Mark Scheifele rips analytics saying there are better ways to judge a player

While they've been used in other sports for quite some time, analytics, or advanced stats, a making their way into the hockey world and we've started to see them used more and more when evaluating players and teams. There's no question that some of the numbers and terms being used can be confusing, but more and more NHL teams are starting to employ analytics people on their staff in order to get a clear picture of what's working and what needs improvement. As for Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets, he's definitely not a fan.

To be honest, I don't have much time for analytics," said Scheifele when asked if he looks at his own advanced stats. "I don't pay any attention to it."

Scheifele continued that he would much rather watch a game and tell you how someone played instead of looking at their analytics.

"The analytics is a bunch of hogwash in my mind," he added.

I'm sure there are many other players in the NHL who feel the same way, but age is likely a factor in that. The younger players entering the league now and those who will enter in the future will have analytics tossed at them from an early age. If you really want to get a sense of how sports analytics started, or at least became popularized, check out the book or movie Moneyball. It tells the story of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane who relied heavily on the use of analytics, or sabermetrics, to build a competitive team on a minimal budget.

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