's impact. These partnerships will provide startups with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive market. Aligning with Vision 2030 Goals This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to build a diversified, knowledge-driven economy. By reducing long-term dependence on oil revenues, the Kingdom seeks to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. The incubator follows the recent launch of Humain, a PIF-backed AI company focused on enhancing national capabilities in data infrastructure, machine learning, and cloud computing. By targeting early-stage companies with tailored support, the new incubator aims to establish a competitive AI ecosystem. This ecosystem will position the Kingdom as a regional and global leader in emerging technologies. Ultimately, this initiative represents a significant step forward in Saudi Arabia's commitment to advancing its tech economy and fostering innovation. Short link : Post Views: 22
CairoScene
25-05-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Saudi Arabia Launches AI Startup Incubator to Boost Tech Economy
A new incubator led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will support 20 AI startups. May 25, 2025 Saudi Arabia is ramping up its investment in artificial intelligence with the launch of a national incubator programme designed to accelerate the growth of early-stage AI startups. Led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) through its Centre of Digital Entrepreneurship, the four-month programme will support 20 AI ventures with mentorship, funding, workspace, and access to government-backed digital incentives. Financial support will come via the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), while strategic partnerships with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence, SambaNova, and BIM Ventures will help startups access technical and commercial expertise. The initiative is a key part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to build a diversified, knowledge-driven economy and reduce long-term dependence on oil revenues. It also follows the recent launch of Humain, a PIF-backed AI company focused on building national capabilities in data infrastructure, machine learning, and cloud computing. By targeting early-stage companies with tailored support, the new incubator aims to lay the foundation for a competitive AI ecosystem capable of positioning the Kingdom as a regional and global leader in emerging technologies.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
James Hagens May Slide On Draft Day, But His NHL Upside Remains Elite
There were many good reasons why James Hagens entered the year as the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2025 NHL draft. The Long Island, N.Y. native dominated at every level leading up to the 2024-25 season, setting multiple records on the international stage before joining Boston College in the NCAA. Hagens became the ninth player to ever finish with over 100 points in a season with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, recording 102 points in just 58 games in the 2023-24 season. His 187 career points rank fifth all-time at the NTDP. Later that year, Hagens beat Nikita Kucherov's points record at the U18 World Championships with 22 points in seven games. With Hagens set to center two of the top players in college hockey just a few months later – Washington Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard and New York Rangers prospect Gabriel Perreault – hype was understandably at an all-time high. While he didn't produce at the rate many anticipated, Hagens still ended the NCAA season with 37 points in 37 games and was also a standout performer at the World Junior Championship, recording five goals and four assists while playing top-line minutes for Team USA, who took home gold. Hagens' struggles at the college level mainly stemmed from the physical disadvantages he had against older and heavier competition around the nation. At 5-foot-11, 176 lbs, it was pretty evident that he had difficulty driving inside and getting to the net compared to his dominant days with the NTDP. This is also reflected in his significant decrease in shooting percentage. Due to his lack of size, generating high-danger chances was much harder and a lot of his shooting opportunities came from the perimeter. James Hagens' Goals and Shooting Percentage Year-Over-Year 2022-23 (NTDP): 43 games played, 26 goals, 27.5 percent 2023-24 (NTDP): 58 games played, 39 goals, 18.5 percent 2024-25 (NCAA): 37 games played, 11 goals, 7.9 percent (Stats courtesy of While that physical aspect of the game has come more easily for a lot of his peers in this class, there's also an element of luck that comes into play. A player of Hagens' caliber doesn't simply drop off so heavily in goals while also producing at a point-per-game pace solely because of a height and weight difference. And it doesn't change the fact that he possesses the tools of a first-overall talent. Skating is the foundation of what makes Hagens such a remarkable offensive player. His agility, acceleration, and ability to dictate the pace of play trickles into every facet of his game. He generates a ton of power with his lower body in his own half of the ice in order to be a transition threat through the neutral zone, and possesses the creativity to put together complex rush patterns that can overwhelm defenders. His crossovers and ability to maximize his weight transfer with each stride is pretty impressive at this