Some coaches and organizations have embraced advanced statistics in the NHL. Others are more reluctant or simply are still learning what advanced statistics have to offer. Buffalo Sabres head coach Ted Nolan falls into the latter category, as seen in some comments he made to the Buffalo News.
“You can never overestimate the human aspect of the game. The information I use is with my eyes and my soul and my heart. If I see someone who is competing and I know he’s competing, that’s good enough for me. I don’t need a machine telling me how hard he worked. … My No. 1 analytic is you score one more goal than the opposition, you win.”
Nolan’s comments won’t go over well with fans who are trying to integrate advanced statistics into the daily life of the NHL. Still, his original point may be somewhat valid. There is some truth to the fact that advanced stats don’t capture grit/gumption/whatever buzzword you want to use, but those are usually opinions and the advanced stat movement believes in hard numbers and not subjective assessment. A player may be “working hard” out on the ice, but eventually the stats will fall in line and show where the problem lies and why a different option may be a better bet over a guy who works hard.
He’s right – it only matters if you win – but it’s pretty foolish to see yet another important figure in hockey turn his back from the stats which mostly explain why your team just won.
