As hockey analytics become more mainstream, analysts are now going to have even more numbers to play around with. The NHL has announced that they will use puck and player tracking techniques during the World Cup of Hockey which will measure a variety of previously unmeasured statistics.
Puck/Skating speed, puck trajectory, distance travelled, player spacing, time on ice etc. will all be tracked and available live.
— Faizal Khamisa (@FaizalKhamisa) August 17, 2016
The NHL toyed with this info in the past at the most recent All-Star Game and fans are dying to get their hands on it. Finding out some of this info could revolutionize the game and make the hockey even more interesting from an analytical perspective.
In addition to that news, they also announced that they will be displaying animated ads on the boards that will only be shown during breaks in the action. These boards may also display team logos or other graphics when a team scores.
Unfortunately, not all of the news will please hockey fans. Each jersey will have a patch from SAP on it which is one of the event’s main sponsors. Hockey fans are vehemently against sponsors on jerseys, but this looks to be the first step.
Here is a look at the shoulder patch:
Here's a pic of the SAP logo on the WCH jerseys. It's the only logo on them. Adidas stripes are on side. That's it. pic.twitter.com/VhH20sC3pV
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) August 17, 2016
Ads were inevitable, so maybe this isn’t too bad. It beats a giant logo across the chest.
As the World Cup of Hockey approaches, the league begins to ramp up their coverage and thus promotion of the NHL-centric tournament. While the tournament begins soon on ESPN, it hasn’t reached a critical mass yet. Will this be the type of success the NHL is looking for?