point in his development, and will only continue to get better with added strength and pro-level training. Hagens' skating works as a tool to elevate his playmaking as well. He's able to manipulate the ice in a way that demands pressure from opposing players, leaving wide open lanes for teammates to catch passes and have high-danger scoring opportunities. This is a skill he leaned on a ton this season, and it will make him much more dangerous once he builds on his frame. Puck control is also a huge part of Hagens' playmaking game. He uses his stick extremely well in placing pucks in small spaces, and he can consistently beat players one-on-one with a variety of skilled moves. He's great at making defenders make uncomfortable decisions, and has a decent enough shot that can make teams pay if passing lanes are closed off. While the concerns about his size are warranted, Hagens shouldn't have a problem playing center at the NHL level. He's got a good motor and has the hockey sense to know when to apply pressure in the defensive zone without compromising his team's coverage. There's a lot of Jack Hughes in Hagens' game. Aside from the fact that their physical profiles are almost identical, Hughes is one of the best transition players in the NHL, which is exactly where Hagens thrives. If he earns top-six minutes at an early point in his development, similarly to Hughes, there's a strong chance that he could end up being the best offensive producer from this draft class. One less explosive season in a transitional year shouldn't overshadow years of dominance. With time to physically mature, there's every reason to believe that Hagens will become a dominant player at the next level, regardless of where he gets selected. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
William Moore's intellect made him a top 2025 NHL Draft prospect. But he's just getting started
FRISCO, Texas — The first thing everyone talks about when they talk about William Moore is just how intelligent he is. His minor hockey head coach, Chris Stevenson, who coached him from age 7 to 15, and '4-foot-nothing to 6-foot-2,' talks of an 'elite level piano player, an elite level violin player and an elite level hockey player.' He'll tell the story, as others do, of the Little Mozarts International Competition he won by playing Chopin's 'Polonaise in G Minor' and of how he got to play the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City at 10, skipping the famed Brick Tournament to perform. Advertisement He'll also tell the story of the time Moore stopped one of his practices when he was 12 to inform him, 'No, no, that's not usually what you tell us to do.' 'He corrected me, and I was like 'Yeah, you're right, I'm wrong.' And it just shows you how much he paid attention to all of the details,' Stevenson said. His skills coach of the last few years, Josh Wrobel, says he's never worked with someone his age who can flip a switch and go, 'Am I talking to a 30-year-old right now?' He describes him as personable and wise beyond his years, but also able to act his age when he's around his peers. 'With most guys, it's one or the other and you're that robotic guy or you're messing around all the time. He can do both and he does them at appropriate times,' Wrobel said. '(And) he's an undercover nerd. He really is. And I think that translates when we talk about this vague term of hockey IQ. When we do video and the way he processes the game, he really does get it. I've worked with a lot of guys where they say 'yeah, yeah, yeah' and it's like 'no, you're not getting it.' He really does process the game well, and I think being intelligent obviously helps. Really interesting kid.' Mackenzie Braid, his longtime skating coach, usually doesn't take on kids until they're 13-15 because of how technical his work is, and how much time they have to spend, without pucks, standing around and listening. He took Moore on when he was 9 because of how mature he was. 'From Day 1, he was dialed, he was engaged and he was willing to put the time in and the work in. That's just how he was and it has never really strayed from that,' Braid said. 'We've had the ability to work with a lot of high-end kids and the work we do is not the fun stuff and it takes special kids to continue to do it. A lot of times it's their parents on Day 1 and then as they mature they get to make their own choices and it speaks a lot about William that he has stuck it out.' Advertisement Greg Moore, his head coach the last two years at USA Hockey's NTDP, talks about him as an 'impressive kid' who is a 'highly intellectual, inquisitive, hockey junky.' 'He asks a lot of questions,' he said. 'He's a student of the game. And he learns quickly. He's able to apply the things that we give him in his game right away.' Moore's proud to be smart, too. His parents were always 'adamant on maintaining good grades and getting prepped early for school.' 'And it paid off,' he'll tell you. He'll also tell you that he was an honors student all the way through public school and then online school at the program. Though online school is 'a little different,' he also said, 'I'm not going to take anything away from myself.' 'I was always a bright kid growing up and I think music helped with that,' he said. He wants people to know that he's more than just the smart kid, though. He's reluctant to talk about the hearing loss he had as a young child after a serious lymph node infection, too. It's been taken out of proportion, he insists. 