Excited or Not-Excited: 2019-2020 Player & Puck Tracking

[Pengwin7]

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/2...ng-next-season
Put me in the super-duper-very-extra-excited camp.


^Peng is more excited than these guys.

[lucafen4]

I'm excited too. Be interesting in a couple years to see what data sets are created and if it creates any new fantasy hockey categories.

I'm also curious to see how long it takes before the on-ice data is brought up in an arbitration hearing to show something like average effort on ice vs. max effort & have that compared to average team effort. They'll be able to track players speeds, accelerations etc. - all that will turn into stats that will be used - at first to try to lower arbitration awards, and then the players will then use it as well. I suspect this will be GM tool first.

[Pengwin7]

I remember reading that Gretzky, as a kid, used to follow players on the ice and track the areas where they went on a paper map of a rink.
(or did some other player map Gretzky... I can't remember)
That this was how he learned that the middle areas of the ice were the most critical to stay part of.

I can't wait to see player maps that track where on the ice a player was for a whole shift and how many linear feet (or meters) they covered.
I always enjoy when they have the tracking line in football with some crazy punt or interception return.

[metaldude26]

I think there's gonna be a whole bunch of useless but possibly entertaining information that is going to be easily digestible that broadcasts will push forward.

I'm interested in the stuff people come up with beyond that.

[als_revenge]

I'm especially interested in seeing how this new data can be used to show how really good players aren't actually that good (or vice versa).

[Axeman33]

Shirt tucker!

[gooding74]

I think there will be a lot of information that the average fan won't care about, but there will also be the opportunity to learn a lot more that we didn't know before. I'd expect it to change more old traditional hockey ideas, similar to how analytics has changed how NHL teams now build their rosters.

[chuckcouples]

Considering that the data is coming from SAP (I think), my expectations are very tempered. They can't even get the data on the NHL.com website to work all of the time.

In theory, this idea sounds spectacular but I am questioning their ability to deliver on it.

[hockeyrobot]

I cant wait for this. SOunds like the majority of teams have poured major funds into this department in recent years so I am glad the NHL is finally getting on board.

[PrairieDog]

I'll have to see it in action. If there's any interference with my in-game enjoyment it'll likely piss me off.

I'm old enough to remember the glowing puck, so I'm justifiably suspicious of any gadgetry added to the biscuit.

[ericdaoust]

I'll have to see it in action. If there's any interference with my in-game enjoyment it'll likely piss me off.

I'm old enough to remember the glowing puck, so I'm justifiably suspicious of any gadgetry added to the biscuit.

They've been adding gadgetry over the years and you're still here. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[tweetdrivr]

Just like the glow puck I hated the puck trace in the all star game. It’s totally annoying. It’s not hard to follow the puck. I wish they would quit with this crap.

[metaldude26]

Considering that the data is coming from SAP (I think), my expectations are very tempered. They can't even get the data on the NHL.com website to work all of the time.

In theory, this idea sounds spectacular but I am questioning their ability to deliver on it.

Classic NHL sticking way too long with a partner doing a second-rate job. This also hinders my excitement.

[hawkdog]

quit messing with the game, another reason to stop watching NHL

[2014olympicgold]

It takes 1 coach/management team to use this correctly in a game to make it amazing.

Real time tracking of players is good for stats minds and gamblers (think like, oh man Marner is really controlling the puck tonight. Look how far he's skated with the puck on his stick in the first. I'm going to place a bet that he'll score a goal tonight now), it's the stupid stuff on during live TV like the players names. Throw that up in a controlled manor for like the PP units.

I did like seeing the distance between all the players though. That was cool. The NFL does stuff like this, it's just the execution that the NHL needs to refine. NFL uses it a little during the live play, but the replays are full of it. I love the "percentage of difficulty" stat on catches they do.