NHL launching faceoff probability stat with AWS technology

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer

The NHL is launching a faceoff probability stat that uses 10 years of data to determine the likelihood of each player in the circle winning the draw. The league and Amazon Web Services unveiled the new feature Tuesday. It will debut on Sportsnet in Canada this week and on ESPN and Turner in the U.S. later in March. The probabilities are based on the players involved, location of the faceoff and situation in the game. It may be just the start of this kind of machine-learning technology in hockey with potential implications for gambling and more.