Wyshynski: How the NHL’s player-tracking data made it to fans
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
Hockey fans are now able to see which NHL players are among the league’s fastest (and slowest) — and not just at the All-Star skills competition.
“Top skating speed” is one of a dozen advanced analytics tabulated on the NHL EDGE stats site. It’s the league’s new clearinghouse for puck- and player-tracking data, published for public consumption for the first time. Provided the public has the patience to consume it.
Finding out who’s the fastest forward in the NHL? Pretty easy. The top 10 players for each NHL EDGE analytic are updated on the front page of the stats site. We know that Winnipeg Jets center Rasmus Kupari hit 23.95 mph in the second period of an Oct. 17 game against the Los Angeles Kings, putting him at the top for top skating speed this season.
Finding out who has the lowest top skating speed this season is not as easy. It took me over two hours, searching player by player, pulling down each menu around 450 times, to determine that Travis Boyd of the Arizona Coyotes topped out at just 19.53 mph, the slowest “top speed” of any NHL forward through Monday’s games.
That’s a lot of effort to find a Travis Boyd stat, if we’re being honest.
NHL EDGE gives us some context about Kupari that we don’t get for Boyd. The Jets forward’s top speed puts him in the 99th percentile among all NHL forwards. But for below-average skaters like Boyd, their percentile is listed as “below 50th” in that category — the same designation given to any player who is under the 50th percentile for any NHL EDGE analytic.
To be clear, it’s not like this for traditional on-ice stats. I can find out in a matter of seconds who has the worst plus/minus rating in the NHL: Forward Filip Zadina with a minus-14, one of many, many San Jose Sharks currently in contention for that dishonor. Zadina is not “below 50th” among peers. He’s last overall, out of 699 players. In another sport, ESPN’s QBR stat for NFL quarterbacks readily showcases the best and worst in the metric.
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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