For decades, the story of a hockey game was told through a few simple numbers: goals, assists, and saves. A player's value was often judged by their plus-minus rating. This was the “eye test” era, where gut feelings and basic stats ruled. But what if there was more to the story? What if we could see the game in a way that revealed hidden patterns and deeper truths about performance?

That's the promise of hockey analytics. It's a shift from simply counting goals to understanding what leads to goals. Instead of relying only on what we see, teams now use data to uncover subtle advantages. This movement didn't start in the front offices of NHL teams. It began with passionate fans and bloggers who loved the game and had a knack for numbers. They started tracking new kinds of data and asked new questions, slowly changing how everyone, from coaches to GMs, thinks about hockey.

One of the first big ideas in hockey analytics was to look beyond the rare event of a goal. In a typical game, only a handful of shots go in. Relying on such a small sample size can be misleading. A team might get lucky on a few long shots and win a game they were otherwise dominated in. Analytics offers a more stable way to measure performance by looking at something that happens much more often: shot attempts.

The logic behind Corsi is simple: you can't score if you don't shoot the puck. Teams that generate more shot attempts than they allow are controlling the play. They spend more time in the offensive zone, putting pressure on their opponent. Over the course of a long season, teams that consistently have a good Corsi rating tend to win more games.

Think of it as measuring territorial dominance. While not every shot attempt is a great scoring chance, the total volume of attempts gives a strong indication of which team is driving the action.

Knowing how many shots a team takes is useful, but knowing where they take them from is even better. A slap shot from the blue line has a much lower chance of going in than a wrist shot from right in front of the net. This is where shot coordinate data becomes crucial.

By tracking the x and y coordinates of every shot attempt on the ice, analysts can create heat maps. These visuals show the areas where a team or player generates most of their offense. Are they getting to the high-danger areas in the “slot,” or are they stuck taking low-percentage shots from the perimeter?

This level of detail is a game-changer for coaches and players. A coach can see if their team's strategy is successfully creating chances in the slot or if they're being forced to the outside. For player development, a skills coach can work with a player to find ways to move into more dangerous scoring positions before shooting. It's not just about shooting more; it's about shooting smarter.

Now that you're familiar with some of the core ideas behind hockey analytics, let's test your knowledge.

Hockey analytics has revolutionized the way we understand the sport, offering deep insights that go far beyond the box score. By focusing on metrics like shot attempts and location, teams can build smarter strategies and develop more effective players.