In the Corners Podcast
In The Corners Episode #84: Analyze This!
On this edition of the In The Corners Podcast...minor league hockey analytics guru Sean O’Brien joins the show!
INTRODUCTION
C.C. asks Sean about his recent pandemic move from Macon, GA to Pennsylvania (3:00) and what NHL, AHL, and ECHL hockey markets he’ll now be close to (6:00)
HOCKEY ANALYTICS
Sean expounds on and details...
* How he got into hockey analytics (12:35)
* His current gig with Statstrack (16:15)
* A layman’s breakdown of some basic analytic measurements (18:40)
* How one should rely on both the eye test and advanced analytics (23:30)
* His favorite league to cover analytics-wise (27:20).
* Plus, Sean’s personal advice to coaches...pull the goalie earlier! (31:50)
SEAN’S SIDE PROJECT
C.C. introduces some of his own hypothetical projects (Potential Markets for ECHL Western Expansion and Possible AHL Teams for Vegas to Buy and Relocate) before asking Sean about his recent passion project: organizing each NHL, AHL, and ECHL affiliation by geographical proximity (44:40)
Sean’s spreadsheet is included below, as well as tables for his theoretical divisional layout for the AHL and ECHL.
SEAN'S NEW AHL DIVISIONAL LAYOUT
WEST
MIDWEST
NORTH
EAST
Abbotsford
Colorado
Cleveland
Bridgeport
Bakersfield
Chicago
Hartford
Charlotte
Henderson
Grand Rapids
Laval
Cincinnati
Ontario
Iowa
Providence
Florida
Palm Springs
Manitoba
Rochester
Hershey
San Diego
Milwaukee
Springfield
Jacksonville
San Jose
Regina
Syracuse
Lehigh Valley
Tucson
Texas
Toronto
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
SEAN'S NEW ECHL DIVISIONAL LAYOUT
WEST
MIDWEST
CENTRAL
NORTH
METRO
SOUTH
Idaho
Allen
Fort Wayne
Adirondack
Binghamton
Atlanta
Rapid City
Kansas City
Indy
Maine
Brampton
Greenville
Reno
Tulsa
Kalamazoo
Newfoundland
Reading
Norfolk
Utah
Wichita
Rockford
Worcester
Utica
Orlando
Toledo
Wheeling
South Carolina
You can follow Sean and his analytics work on his personal page through Tableau, Twitter, and Instagram as he covers the AHL, ECHL, and SPHL! Don’t forget to give C.C. a follow on Twitter, and The Sin Bin on our Main Webpage, Twitter, and Facebook!