As hockey appears to be going through a “data revolution,” the Stars’ newly formed analytics department has been “combing through data and building systems of their own,” according to Matthew DeFranks of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. The Stars “have used analytics in the past” via external sources such as SportLogiq, but this season “is the first in which team has a dedicated department” doing the work for them. Stars Dir of Hockey Analytics Matt Rodell said that for a “program in its infancy,” this season “is a lot about structure.” There are a lot of “technical components” to sift through, such as “Where’s the data coming from and how to access it? What’s the process for putting it into a workable format? How to display it?” Rodell said that he spoke to analytics departments in different sports and leagues “to understand what the first season is like, and the consensus is that it’s all about building.” For Stars GM Jim Nill and the rest of his his team, Rodell’s “ability to communicate effectively” was a contributing factor in selecting him to lead the new unit. Rodell said that the Stars will “try to ‘find value wherever it is.’” Whether that is through and “encompassing figure” like Wins Above Replacement or “microstats that can highlight small parts of a player’s game” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/21).
