via NHL Numbers:
Over the last five or six years, statistical analysis of hockey has taken big steps forward. The number of writers and sites contributing to our understanding has grown substantially, which is great. But the downside is that the work is scattered all over the web, and just finding it all can be a major challenge.
At NHL Numbers, we are going to maintain a reference library of articles that have advanced our understanding of the game in some small way.
What goes in? The focus in the library will be on the general over the specific, the theoretical over the applied. So an article on how the stats show that Jack Johnson isn't as good as some people think probably wouldn't be included, but an article that sought to demonstrate what attributes lead to a defenseman being overvalued probably would be. If an analytical article provides insight that is generally applicable across the league, it probably belongs in the library.
How is the library maintained? To get things started, a few of the NHL Numbers writers dug through some of the prominent sources of analysis and collected articles. I culled the list, trying to include things that met the generality standard. There are undoubtedly holes, and there's new stuff coming out every day, so we will rely on your assistance -- contact me on Twitter (@BSH_EricT) or via email (bsh.erict -at- gmail) with suggestions of articles you think might belong.
Where do I find the articles? This page will be the main index. Here, you can find the list of topics; each one is (or will soon be) a link to a list of articles that fit that topic -- articles may be cross-posted in multiple categories, as needed.
- The Essentials (coming soon): The most-cited, most influential articles in hockey analysis
- Player usage: Quality of competition, zone starts, etc
- Goalies: What we know about goaltending
- Prospects: Historical trends, league translations
- Variance and regression: The role of random chance