The NHL has launched a new advanced stats section on its website that brings data from the league’s puck- and player-tracking technology to fans for the first time.
NHL EDGE, the league’s puck- and player-tracking system, has been operational for every team since the 2021-22 season. That season is where the data begins on the league’s new advanced stats section on NHL.com (NHL.com/EDGE). Previously, the only public display of these stats was during NHL broadcasts.
“Today’s launch marks a new and important phase in the evolution of NHL EDGE, as through our collaboration with Sportradar, fans can now access a new set of stats for their favorite teams and players in an interactive and comparative way,” said Stephen McArdle, NHL senior executive vice president for digital media and strategic planning.
The NHL’s puck- and player-tracking technology utilizes 14 infrared cameras above each rink, positioned to cover all points on the ice. They track movement using sensors embedded inside the puck and players’ jerseys. The system can generate nearly one million three-dimensional coordinates and data points in a regulation game.
Russ Levine, NHL group vice president of stats and info, said that because of the massive amount of data and computations, the NHL EDGE site will be updated the morning after games rather than immediately after they end.
“The challenge with this work is taking all that just raw positional data and translating it into something digestible and meaningful. Something that is interesting for fans and hopefully teaches them about the game,” Levine told ESPN. “And we’re really, I think, at the tip of the iceberg here.”
Among the stats the site will publish:
• Maximum skating speed. The maximum sustained skating speed a player has achieved during a game this season. Bursts from 18 to 20 mph, 20 to 22 mph and over 22 mph are tabulated.
• Skating distance. How far a player skates in a game and for the season. As of Friday, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid had the highest single-game distance this season with 4.42 miles.
• Shot speed. The maximum speed achieved on any recorded shot attempt — whether the shot was on goal or not. Shots are tallied in four different categories, including 100-plus mph.
• Shot/save location. The offensive zone is split into 16 regions based on shot volume and accuracy — some of them “high danger” regions near the net. Locations can be shown by shots on goal, goals or shooting percentage. Goalies’ “save locations” show shots against, saves, goal against as well as save percentage.
• Puck zone time. Puck possession remains one of the most sought-after metrics in the NHL. While the technology has yet to produce “puck on stick” player possession numbers for public consumption, NHL Edge does show how much time the puck spends in each zone while an individual player is on the ice. It also shows how long teams have the puck in individual zones.
These stats can be filtered by forwards and defensemen, as well as game situation (even strength, special teams). Most of the stats are also divided into all three zones — offensive, neutral and defensive. For example, McDavid’s 4.42-mile performance saw him skate 44.8% of that distance (2.33 miles) in the offensive zone.
For some stats, the zones are shaded to indicate whether the player’s performance is above or below NHL average for that season.
NHL EDGE data can also be generated into visualizations that give a full picture of a player’s performance or can be overlayed onto each other for comparison.
The site includes a comparison feature so fans can view any two players or teams side-by-side in several statistical categories. That includes the ability to compare one season to another for a player. One example the NHL demoed was comparing goalie Sergei Bobrovsky‘s regular-season performance to his “Playoff Bob” mode for the Florida Panthers last season.
There are innovations the NHL would like to add. Levine said that individual puck possession is top of the list. Only a few stats have ‘per game’ and ‘per 60 minutes at 5-on-5’ filters, which is available on other sites that track advanced stats. The NHL wants to add passing metrics, which would allow for the inclusion of stats like zone entries and zone exits. Additional advanced goalie stats are also a priority.
“The next phase of this for me is helping people understand what makes Player A more effective than Player B in ways that aren’t obvious from traditional statistics,” Levine said.
He said the NHL will continue to tweak the stats now on the site.
“That algorithm for shot speed today will probably continue to get tweaked to make it more accurate. Are we measuring shot speed in the most effective way? Taking the appropriate measurement of the number of pings, smoothing out a potential hiccup in the data to make sure we don’t have outliers, that sort of thing,” he said.
Levine said that “as we tweak these things, we’d have the ability to go back” to make previously published stats from earlier seasons more accurate.
“I think that the reason we haven’t done this until now is not because we weren’t comfortable, it’s because it’s really complicated and time-consuming work to roll up things and make sure they’re accurate,” Levine said. “We’re going to continue to improve that.”
CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.
The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.
The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.
“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”
There haven’t been many games like this, though.
The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.
The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”
On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.
“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”
The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.
Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.
The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.
Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.
“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”
Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.
Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.
“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.
“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”
Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”
MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”
Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.
“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”
The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.
Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.