One of the big themes in this blog so far has been the idea of the hockey world increasingly incorporating data and more advanced statistics into the sport. It has already been thought to increase consumer participation, which is one of the goals of the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Final series recently came to a close, and there were a few key instances in which we saw data analytics being put on display throughout. Perhaps the most groundbreaking, game five was played in Denver’s Ball Arena, with the Lightning coming away with a crucial win to keep their season alive. What was truly significant about this game from a data standpoint, however, occurred in Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena on Friday night. The Lightning used puck and player tracking technology to host a watch party in their own arena, attracting thousands of fans. If it is continued to be used, consumer engagement in the sport will definitely skyrocket.
Data regarding the positions of the players and ball on the field is not something the hockey world had offered prior to this point. Sports such as football, golf, and baseball were more of the pioneers of this movement. However, it was inspiring to see the advances made on the ice, as demonstrated by the video above.
Another relatively new piece of data analytics that was introduced in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the idea of shot and save analytics. In hockey, many are taught that shooting low blocker has the highest scoring percentage chance, as well as five-hole. Often, there would be data visualizations accompanying these claims, with the different targets in a net being labeled with a percent, which indicated the number of goals scored there. However, these were simplistic and did not have much context for the goal scored. For example, many of the five-hole goals are on rebounds or in-tight to the net, shots from a medium range might be best suited for the low blocker corner, while longer shots may go top-shelf. Or, these metrics might change based on the situation in the game. With new advances in data analytics and technology, the 2021 playoffs unveiled a product of the NHL’s partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS): advanced shot/save data. According to Joe Lemire, “The shooting metrics will include data on high shot-to-goal conversion rates from different spots on the ice and show how they change during power play situations. The save analytics will also pare down raw data into granular scenarios, such as shot location and type of save (stick, glove, pads, etc.).”
As mentioned in my first post, hockey is trending down a path that is becoming more and more data-driven, which is awesome to see. Given that it’s been behind for much of recent history, the steps the sport has been making are colossal. Hopefully, puck and player tracking become increasingly used next season.
https://sporttechie.com/nhl-aws-to-debut-shot-and-save-analytics-for-stanley-cup-playoffs
