The concept of hockey analytics and analytics departments has become a main talking point on social media in the last ten years. Some are totally against it, and refer to the eye test above all else. Others have found a delicate balance between watching games and using data provided by their analytics departments to make up for cloudy areas. Every team in the NHL now has an analytics department, all with varying sizes. We have seen teams that lean on their analytics departments have major success, with the likes of Tampa Bay and Colorado winning Stanley Cups recently. Other teams that have embraced analytics and look poised for future success include the Buffalo Sabes, New Jersey Devils, and the Chicago Blackhawks. It was rumoured that the Flames would be adding to their data/analytics department. This was first reported by TSN’s Salim Valji in September:
The Calgary Flames hire Alex Robson
Alex Robson has been added to the Flames data/analytics department under the title Data Engineer.
As Salim noted, Alex joins the Flames after spending a few years in the MLB. The MLB and analytics have gone hand in hand for years and the data collected in the game is unlike any other. That is where the late great Chris Snow originally began to get interested in data analysis while he was covering the Boston Red Sox. In April 2022, the Chicago Blackhawks hired Jeff Greenberg as their associate general manager, who was previously with the Chicago Cubs of the MLB. This past summer, Greenberg was hired by the Detroit Tigers to be their general manager.
Alex Robson spent the past few years working as a Baseball Systems Engineer with the Toronto Blue Jays. Interestingly, Alex also spent time working with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL for many years. Hendrix Hanes, who was hired by the Flames as a Developer & Data Scientist earlier this summer, also worked with the Kitchener Rangers. Robson was the Director of Analytics with the Rangers, who have a whopping fourteen people working in their analytics department currently.
The Kitchener Rangers have become one of the forefronts for analytics use. It is very good to see the Calgary Flames jumping in and hiring a few people from this organization. Maybe we will see a pipeline start to develop between the two organizations.
What does the analytics department look like now?
The hiring of Alex Robson isn’t the only change the Flames have made. Michael Charron, who previously held the title of Quantitative Analyst, is now in the position of Manager, Data and Analytics.
The data/analytics department now looks like this:
Michael Charron – Manager, Data and Analytics
Connor Rankin – Video Analyst
Hendrix Hanes – Developer & Data Scientist
Alex Robson – Data Engineer
After the tragic loss of Chris Snow this year, it’s good to see the Flames continue to the department that he was instrumental in building up. Snow joined the Flames in 2011 and was tasked with creating and implementing data analysis systems. Snow was promoted to assistant general manager in 2020. Shortly after Craig Conroy was promoted as general manager this summer, Chris received another promotion to Vice President of Data/Analytics and Assistant General Manager. Now, we see this data/analytics department contribute to every facet of the Flames organization. The department now sees four full-time employees as the benefits of these departments continue to show around the league. Here’s hoping the Flames continue to add to this department and find success in their efforts.
