Nhl player tracking

Analytics in hockey, something as simple as tracking how many shots a player had per game has developed over the years into much more. With names like Corsi and Fenwick being used to define equations of numbers gained from in game data, it might seem like in some ways the collection of stats and numbers maybe overwhelming. Even suggesting that many of what is being tracked and recorded states only the obvious, and perhaps isn't nearly as useful as the time put into it makes it appear to be. A new look into the hot debate of "is there a place for extended analytics in hockey" is now on the horizon. This past weekend the NHL held its 60th All-Star game of the leagues history, after missing the past two years due to the 2012-13 lockout and the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, with its return came a change soon to come and a preview of the way we view the game. Player Tracking may have already been in the NBA for some years now but look for it to soon be put to use in the NHL. During the 2015 NHL All-Star game viewers took an inside look at how this type of analytical data will open new doors in the game. By tracking the puck with a special microchip implanted inside and players by slipping a relaying device inside the player’s jerseys sports casters and coaches alike now have exact numbers on player and puck speed, space and depth. Tracking things like puck trajectory speed and possession times, where players are on the ice, how fast they are moving, how far they are from another player or where they are (or should be but aren’t) in terms of playing a certain system put forth by the coach. Even as the new look into NHL player tracking has people buzzing it will be a little while before we see it put to use on a regular basis. The problem with this type of system and applying it to the sport of hockey it that it’s such a fast, gritty, and at time very unpredictable like a puck bounce in a random direction flying out of play or even a player losing an edge on a skate blade. This all being taken into consideration makes it very fair to say no one knows exactly how it’s going to be best used and how to not "over use" it. Also fair to say is that without a doubt you can expect to see the sport in a whole new light very soon, most likely to be a coaching tool first but the fans will get the most out of this situation for sure once its implemented into regular use throughout broadcasting networks as they now will see the game in much more detail and depth.