CapGeek.com Founder MATTHEW WUEST "died during the early morning hours Thursday" following "a two-and-a-half year battle with colon cancer," according to Kristen Lipscombe of METRO HALIFAX. Wuest, who was in his mid-30s and worked full-time as a sports reporter for Canadian publication Metro Halifax, developed "what became one of the most popular online hockey resources out there, a side gig ran out of the 'CapGeek offices,' his north-end Halifax home" (METRONEWS.ca, 3/19). THE HOCKEY NEWS' Adam Proteau wrote CapGeek was "an astonishingly detailed and revolutionary website that expertly covered virtually all elements of the NHL’s salary cap system." When Wuest "suddenly and permanently shut down the website in early January of this year due to health concerns, the hockey community was united in its hope he would recover" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 3/19). CBSSPORTS.com's Chris Peters wrote the NHL community is "mourning the loss of one of its most innovative media members." When the NHL "instituted the salary cap, they probably have CapGeek to thank for making it digestible" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/19). In Vancouver, Jim Jamieson wrote CapGeek "included such a variety of information that it allowed any casual fan to become his favourite NHL club’s fantasy GM -- or to intelligently second-guess the real one." Wuest "had a huge impact on how NHL was understood in the salary cap era" and was "an online pioneer" (THEPROVINCE.com, 3/19).
TWITTER TRIBUTES: Tributes for Wuest were pouring into Twitter on Thursday night and Friday morning. FoxSportsArizona.com's Craig Morgan wrote, "Heartfelt thanks to @capgeek's Matt Wuest for his hard work in creating the invaluable resource that was @capgeek." The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Rossi: "Few can say they changed game. You did." The Buffalo News' Mike Harrington: "Matthew Wuest changed the way the entire hockey world discussed the game's finances. Huge impact." Former NHLer and FS Midwest analyst Darren Pang: "You made many of us former players smarter with your numbers and diligent work." The Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs: "Every NHL team – since they ALL used his @capgeek data – should draw up a symbolic, honorary contract for late Matt Wuest." ESPN.com's Craig Custance: "Matthew Wuest had respect of GMs who preferred his site over internal data: 'Nothing was as easy as CapGeek.'" The Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur: "It was simply insulting when Gary Bettman said only the media was interested in @capgeek. It was brilliant. Matt Wuest made it brilliant."
