Analytics powerhouse to provide advanced sports analytics platform
TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2014 /CNW/ - The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and SAS, the leader in business analytics, today announced a partnership that will see the Club use SAS analytics to help analyze aspects of the team's performance. This analytics initiative includes applying a data-driven approach to everything from player performance to on-ice strategy.
This is the latest phase in the Toronto Maple Leafs' move towards an analytics-focused approach to complement traditional hockey decision-making. Prior to working with SAS, the team had already started to invest considerable resources in analytics technologies and data insights. For 2014/2015, the Toronto Maple Leafs have now turned to SAS, a global leader in analytics, to further power their data analysis capabilities and develop more effective data-based performance insights for the new season.
"This partnership will add a valuable layer of context to our decision-making process," said Kyle Dubas, Assistant General Manager, Toronto Maple Leafs. "Analytics are a big part of the future of sport, and we're excited to add SAS' sports analytics platform to complement our overall hockey evaluation process. Led by General Manager Dave Nonis and President Brendan Shanahan, we're bringing a fresh method to approaching all aspects of our team development and strategy this season."
The Maple Leafs will leverage SAS Analytics including data visualization to empower a data driven approach to maximize team potential; applying analytics to support: drafting, contract negotiations, on ice strategy and performance style of play and more.
"We are ecstatic to have the world's number one hockey brand partner with the number one brand in analytics," said Carl Farrell, President SAS Canada EVP SAS Americas. "As the powerhouse in business analytics SAS is well positioned to support the growing needs of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they evolve to becoming one of the most innovative teams in hockey, analyzing data to drive better performance outcomes."
For decades, the sport of baseball in particular has used a data-driven approach for decisions regarding roster construction and strategy. Over the last 10 years, a lot of great work has been done in hockey by independent analysts, which has built a strong base of objective analysis. The Toronto Maple Leafs partnership with SAS is an effort by the Club to arm itself with as much good data as possible to aid in its decision-making.
About SAS:
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 70,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.
The Canadian subsidiary of SAS has been in operation since 1988. Headquartered in Toronto, SAS employs more than 300 people across the country at its Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and Montréal offices. For more information, please visit www.sas.com/canada
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2014 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
Image with caption: "Kyle Dubas, Assistant General Manager, Toronto Maple Leafs (right) and Carl Farrell, President SAS Canada EVP SAS Americas (left) look over insights derived from SAS data visualization software (CNW Group/SAS Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141016_C2704_PHOTO_EN_6769.jpg
SOURCE: SAS Canada
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