In the Corners Podcast

In the Corners Podcast


In The Corners Episode #84: Analyze This!

May 05, 2020

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!