Today we visit with staff from the Iowa Wild of the AHL, led by Head Coach Derek Lalonde. Keith Paulsen, the team’s Video Coordinator took a few moments as the Wild prepared for their season opener at home over the weekend to talk about Bench Metrics.
- How hard was it to get the players to buy in to the way Bench Metrics can help their game?
“We don’t post stats from Bench Metrics publicly for all players to see. We will show them in individual video their chances for and against, blocked shots, face off stats, etc. We feel that after showing a player “his” stats it certainly has made a difference in their game. They now come ask to see video so they can see their stat line as it relates to what we are tracking. We’ve had great buy in as it relates to that.”
- How long did it take for you as a staff to get comfortable with how to get the most out of the software?
“I was the first to use Bench Metrics. I worked with Jay Varady in Sioux City (USHL) when they started to get this going, so I worked through all of the trials and tribulations. I moved on and used Bench Metrics with the Madison Capitols in the USHL, and now we use it in the AHL with the Iowa Wild. The learning curve for a coach is very easy as it relates to input and learning what reports can help.”
- How long did it take for you to start seeing noticeable benefits on the ice?
“We feel this is just a part of the process. Showing video, seeing the stats, putting it all together paints a clear picture of the outcome of a game, and thus the players in that game. So the benefits are noticeable. When the players know what is being tracked, what they are seeing in video, it certainly is a direct correlation to play on the ice.”
Check back next week for another edition of “Monday Metrics.” by Arch Ecker For more information, and instructions on how to take advantage of your free trial, please visit: https://www.benchmetricshockey.com/