4 ms·

Hockey has proven somewhat stubborn. Coaches will pull the goalie earlier now, and there is more of an emphasis on skilled players rather than nasty players, bu

Hockey has proven somewhat stubborn. Coaches will pull the goalie earlier now, and there is more of an emphasis on skilled players rather than nasty players, but I'm not convinced the latter wouldn't have happened in the absence of analytics. There was a wave of excitement when Kyle Dubas and a few other young GMs started hyping up analytics and new stats like expected goals and possession metrics and stuff, but as far as I can tell, it hasn't had a huge impact on the game.

jrumbut 5y ago
I think hockey fans should count their blessings! As a lifelong baseball fan and someone who works with data for a living the analytics revolution is killing the sport. People discovered that sacrifice bunts weren't worthwhile, but they were really fun to watch in a way that walks and strikeouts aren't. There wasn't enough respect for baseball as a cultural game. I'm surprised that the league hasn't pushed harder for optimizing fan enjoyment in the same way that they optimized for winning. I know less about basketball but I hear the same thing there, that 3 point shots have replaced a lot of interesting dynamics at mid range. Interestingly, in football the analytics playstyle is more dynamic and exciting. A lot riskier and more explosive offensive plays compared to the traditional style. I wonder whether the league guided that (in terms of what data was made available, or by learning from the mistakes of baseball) or if they just got lucky.
- eggsmediumrare 5y ago
  I find high skill hockey more entertaining than bruiser hockey, so I'm happy for now! Hockey has had terrible eras in the past, like the advent of the neutral zone trap. There was an infamous game in which a defenseman just held on to the puck and skated around his own end for minutes at a time rather than try to get through the trap.

4 ms·

Hockey has proven somewhat stubborn. Coaches will pull the goalie earlier now, and there is more of an emphasis on skilled players rather than nasty players, bu

by eggsmediumrare 5y ago

jrumbut 5y ago
I think hockey fans should count their blessings! As a lifelong baseball fan and someone who works with data for a living the analytics revolution is killing the sport. People discovered that sacrifice bunts weren't worthwhile, but they were really fun to watch in a way that walks and strikeouts aren't. There wasn't enough respect for baseball as a cultural game. I'm surprised that the league hasn't pushed harder for optimizing fan enjoyment in the same way that they optimized for winning. I know less about basketball but I hear the same thing there, that 3 point shots have replaced a lot of interesting dynamics at mid range. Interestingly, in football the analytics playstyle is more dynamic and exciting. A lot riskier and more explosive offensive plays compared to the traditional style. I wonder whether the league guided that (in terms of what data was made available, or by learning from the mistakes of baseball) or if they just got lucky.
- eggsmediumrare 5y ago
  I find high skill hockey more entertaining than bruiser hockey, so I'm happy for now! Hockey has had terrible eras in the past, like the advent of the neutral zone trap. There was an infamous game in which a defenseman just held on to the puck and skated around his own end for minutes at a time rather than try to get through the trap.