NHL Advanced Stats Availability Will Be Improved

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People want NHL advanced stats but the NHL stinks at presenting them. You would think its some great treasure being guarded by the league. Well, there’s good news. The NHL has struck a deal with MLB’s Advanced Media. For those who don’t know the MLB has been a leader in advanced stats for years, and come 2016 NHL advanced stats will be brought into this decade. The MLB firm will handle everything NHL stats related including the NHL website, apps, and streaming video. If it has a stat in it MLB Advanced Media will be in control.

There is reason to be cautious here; the NHL is widely available on YouTube, but with new management come changes. There is some speculation that YouTube video could disrepair. This quote from SI.com lays it out perfectly. “There are concerns about the continuing availability of NHL highlights on YouTube, but we’ll see how that shakes out on Tuesday before we grab our pitchforks and torches.”

Everything at this point is speculation, but one thing I’ve learned is with new things come issues that are not always good for the fans of the game. People want NHL advanced stats and now they will get

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them, but the question remains will we be happy once things change?

One thing that stinks and happens with just about every new deal is some people could be out of a job here, but again nothing is set in stone. This is not just a little change; this move by the NHL changes everything we have been viewing. Big Bad Blog simple states “While the NHL‘s digital presence will change, it is unknown how staff members of the NHL‘s websites (NHL.com and team sites) and the NHL Network will be impacted. A source noted that multiple employees of Bell Media in Canada, who operated NHL Network, have already lost their jobs as a result of the change. According to the source, multiple producers were not retained past July 1. As for the online side, MLBAM could simply train those currently in place rather than hire new staffs, but staffers throughout the league had yet to hear as of Monday.”

Sometimes getting what you want comes at a cost. In this case it’s way too early to know how this will play out. I just hope while you are looking at NHL advanced stats you remember real people are affected by this change. Sometimes change hurts, and improving a products is not as simple as selecting a new company to run things. But, it does seem that for once the NHL is doing something for the fans.

Everything could change, but everything could remain the same. If the NHL wants to continue to grow their footprint in a competitive pro sports market I hope they allow for the GIF’s and videos to remain available. After all what good is a major change if it turns out to make your brand less visible?

Next: Could This Be The End Of The Red Wings Playoff Run?

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