What it’s like to be a hockey statistician

Being a hockey fan is one thing – attending the games and screaming for your favorite team – but I am not just a fan.

I sit in the press box every game and watch my team play their enemies of the ice. I still make rant-like chants when my team does anything smart or dumb, but this time my focus level goes beyond watching them skate around and hoping one shot goes into the net.

I count the shots. I keep track of who is on the ice for each goal, for each team. There isn’t time for me to blink or look away, every second could be that moment.

I never saw myself being a hockey statistician, but now it has become a part of me that people ask the most about. Are there any other girls in the press box? Rarely. Have you ever been trained? Not really. Have you ever played hockey? Yes, for an entire eight games. Do you know everything about doing stats? What counts as a shot and what doesn’t? What players get credit for a power play goal? Yes and yes, shots only count when they hit the net and would go in if the goalie wasn’t there, players in the box don’t get credit.

Do you mess up? Of course, every game. Why do you do stats then? Because I get to experience a world only a few people get to experience.

I see the local sports’ writer attempt to make highlight reel worthy stories from sometimes a bland game. I watch the sound guy time his segments perfectly with the announcer way down in the penalty box. I hear the players swear after a ref’s questionable call as if it’s coming out of maxed out in volume Bose speakers.

And with every jump and cheer of the crowd, it’s a storm of people reminding me why every shot and goal made and counted matters. For the first time in franchise history, our team is moving on to the second round of the playoffs.

Being from the town where ‘Slapshot’ was filmed is one thing, but actually being able to be a part of the world is completely different.