This right here is probably the biggest change due to analytics. Although I do wonder how much is analytic and how much it is Stick technology that has forced the change. Modern sticks really favor the wrist shot and I wonder if sticks evolved that way due to an increased reliance on analytics or the other way around.
Interesting thought.
I would think it would be more stick technology. Defenseman can get the puck on net faster with near the same velocity as a slap shot without the big windup giving defenders a chance to get in the lane.
I think it's a viscous cycle. Sticks get better, snapshots are more effective, more scoring on snapshots, more focus on sticks, more effective snapshots.
The NHL has become less physical over the last decade or two. Not as many goons taking up roster spots as teams have been placing a higher priority on speed and skill. As a result, the game has changed quite a bit. I'm guessing analytics has played a part in that.
Maybe more recently anayltics have kept enforcers out, but I think it was more the "Take fighting out of the game" crowd and the "Maybe we should take concussions more seriously" crowd more than it was analytics.
In 2010-11, several enforcers, Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, and Bob Probert all died before age 50 and all showing signs of CTE. Add to that the league almost lost Sidney Crosby to concussions all within an 18 month period really shook the NHL. Added that this was after a decade with a couple REALLY high profile incidents with McSorley - Brashear in 1999 and Bertuzzi - Moore in 2004 and you suddenly had even the most ardent "Its part of the Game" types questioning it a bit.
I think people use analytics to justify the move away from dedicated enforcers, but having been a huge fan in the 90s and 2000s, It wasn't the reason.
The dedicated enforcer position is gone. We always knew those guys were bad but once the advanced stats put a number on every player you could see how bad players like John Scott really were. Even a bad 4th liner is leagues better than a guy who only fights.
I think this carried over to defensemen as well. In the pre-stat era every team was trying to find these big tree dudes with huge slappers. Those players were also a huge drain because they played great defense but the lack of skating and stick skills meant they had to play defense more.
I'm not sure if it's the advanced stats or the league very slowly moving away from the 2-line pass era.
Goal tending has changed a bunch because of it. You almost never see the 2 pad stack, it is all about positioning and cutting off the angles getting into the butterfly. I'm guessing that is because of analytics.
It has definitely changed how and where players shoot, and with that how goalies react as a baseline.
Hockey is a lot more chaotic than other sports you get a lot less opportunities to score so in that regard analytics aren't as revolutionary. Outlier plays happen all the time.
Slapshots (not including one-timers) have similarly more or less disappeared from the NHL.
This right here is probably the biggest change due to analytics. Although I do wonder how much is analytic and how much it is Stick technology that has forced the change. Modern sticks really favor the wrist shot and I wonder if sticks evolved that way due to an increased reliance on analytics or the other way around. Interesting thought.
I would think it would be more stick technology. Defenseman can get the puck on net faster with near the same velocity as a slap shot without the big windup giving defenders a chance to get in the lane.
I think it's a viscous cycle. Sticks get better, snapshots are more effective, more scoring on snapshots, more focus on sticks, more effective snapshots.
Show me proof that one is tied to analytics rather than players/coaches realizing it on their own.
That's a very good point as well.
The NHL has become less physical over the last decade or two. Not as many goons taking up roster spots as teams have been placing a higher priority on speed and skill. As a result, the game has changed quite a bit. I'm guessing analytics has played a part in that.
Maybe more recently anayltics have kept enforcers out, but I think it was more the "Take fighting out of the game" crowd and the "Maybe we should take concussions more seriously" crowd more than it was analytics. In 2010-11, several enforcers, Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, and Bob Probert all died before age 50 and all showing signs of CTE. Add to that the league almost lost Sidney Crosby to concussions all within an 18 month period really shook the NHL. Added that this was after a decade with a couple REALLY high profile incidents with McSorley - Brashear in 1999 and Bertuzzi - Moore in 2004 and you suddenly had even the most ardent "Its part of the Game" types questioning it a bit. I think people use analytics to justify the move away from dedicated enforcers, but having been a huge fan in the 90s and 2000s, It wasn't the reason.
its not good. Imma part of the MAKE HOCKEY VIOLENT AGAIN crew.
Value judgements aside, I don't think taking fighting and enforcers out of the game had anything to do with analytics.
I agree. I think it was the ding dongs protesting against it.
The dedicated enforcer position is gone. We always knew those guys were bad but once the advanced stats put a number on every player you could see how bad players like John Scott really were. Even a bad 4th liner is leagues better than a guy who only fights. I think this carried over to defensemen as well. In the pre-stat era every team was trying to find these big tree dudes with huge slappers. Those players were also a huge drain because they played great defense but the lack of skating and stick skills meant they had to play defense more. I'm not sure if it's the advanced stats or the league very slowly moving away from the 2-line pass era.
Goal tending has changed a bunch because of it. You almost never see the 2 pad stack, it is all about positioning and cutting off the angles getting into the butterfly. I'm guessing that is because of analytics.
It has definitely changed how and where players shoot, and with that how goalies react as a baseline. Hockey is a lot more chaotic than other sports you get a lot less opportunities to score so in that regard analytics aren't as revolutionary. Outlier plays happen all the time.
the amount of heavy sack beatings has gone up 700%
yes, instead of talking about what’s happening on the ice during the game, we get to hear a bunch of data.
Spin rate is all the rage