'It makes it seem like I was dealing with severe adversity when I don't even remember it and I was like 2 or 3. I was deaf at some point but that got fixed pretty quickly,' he said. These days, he just wants to be known as a hockey player — as a top prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft. NHL Central Scouting has him listed as their 29th-ranked North American skater in the class. This week, he's in Texas with Team USA for U18 Worlds. Through four games into the quarterfinals, he has registered six points (second on the team in scoring so far), 12 shots (fourth on the team) and has played 16:06 per game (third among forwards). He has also scored three goals, including a big one at the front of the net when USA trailed the Swedes 2-0, leading the charge in a come-from-behind win with a two-point, four-shot, plus-2 performance. And the hockey player — a rangy, talented, smart center committed to Boston College — has plenty of potential for more. The second thing people talk about when they talk about Moore is his parents. His mom, Vanusa, and dad, Patrick, bounced from Brazil and New York to Switzerland and then Pittsburgh before landing in Toronto and raising their son there after finding out they were pregnant while Patrick was on a one-year job placement. Advertisement 'They had a pretty wild path,' Moore said. Moore's adviser, Eric Faion, calls Vanusa 'more knowledgeable about hockey than anyone I know.' 'He's just really, really driven and I would honestly credit that to his mom,' Stevenson said. 'His mom expected the best from him and pushed him and got him whatever training he needed and the kid was so smart and determined that he always achieved excellence at anything that he did.' Growing up, Moore said his parents had him try 'every single sport.' He played tennis and lacrosse all the way through, but hockey was his passion. Vanusa did the long drives and early practices because he loved it. In minor hockey, he always played up a year with Stevenson's AAA Mississauga Senators. It didn't click for him until 'pretty late, honestly' that he could get to where he is, though. When he first started with the Senators, Stevenson said Moore was a middle-of-the-pack player on his team. But Stevenson said he was 'probably our best player' by peewee. That's saying something, considering that team also had another player who was playing up a year: Michael Misa. 'They would kind of rotate back and forth between which one was better,' Stevenson said. 'Will in the peewee season was probably the better player. His skill level was through the roof. Hands, edges, he always had it. I kind of just helped him into the learning the game aspect of things but he always had elite level skill. He always had a nose for the net. He was always clutch.' That back and forth between the two continued all the way until their underage season in minor midget, according to Stevenson. That year, both Moore and Misa applied for exceptional status. Misa got it after a record-setting performance at the year-end OHL Cup put him over the edge. When Moore didn't get it, joining the U.S. NTDP presented itself as an option and he returned to minor midget for a second year, joining the Toronto Marlboros before heading off to Plymouth, Mich., with USA Hockey when they were ready to welcome his 2007 age group. Advertisement 'Mike edged me out,' he said, laughing and looking back. 'If I did get it, it never would have opened my eyes to the NTDP but I'm always grateful that I was able to find this route through the U.S. and I've never looked back since.' Last year, in his U17 year at the program, he led the team in goals with 23 in 50 games. This year, he has again been among their leading scorers, playing around a point per game. Wrobel thinks that second year of minor midget was a disservice to him because it didn't challenge him. Playing at the program, on a team that doesn't have its typical top-of-the-draft talent, has been good for him that way, according to Wrobel. 'He never really felt the grind, he never really had to go stand in front of the net and get some dirty goals. And we had this joke last year where he kind of turned into a bit of a skilled grinder where he couldn't just dance through everybody at will like he did for two years of minor midget,' Wrobel said. 'I've been really encouraged with his willingness to go hunt pucks and work in the corner because it's not just a skilled game. Something that I've talked to him about a lot is 'When you do make that jump, what's your B game? When it's not a skilled game, if the game gets dirty and grimy, are you willing to play in that game as well?' And that's where I see a lot of kids that are just strictly skilled shy away. So I've been really encouraged with that willingness to get in the corners and get mucky and hunt pucks, and go to the net front, and go to the dirty areas that a lot of strictly skill guys aren't willing to do. He's at least showing flashes of that and for me it's just the consistency of that.' Greg Moore still thinks William can be more consistent in his compete. But he has made progress, and Moore has used him on the penalty kill this season because of it. Advertisement 'You give him a game plan and he can execute that game plan, he can anticipate what happens next and he has a good stick. So he can cut off passes, he can cut off seams, and he can anticipate what's going to happen next defensively, which is a huge skill of his,' he said. 