In hockey, we’ve become an increasingly data-driven sport: SOG, Corsi, Fenwick, GAR, WAR, you name it. We’re very good at logging what happened, and even predicting what’s likely to happen next. What we’re catching up on is exploring the why: what a player or a system actually did, play by play, that then appears in Excel spreadsheets.

I aim to go underneath the numbers the sport already trusts, and dissect the individual plays that reliably lead to success: zone entries, retrievals, pinches, breakouts, or the mechanics of a rush—observable, coachable, playable. My Original Research evaluates NHL-level plays that move the needle, while some Big Hockey Ideas add descriptive context.

Join me! I don’t have all the answers (yet), but a puck bag full of questions. If you have one too, don’t be afraid to dump it here (that play always works).

See you at the rink!