by Anurag Reddeddy, School of Informatics graduate student
This project was inspired by my exploration of various ice hockey platforms. While the leaderboards on these platforms were informative, I noticed a lack of detailed player shot maps, on-ice tendencies, and shot conversion rates. IceScout Pro was created to address this gap by presenting these insights in a creative and comprehensive manner, highlighting individual player performance and team dynamics. IceScout Pro aims to develop an advanced analytical tool to enhance the evaluation of team and player performance in Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey.
By leveraging detailed play-by-play and game-by-game data from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons, the project provides coaches, scouts, and analysts with comprehensive insights into player behavior and team dynamics. I have developed a Shiny web application and a Tableau dashboard specifically for coaches and analysts to facilitate team analysis, opposition analysis, and scouting. The application and dashboard include team and player leaderboards, player performance profiles, which feature player shot charts, on-ice tendencies, and shot conversion rates.
DATA COLLECTION & CLEANING
Data was collected through web scraping in Python and then rigorously cleaned and analyzed using R. To analyze the data, I began by filtering out non-shot events and removing rows lacking home team information to ensure the dataset was focused and accurate. I then selected essential columns, including game details, coordinates, and shot types, to concentrate on the key aspects relevant to shot analysis. To maintain consistency across different games and teams, I transformed the shot coordinates so that all shots were directed towards a single goal. Following this, I grouped the data by team, period, area of action, and shot type, allowing for the calculation of relevant statistics such as shot frequencies and success rates within specific contexts. Finally, I sorted the results to facilitate the analysis of shot patterns and tendencies, enabling the creation of detailed performance profiles for both players and teams.
These steps provided a comprehensive understanding of player and team behavior on the ice.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Case 1: Analyzing player performance on the ice can yield invaluable insights. Take, for instance, Jared Wright’s 2023 season—a standout player from Denver.
His scouting profile reveals him as the epitome of a clean and clutch scorer. With minimal penalty minutes, Wright consistently demonstrates discipline and composure, keeping his team focused and competitive. His remarkable ability to net game-winning goals underscores his value, especially during high-pressure moments. For teams in search of a reliable player who can secure decisive victories, Jared Wright emerges as the perfect choice.
Case 2: Analyzing the player’s performance between seasons.
North Dakota’s Garrett Pyke’s 2023 season paints the picture of a player still finding his stride, with higher penalty minutes on the ice and zero game-winning goals. Most of his contributions came through assists, highlighting his playmaking ability. However, 2024 saw a remarkable transformation in Pyke’s performance. With significantly fewer penalty minutes and even more assists than the previous season, he has evolved into a disciplined and highly effective playmaker. Pyke’s growth this past season positions him as a key player with the potential to become one of the best assist-to-goal scorers in the game.
Case 3: Imagine you are facing off against Denver, the top-ranked team in the 2024 season. To develop an effective strategy, it is crucial to analyze not just individual players but the entire team’s performance. Key questions to consider include:
- Where are their most frequent shot locations on the ice?
- From which areas are they most likely to score?
- How does their performance differ when playing at home versus away?
- How does their gameplay evolve from period to period?
To answer these questions comprehensively, I created a Tableau dashboard that provides detailed insights into the ice hockey team’s shot patterns, scoring probabilities, and period specific strategies. This tool is designed to equip your team with the necessary data to counter Denver’s strengths and exploit potential weaknesses. The team performance dashboard offers various functionalities to analyze team performance:
- Filters for team, home/away games, period, area of action, and shot outcomes.
- The top chart displays comprehensive shot maps showing all shots taken by the team, while the bottom left chart shows their average locations.
- A pie chart on the bottom right illustrates the distribution of different shot types.(Note: If you hover over the data, you can see the probability values in the dashboard)
REFLECTION
When you presented, what was going through your mind as you presented?
When I was presenting Ice Scout Pro, my primary focus was on conveying the significance of the platform for all stakeholders in the world of ice hockey. I wanted to ensure that everyone in the room understood how valuable this tool could be, whether for coaches and analysts who need to dive deep into player performance, scouts looking to identify promising talent, or statistics broadcasters and media staff who can leverage this data to engage fans and grow the sport’s following. My mindset was centered on demonstrating that Ice Scout Pro is designed to meet these needs effectively, offering a comprehensive solution that enhances the experience for everyone involved in the game.
How did you feel when the presentation was (a) complete, and (b) as staff members were discussing your project?
- After completing the presentation, although I conveyed all the key points, I felt I might have rushed a bit, likely due to the 10-minute time constraint and being the first presenter. However, I was relieved that I managed to cover everything within the time limit.
- As the staff members discussed my project, I began to feel more confident. Their appreciation for my work and the creative way I showcased player and team performance profiles made me realize that I had done better than I initially thought. Their positive feedback reinforced my belief in the value of the project.
What do you believe this could do for you as you head out into the workforce?
I believe this experience has significantly enhanced my skills and confidence as I prepare to enter the workforce. Developing and presenting a project like Ice Scout Pro has deepened my expertise in data analysis, sports analytics, and creating impactful solutions tailored to specific industry needs. It has also demonstrated my ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences, from coaches to analysts and other stakeholders. I hope this project helps open potential opportunities for me in the world of sports analytics, where I aspire to excel and contribute even more to the field. This project has not only expanded my technical abilities but also showcased my capacity to innovate and deliver value in a competitive field, making me a strong candidate as I move forward in my career.
What was the most important and most satisfying part of the summer project for you?
I can’t narrow it down to just one most satisfying moment during this summer project because there were several highlights. First, successfully pulling millions of data points for college men’s and women’s ice hockey was a major accomplishment, especially since it was my first time web scraping data. Second, completing the tasks assigned by my professor within the first three weeks of the course was incredibly rewarding. Third, developing the idea for IceScout Pro as my personal project and turning it into a functional app was a significant milestone. Fourth, bringing Dr. Sherman’s vision of showcasing college football statistics to life using PowerBI was another proud moment. Finally, successfully delivering my presentation to all the esteemed attendees during the call was the perfect culmination of all my hard work.
#SportsInnovation #SportsAnalytics #Indy4Sports
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