NHL · How Hockey Changed
How Hockey Changed: NHL Data Stories
One story at a time about how the NHL game, its players and its rules have changed, told with every season of NHL data we can get. Each piece says where the numbers come from and where they stop being trustworthy.
7 articles · Updated
On this page
The research
Bodies
Size, handedness and the people who play the game.
- Verdict: Data story7 min read
The Goalie Who Grew Five Inches
In 1980-81 the average NHL goalie stood 5-foot-10, two inches shorter than the skaters in front of him. Now he is 6-foot-3 and taller than the average skater in front of him. We charted every season since 1917-18, then asked whether height still separates goalies once nearly all of them are big.Updated - Verdict: Data story6 min read
The Lefty Defence Corps Is Vanishing
For most of NHL history a blue line was mostly left shots, with a right-handed defenceman a luxury. That changed fast after 2008. We charted the handedness of every defenceman game since 1917-18, then split it by birthplace and by pairing.Updated
The Vanishing Game
Things the sport lost or is losing.
- Verdict: Data story7 min read
The Power Play Is Disappearing
Referees call about half as many penalties as they did 20 years ago, and the power play’s share of scoring is back where it was in the 1960s. Yet goals are back above six a game. We split every goal since 2005-06 by strength to see where the rebound came from.Updated - Verdict: Data story7 min read
Shots on Goal Fell. Shooting Didn’t.
NHL games now have eight fewer shots on goal than in 2017-18, the fewest since 2001-02, while scoring rose above six goals a game. The obvious story is that teams stopped shooting. Every attempt in our play-by-play says otherwise.Updated
Rules
Rule changes as natural experiments.
The Clock
When things happen inside a game.
Minutes
Who plays, for how long, and how roles changed.
What these stories are
Short, chart-led pieces about one change in the NHL: who plays, how big they are, how the rules move the game and how coaches use the clock. They are descriptive, not betting advice.
The numbers come from the NHL’s own season and game records, pulled by scripts we keep with the data. Our play-by-play database adds detail from 2017-18 on.
For era-adjusted greatness, see the NHL GOAT series. For betting research, see the Prop Lab.
Put the research to work
Frequently asked questions
Where do the NHL data stories get their numbers?
From the NHL’s public stats records for every season since 1917-18, plus our own NHL play-by-play database from 2017-18 on. Each story lists its sources and the limits of the data.
How often is a new NHL data story published?
One a day while a batch runs. Each story appears on its publication date.
Sources and method
- NHL stats (NHL.com), every season since 1917-18
- NHL API reference (community documentation of the stats endpoints)
- Scouting the Refs: NHL historical rule changes
Research and analysis, not betting advice. Past results do not guarantee future returns; bet only what you can afford to lose.