My experience with Hockey Data Inc.
I track specific events (goals, assists, shots, passes, hits, blocked shots, zone entries and exits, takeaways/giveaways, face-off wins and losses etc.) of teams and individual players during recorded hockey games (mainly within the AHL, CHL and USHL).
In a nutshell, that was my experience at Hockey Data Inc., the local startup company at Harbour Centre downtown Vancouver. To some, 6 hours of data entry may be tedious, but for me it was quite the opposite. With a natural inclination for sports data, I found myself very focused on the intricacies of this work.
With a Microsoft Surface Pro and a monitor in front of me, I set up the game I was tracking that day. I often referenced www.theahl.com for box scores and when a particular player caught my eye.
From the opening face-off the center would draw the puck back to one of his defensemen, and that d-man would usually be in the neutral zone and then pass the puck up to of the forwards or across to his defensive partner. Often, there were occasions when 2 players passed back and forth numerous times and each and every one of those passes was tracked with the time and location of each player involved. The data we created was formulated and made valuable to the team we were contracted by.
From March 13th to July 21st My favourite part of this job was watching hockey and in particular the younger players developing on their AHL teams in preparation for the NHL. The best development league in the world is very competitive and full of quality players eager to make the jump to the NHL. Observing the intricacies of each shift by each player with intent is so valuable in scouting players. There is so much more than just the box scores and players stats we grew up with on hockey cards. Over the past few years advanced stats have become common in the hockey world and while they do have considerable value, there is still more to the story.
In a nutshell, that was my experience at Hockey Data Inc., the local startup company at Harbour Centre downtown Vancouver. To some, 6 hours of data entry may be tedious, but for me it was quite the opposite. With a natural inclination for sports data, I found myself very focused on the intricacies of this work.
With a Microsoft Surface Pro and a monitor in front of me, I set up the game I was tracking that day. I often referenced www.theahl.com for box scores and when a particular player caught my eye.
From the opening face-off the center would draw the puck back to one of his defensemen, and that d-man would usually be in the neutral zone and then pass the puck up to of the forwards or across to his defensive partner. Often, there were occasions when 2 players passed back and forth numerous times and each and every one of those passes was tracked with the time and location of each player involved. The data we created was formulated and made valuable to the team we were contracted by.
From March 13th to July 21st My favourite part of this job was watching hockey and in particular the younger players developing on their AHL teams in preparation for the NHL. The best development league in the world is very competitive and full of quality players eager to make the jump to the NHL. Observing the intricacies of each shift by each player with intent is so valuable in scouting players. There is so much more than just the box scores and players stats we grew up with on hockey cards. Over the past few years advanced stats have become common in the hockey world and while they do have considerable value, there is still more to the story.
Pursuing a Dream
I'm from a suburb of Vancouver,
British Columbia, called Ladner. The town of approximately 25,000 people
is known for farming, fishing and their annual May Days festival full of
rides, games and fast food. Growing up here I enjoyed playing many sports,
but my love for hockey has always been #1. I wasn't too fond of the
standard compulsory high school classes and often found myself writing
hockey stories and possible line combinations of the Canucks’ next game. I
really enjoyed gym class minus all the timed mile runs we did in
the freezing cold pouring rain. When I got back inside, I really enjoyed
the classes which sparked my creativity. Most notably Graphics design,
photography, art and marketing. I decided to go to school for Graphics and
Web Design and learned a few applications such as Creative Suite 2 and
Macromedia Studio 8. As much as I enjoyed that venture, I realized it
wasn’t something that I was meant to pursue. One specific assignment
sparked me to focus on a career in hockey. The assignment was a
visualization paper which I scored an A+ on. The gist of it is that I see
myself excelling in my dream job that is to be an NHL General Manager one
day. As I penned my vision with ease and amazing details I felt confident
and eager to pursue my dream. So now I turn to Sports
Management Worldwide’s GM and Scouting course to pursue my ultimate
passion in life.
Watching the Canucks in the 80's and hoping they'd win was on par with expecting to win the lotto. Evidence of that was seen live in my first game between the Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers and my hometown Canucks. To see a dynasty team like the Oilers live was indeed a treat and an experience I'll never forget. Early in the 90's my team improved to one of the best as they were led by McLean, Linden and the league's most exciting player “the Russian Rocket” Pavel Bure. Unfortunately the team crumbled after the magical ‘94 run and I wondered why. That year while in grade 9, my passion really took flight and I dreamt of a life in hockey. Over the years, I’ve tried to make this happen. Playing the EA Sports NHL series, studying all the coaching strategies, studying players on-ice tendencies, reading scouting reports of draft eligible players and reading a whole lot of hockey books. Coaching books, psychology books, books on the greatest dynasties, player biographies and just great hockey stories in general. I’ve also seen my share of documentaries covering hockey’s greatest era, the summit series, legends of hockey, etc. I've studied the game and it's players pretty much 24/7. My astute creative mind is currently working on two fun graphics projects. The first, a fictitious edition of the Hockey News online magazine with characters I’ve conjured up in my spare time. The second; a fictitious expansion team’s website. They will both be full of player profiles, scouting reports with precise ratings on their skills and their summary of their junior career.
