One of the stats kept on players - at least in the NHL - is ice time. I can’t figure out how these numbers are arrived at.
What with so many rapid-fire substitutions, I don’t see how the stats guy can possibly keep any sort of accurate tally. I know, entire lines are usually swapped out, but the defensemens’ substitutions vary widely; they don’t even (always) come and go as a pair.
How accurate are these minutes that are assigned to players? Seems like you would need a team of statesmen to have any hope of keeping track. I have to believe there is not just one guy tracking both teams in a game.
Anyone have a clue? Is it not as hard as I am imagining?
mmm
They have a laptop or desktop at the game with special software that keeps track of all stats. For ice time it probably is a bit off . If I had to guess they probably have a stylus or use their finger to click on the players number when he enters or leaves the game. For things like goals and penalties they can keep track of that while the clock has stopped.
NHL games have up to 20 off-ice officials that keep track of everything going on. If I recall each team has a guy that’s sole job is to track ice time. They have a computer and just click players off and on the ice all game long.
Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com confirms what you wrote: “Two of the laptops are designated to track individual player ice time, one for each team.”
for the playoffs the off ice people are brought in from a team that did not make the playoffs. Normally they are hired locally.
BTW they made a change to the goal judges , they no longer sit right behind the goals. They sit higher up so I don’t think they are very useful. And the refs can overrule them anyway.