'Now he just needs to compete harder off of that consistently. He sees the ice really well. He can see things develop a step or two ahead of what a lot of people anticipate defensively. It makes his teammates better. And then he has a nose for the net, he's got scoring touch, he gets to the crease, he can shoot the puck, and he has great instincts on how to score goals in different ways.' William Moore describes his own game as about creativity first. Late last year, when he felt a lot of pucks were slipping off his blade when he turned on his forehand, Wrobel encouraged him to switch from the flatter P88 curve he'd used his entire life to more of a toe curve. That has also made a huge difference in his stick handling and his shot — to the point where he wonders why he used his old blade in the first place. 'I love making plays, I love making my teammates better with my creative playmaking and I believe I have very high IQ and I see the ice very well. But I also have a scoring touch to my game and I love being around the net front,' he said. The third thing everyone talks about when they talk about Moore is just how much development he still has ahead of him. That's true in the gym and in his skating. In the gym, he has worked hard at it in the offseason with his strength and conditioning coaches Andy O'Brien and Jason Martin. At the program, strength and conditioning coach Joe Meloni said he has put on 15-20 pounds in the last two years. But 'he really is like a string bean,' Wrobel said. 'It's something he has worked on a lot. He will definitely grow into his frame,' Meloni said. 'He's strong but he's just long and lanky. But you see it in games when he protects pucks, he has that functional strength on the ice. It's just a matter of adding some body mass off the ice.' Advertisement NHL Central Scouting has him listed at 6-foot-2.25 but also a lean 175 pounds. Stevenson said he has always been that way: tall and lanky. 'But it's coming,' Stevenson said. 'And the crazy thing is that because of how elite his edges were nobody could knock him off the puck. So the more he fills out, that's only going to make him better.' The growth that's still to come in his skating is intertwined with the muscle he's working to add in the gym, too. Braid said a lot of the taller, skinnier kids he works with 'visually aren't the best-looking skaters,' but that Moore has come a long way. Last summer, Braid told him, 'Hey man, all of the work that we've put in to the technique of it is starting to come along.' 'I know it can sometimes be a little bit ugly at times but not everyone's the same kind of skater. His stride isn't maybe his best asset but edge work-wise, he builds a lot of his speed and pull-away speed off of crossovers,' Braid said. 'I don't think he's a bad skater by any means (and) as he physically matures and that muscle fills in, it's just going to kind of continue to build and build. It's a process that's going to be never-ending. I don't think in the long run skating is going to be something that hinders him but he's never going to be the prettiest skater out there.' Moore is happy with the way he has trended in the gym and in his skating, too. 'My issue with skating has always been my mass. My technique, I believe, is in a good spot thanks to (Braid) and it's just developing power,' he said. He's stronger than he looks, too, Greg Moore argues. 'The one underappreciated skill of his is his puck protection and strength on his feet with the puck,' he said. 'He can hold guys off under pressure to extend plays and if you are studying the best NHL players in the world, they can get into contact, protect the puck, separate themselves and make that next play better than anyone and he has that skill.' But most importantly, there's more to come. 'If he can start filling out that frame, I think we have a really dangerous player here,' Wrobel said.
New York Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Meet Jack Murtagh: 2025 NHL Draft prospect, lover of scoring goals, ‘gamer' and ‘freak athlete'
FRISCO, Tex. — The first word Shayne Stockton uses to describe Jack Murtagh is 'gamer.' In his two seasons coaching Murtagh with the Bishop Kearney Selects' U14 and U15 teams, Murtagh was the kid he always knew he could turn to when the team needed something. 'In the biggest moments Jack came up big almost every time, whether we needed a goal or whatever,' Stockton said on a recent phone call. 'Our schedule was absurd and we played the big dogs every night and Jack just brought it. He had some big, big time goals for us.' Advertisement He was also the kid who kept the room light, and made sure everyone was having fun. But it's the gamer in him that Stockton will always come back to when people call to ask about Murtagh. He's not alone, either. Two years after leaving Bishop Kearney, Greg Moore, Murtagh's head coach at USA Hockey's NTDP, talks about him in the same way. Off the ice, he's a fun-loving guy who Moore said 'has been really awesome getting to know (and) the team really gravitates around his personality.' But on it, he's still that gamer and still scoring big goals for a team that needs it. That team is the 2007 age group at the program, a talked-about-amongst-scouts down year for USA Hockey that doesn't have the typical top-of-the-draft talent that James Hagens represented for its 2006s, and Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault represented for its 2005s, and Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier represented for its 2004s, and on and on. In the absence of that, Murtagh has become one of