I'm a long-time avid knowledgeable passionate hockey fan with an intense desire to work in Sports Management. I have an eye for detail, and a knack for analyzing the game and it's players. I'm very eager and fully capable of excelling within this business. Over the years, I've developed a skill set with an extensive emphasis on interpersonal skills and management. I exercise my abilities of leadership, teaching and training naturally. I excel in organization, incessant multitasking and prioritization, time management, and motivating my surrounding support. I enjoy articulation of my creative ideas to enhance business in various aspects. As an aspiring General Manager with an analytical creative personality I’m looking to utilize my skill set to further pursue my interests in life. My vision is to pursue and excel in a career in Sports Management with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. I’m eager to fully advance my career and I look forward to the many opportunities ahead. As much as I know about the game and it's players, I still crave to learn so much more. This is my hearts desire. My purpose in life. My ultimate dream job. Hockey is the one thing I think about 24/7 and the only career I can imagine myself excelling in for the rest of my life. The intricacies of capology and player negotiations intrigue me. The world of professional and amateur scouting captivates my interest so much that I haven't missed a draft on television since I started watching it in 1990. I really am looking forward to learning more about various front office jobs.
Watching the Canucks in the 80's and hoping they'd win was on par with expecting to win the lotto. Evidence of that was seen live in my first game between the Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers and my hometown Canucks. To see a dynasty team like the Oilers live was indeed a treat and an experience I'll never forget. Early in the 90's my team improved to one of the best as they were led by McLean, Linden and the league's most exciting player “the Russian Rocket” Pavel Bure. Unfortunately the team crumbled after the magical ‘94 run and I wondered why. That year while in grade 9, my passion really took flight and I dreamt of a life in hockey. Over the years, I’ve tried to make this happen. Playing the EA Sports NHL series, studying all the coaching strategies, studying players on-ice tendencies, reading scouting reports of draft eligible players and reading a whole lot of hockey books. Coaching books, psychology books, books on the greatest dynasties, player biographies and just great hockey stories in general. I’ve also seen my share of documentaries covering hockey’s greatest era, the summit series, legends of hockey, etc. I've studied the game and it's players pretty much 24/7. My astute creative mind is currently working on two fun graphics projects. The first, a fictitious edition of the Hockey News online magazine with characters I’ve conjured up in my spare time. The second; a fictitious expansion team’s website. They will both be full of player profiles, scouting reports with precise ratings on their skills and their summary of their junior career.
I'm a long-time avid knowledgeable passionate hockey fan with an intense desire to work in Sports Management. I have an eye for detail, and a knack for analyzing the game and it's players. I'm very eager and fully capable of excelling within this business. Over the years, I've developed a skill set with an extensive emphasis on interpersonal skills and management. I exercise my abilities of leadership, teaching and training naturally. I excel in organization, incessant multitasking and prioritization, time management, and motivating my surrounding support. I enjoy articulation of my creative ideas to enhance business in various aspects. As an aspiring General Manager with an analytical creative personality I’m looking to utilize my skill set to further pursue my interests in life. My vision is to pursue and excel in a career in Sports Management with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. I’m eager to fully advance my career and I look forward to the many opportunities ahead. As much as I know about the game and it's players, I still crave to learn so much more. This is my hearts desire. My purpose in life. My ultimate dream job. Hockey is the one thing I think about 24/7 and the only career I can imagine myself excelling in for the rest of my life. The intricacies of capology and player negotiations intrigue me. The world of professional and amateur scouting captivates my interest so much that I haven't missed a draft on television since I started watching it in 1990. I really am looking forward to learning more about various front office jobs.
1970 Vancouver Canucks stylized C jersey features a stick in an ice rink. It’s very simple in design, yet powerful just like logos of the Original 6 clubs. If the Canucks ever change their jersey again, I’d like to see them use their 40th anniversary jersey, but with names added on and tie-up laces to add to the vintage look. I have it customized with the “C” and GUINDON #17 on it. The NHL put the Canucks in the East division in their inaugural year. The Canucks did not qualify for the post season as they were put in the East Division with 4 of the Original 6 teams.