The PTSE Role Of Analytics Panel 2013- As Told By Twitter

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>"<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Wild&src=hash">#Wild</a> general manager Chuck Fletcher is a believer in advanced statistics." <a href="http://t.co/UOrAgJEfVr">http://t.co/UOrAgJEfVr</a></p>— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ngreenberg/statuses/399997298161516546">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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As I mentioned earlier, some of the panel choices were pretty controversial. Check out the line-up and some reactions:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The analytics panel here at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrimeTimeSE">@PrimeTimeSE</a> is Kevin Abrams, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Pat Morris, Dave Nonis and Alex Rucker. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ptse2013&src=hash">#ptse2013</a></p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/399998788678746112">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Why in the world do you have a stats panel that includes guys who have zero knowledge or interest?</p>— mc79hockey (@mc79hockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/mc79hockey/statuses/399999750574841856">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The fall-out to whatever Dave Nonis says in the next 15 minutes is going to be hilarious, no matter what he says.</p>— Cam Charron (@camcharron) <a href="https://twitter.com/camcharron/statuses/399999813611032576">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Gord Miller of TSN, who was already coming under fire during the day for some Tweets regarding his views on stats, began the conference with this:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>"If you we're standing w/ one foot in a bucket of boiling water, one in bucket of freezing water, a statistician</p>— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/jtbourne/statuses/399999147753091074">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>would tell you on average, you're comfortable." -Gord Miller's lead-in to stats panel</p>— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/jtbourne/statuses/399999156875694080">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Here's one of Miller's Tweets from earlier in the day along with some good responses:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/GMillerTSN">@GMillerTSN</a>, Hockey analytics are already being used on broadcasts every time we talk about shot attempts. Sincerely, The TSN broadcast</p>— Daniel Wagner (@ADanielWagner) <a href="https://twitter.com/ADanielWagner/statuses/400008387796418560">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The last time I took math was in Grade 11 and I got 57%. If I can get a new stat, so can you.</p>— Steve Dangle Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Steve_Dangle/statuses/400006890853113856">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>If NHL fans can keep up with the 70-80 rules changes that happen each season, I'm sure they can grasp a new statistical category.</p>— Steve Dangle Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Steve_Dangle/statuses/400004184319066112">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NHLJets&src=hash">#NHLJets</a> GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says advanced stats are "polarizing" in hockey. He is for them. "We are very interested in it."</p>— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) <a href="https://twitter.com/reporterchris/statuses/400000883456356352">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Cheveldayoff is playing coy when asked what stats he likes to rely on. These folks often don't like talking in specifics.</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/400001407610523649">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I love how more and more NHL teams are paying attention to analytics and how you still get fans disputing their relevance.</p>— Rick (@Rick_City) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rick_City/statuses/400002242788724736">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Player agent, Pat Morris, had some interesting things to say:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Agent Pat Morris says "today now we're into Corsi, we're into Fenwick, we're into quality of competition."</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/400001988794265602">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Morris is talking about zone starts affecting offensive production of players like Phaneuf.</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/400002144574922753">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Weirdly, Ondrej Pavalec's agent, Allan Walsh, came out in support of stats via his Twitter feed, much to the surprise of many commentators:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Always amazes me how dismissive and arrogant the anti-analytics crowd can get. "It is the way it is because its always been like that."</p>— Allan Walsh (@walsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/walsha/statuses/400001085584449536">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I have no doubt while advanced analytics in hockey still a developing and evolving science, prominence is on the rise w/ many organizations.</p>— Allan Walsh (@walsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/walsha/statuses/400001711387213824">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Pretty big of Walsh to acknowledge value in quantifying performances with Pavelec as a client.</p>— Ricardo Yantologist (@ryantologist) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryantologist/statuses/400001679313358848">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Then, Leafs GM, Dave Nonis, predictably, stole the show:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Dave Nonis: "Last six, seven years, we've had significant dollar amount, budget, for analytics, but we didn't use it."</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/400003029141037056">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Dave Nonis on these new stats the fans/media keep bringing up: "As of right now, very few of them are worth anything to us."</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/400008711424729088">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle">@mirtle</a> That might be the dumbest thing Nonis has ever said in public. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23highbar&src=hash">#highbar</a></p>— 67Sound (@67sound) <a href="https://twitter.com/67sound/statuses/400010618507653120">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Dave Nonis believes 1) Character and 2) mental toughness are most important in assessing a player.</p>— PrimeTime Sports&Ent (@PrimeTimeSE) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrimeTimeSE/statuses/400009978989510656">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>3) Bravery 4) heart also mentioned by Pat Morris.</p>— PrimeTime Sports&Ent (@PrimeTimeSE) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrimeTimeSE/statuses/400010310406643713">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Just a reminder that the Leafs’ two best players were both slagged as bad character guys by their former teams.</p>— 67Sound (@67sound) <a href="https://twitter.com/67sound/statuses/400013356528320512">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Is there a disastrous signing in the Burke/Nonis era that wasn’t initially hailed as a "character" guy? Komi, Armstrong, Liles…</p>— 67Sound (@67sound) <a href="https://twitter.com/67sound/statuses/400011499043053569">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>"right now" RT <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCustance">@CraigCustance</a>: Nonis: "Right now our Corsi stat sucks but we're winning hockey games."</p>— Travis Hughes (@TravisSBN) <a href="https://twitter.com/TravisSBN/statuses/400012180839739392">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle">@mirtle</a> Seriously just cut in to say "YEAH BUT YOUR GOALTENDING WAS FUCKING ATROCIOUS!"</p>— SkinnyPPPilgrim (@SkinnyPPPhish) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkinnyPPPhish/statuses/400013839996956672">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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A very good point from the panel moderator:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Moderator Dana Sinclair says in her experience many sports teams aren't using analytics enough. Choose players for leadership or bloodlines.</p>— James Mirtle (@mirtle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/statuses/399999750608809985">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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In terms of reactions to the panel on Twitter, there was some good stuff about the "Watching the games vs Looking at stats" debate, including a valuable input from TSN's Scott Culen:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Always love this analytics v. watch games strawman. I watch unhealthy amount of NHL. No fathomable way I can see it all. No one does.</p>— Travis Yost (@TravisHeHateMe) <a href="https://twitter.com/TravisHeHateMe/statuses/400008553144287232">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Is anyone disagreeing w/the quote from Nonis in LRT? Didn't know he was able to watch every single player take every single shift, though.</p>— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimFilipovic/statuses/400004287301836800">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>

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