their top players. Earlier this year, when they needed a big goal against the Swedes in the opening game of the fall Five Nations tournament, he scored two in a 3-2 win, including the overtime winner. At the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, he scored two of USA's three goals across the two games there as well, and was the only player in the event who scored twice for either team. When NHL Central Scouting released its final ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft class in early April, he ranked 30th among North American skaters. Entering U18 worlds in Texas, he'd registered 20 goals and 46 points in 47 games. His seven power-play goals and 138 shots on goal both led the team as well, despite missing 10 of their games due to an early-season injury. Advertisement After picking up an assist on the empty-netter in USA's tournament-opening 4-2 win over Czechia, he scored the first goal of the game against Switzerland on Thursday just 1:13 in, set up the 3-0 goal with a drive of speed into the offensive zone, and then hit linemate Cole McKinney backdoor for a third point of the game and fourth point through two games. 'Jack is a pure goal scorer with a love and passion for scoring goals. It has been interesting as of late to watch Ovechkin do his thing and become the all-time leading goal scorer. And I'm not trying to connect dots and project that he's going to be an Alexander Ovechkin but just in terms of the psychology of the passion of scoring goals, he has that in his nature,' Moore said. THE SHOT 📸 >> the shot 🏒#USHL #FallClassic #Hockey #USAHockey #USNTDP — FloHockey (@FloHockey) September 22, 2024 Murtagh said that love for scoring goals started as far back as he can remember in games of basement knee hockey with his brother Michael, who plays at UConn and is three years older than him. 'I love to celebrate. I love to score,' he said with a smile. 'I think it's just the excitement. It's a good urge to have and I just love doing it.' According to Moore and NTDP strength and conditioning coach Joe Meloni, he's got the natural ability and athletic gifts to be a college goal scorer (he's committed to Boston University for next season) and then a scoring winger in the NHL, too. NHL Central Scouting have his official listing at 6-foot-0.75 and 200 pounds and Meloni describes him as 'a big boy' and 'just a freak athlete' who is one of their team leaders in all of their testing metrics in the gym, GVN, at the program. 'He's one of those kids that was just born that way,' Meloni said. 'He's really solid. He has a lot of natural talent with his physical capabilities. He's fast and he's powerful.' Advertisement Murtagh said he has enjoyed the gym since he really started getting into it back in his Bishop Kearney days. 'We're in the gym every day with the NTDP and you've got to enjoy it to love,' Murtagh said. 'And I'm the kind of kid that just wants to work harder and get 1 percent better every single day.' On the ice, though Meloni said there are times when they think he can be more resilient through contact and really impose his physical will more, Moore said his strength 'allows him to win 50/50 puck battles, outmuscle guys, (have a) quick explosive couple strides to win pucks or get to the touch first, (and) allows him in open ice to separate himself from defenders and take advantage of ice in front of him.' It also gives that shot of his more pop than his peers. 'He has a powerful shot. He can really sling it. That's legs, that's core, that's upper body. He puts his entire body into his shot,' Moore said. 'He's a powerful skater. He can separate himself in wide ice, he can get to the net. There's a lot there.' He's more than just his strength, skating and shot, too, according to Moore. 'I think he thinks off of the puck really well offensively,' Moore said. 'He can play give-and-go hockey, which I don't think a lot of people recognize in his game. It's subtle but it's there and it's a really important piece to project as a strong NHL prospect.' There's still room for growth in his game as well, and Murtagh is excited to get to work on it with his skills coach Peter MacArthur (who's also the head coach of the ECHL's Adirondack Thunder) in their offseason skates in Glens Falls, N.Y. 'Much like all of these guys at this age, it's consistency and details and habits and the defensive side of the puck,' Moore said of his areas of focus. 'When he's on and he's choosing to do those things, he's a really impactful player for us, but like a lot of kids this age, it's finding the consistency in all of those team habits.' Advertisement Both Moore and Meloni point out that despite his physical maturity, he's also one of the younger players in the draft, with an Aug. 22, 2007, birthday that was just three weeks shy of being eligible for the 2026 draft. Given his age and the lost time at the start of his draft year, Murtagh is proud of his season and happy with the way his game is trending. 'I think I've had a pretty solid year and I still have a lot more to give at this tournament and prove,' he said. 'I'm a north-south winger who likes to shoot the puck and create offence and have a workhorse mentality.' Stockton expects him to continue to prove it up levels, too. 'He can switch the game at any point in time with his ability, his strong skating, his really good shot, or his breakaway speed,' Stockton said. 'It's not a shock to see his success at the NTDP and there's more success to come.' Photos: Rena Laverty / USA Hockey's NTDP
