Analytics and advanced stats marking future of the NHL

This long weekend marks the beginning of free agency in the National Hockey League.

Teams will be looking for ways to get the upper hand on their journey to win the Stanley Cup, with general managers and their front offices turning to analytic experts.

“I think a lot of organizations are starting to integrate analytics and math a bit more into their decision making,” hockey reporter Kent Wilson explained. “I can tell you that for certain, because a lot of the writers and my contemporaries over the years have disappeared from writing about hockey and have been hired by a lot of NHL teams.”

For those new to the world of hockey analytics, there are a few terms you need to know.

Corsi and Fenwick are fancy names for all shot attempts at the net, for and against, for every team,” Wilson stated. “That’s a proxy for possession and that’s usually for even strength, so having the puck, shooting it at the opponent’s net or the opponent having the puck and shooting it at your net. That’s very basic. That’s measuring volume of shots.

“Those are the two things that people are looking at in-depth.”

FULL INTERVIEW: 660’s Sandra Prusina talks to hockey writer, Kent Wilson:

As a result, we’re seeing the landscape changing in the world of hockey and the game is evolving because of these advanced statistics.

“Integrating analytics and math and evidence-based decision making is the future, not only in the NHL, but all sports,” Wilson said.

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