New Jersey Devils Analytics Department Sports Practice Compliance – Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils organization has been open and honest about their reliance on hockey analytics to make decisions. Now, other NHL teams are following suit and strengthening data and analytics departments. The hockey world saw the death of a beloved site, CapFriendly, when the Washington Capitals purchased the public site for private use. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan explained that the purchase “will significantly improve and consolidate the various branches of our hockey department, allowing us to strengthen our management, scouting, analysis and player development, in addition to increasing our salary cap and contract requests” (from 'CapFriendly closes official website for public use after being purchased by the Washington Capitals,' RMNB, 7/10/24).

Data and statistics are becoming a prominent piece of the game due to the advanced technology provided by teams. Teams have the ability to know everything about a player without watching a single second of play. However, there is controversy about relying too much on subtle analysis because people also believe in the 'eye test.' Instead of relying on computers and numbers to see if a player is playing well, people want to just watch them and see their impact the old fashioned way. Most teams use both methods to evaluate players in their squad and generally determine if a player will fit into their team.

Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are ahead of the NHL in the use of sports statistics. Each league uses its own systems. MLB uses Statcast, which allows viewers to see another point of view that highlights a player's accuracy, distance traveled, speed, and more. The NFL uses Catapult, which players wear during the game and speed, physical activity, and more are tracked. Finally, the NBA uses SportVU, a system that uses a tracking camera system to gather advanced statistics for each player. The NHL recently launched NHL EDGE for the 2023-24 season which tracks players during a game. Sports Analytics is changing the way the game is played and the way teams select their players. The Devils are the top scorers in the NHL.

The Devil's Statistics Driven by Details

At the head of the Devils hockey analytics department is senior vice president Tyler Dellow. New Jersey hired him in 2019 after working for the Edmonton Oilers for two years. In an interview with Shayna Goldman of Athletiche says, “HBSE is an organization that strongly believes in analytics and using data to drive better decisions and I think that's seen historically especially on the Sixers side, with what they've done in terms of trying to build a data-driven operation” (from 'Evaluating the Devils' analytics team, how they understand data and their relationship with the front office,' I Athletic, 3/30/22). Every year since 2019, the Devils have added roles to their hockey analytics department. They now have nine people in roles such as data scientists, software engineers, data engineers, player development analysts, and hockey analysts.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald talked about the work done by the analytics department and how all of their work is put in front of him at every draft event. Now, most of the 32 general managers have all the data at their fingertips. The Capitals have been significantly behind in analytics, and with the acquisition of CapFriendly, they have greatly strengthened their data set.

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Devils hire people to work in all parts of the organization. The Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL and the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) participate in the data collection that the Devils use to improve their team and the draft process.

Trust in NHL Analytics

Now, all 32 NHL teams have at least two members assigned to hockey analysis. However, there are still doubts about whether the team should rely too much on it. The amount of data that comes out of a single NHL hockey game is more than anyone can understand with a simple eye test. Furthermore, hockey has proven time and time again that the simpler the game the better. Determining which player has a burst of quick speed and a hard shot doesn't mean they will be the right piece for the team. In fact, the people who interpret the data collected are more important than the actual data being collected. However, teams rely on the data placed in front of them.

The purchase of CapFriendly by an NHL team is a perfect example of a team valuing and using the data it collects. In addition, some sites have been purchased over the years by other groups. The Vegas Golden Knights bought General Fanager, the Toronto Maple Leafs bought Extra Skater, the Minnesota Wild bought War on Ice, and the Calgary Flames bought HOCKEY ANALYSIS.

The Devils and the rest of the NHL are always trying to improve their teams. In today's world, technology and science allow them to use statistics and data to try to do this. Trades, draft picks, team status, and contracts are all considered and statistics have become an important part of the sports world.