Okay, so yesterday I decided to dive into this “Brendan Less Hockey” thing. I’d heard some whispers about it and, you know, I’m always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to tracking hockey stats. I started by, well, just trying to figure out what it even was.
It took a little digging, to be honest. I hit up a few different forums, poked around some websites, and it seemed like a pretty niche approach. It became pretty apparent that I would need to find a spreadsheet template, I ended up finding it.
Finding the Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet was my starting point. It wasn’t super fancy, but it had all the basics – player names, games played, goals, assists, you know, the usual stuff. But then there were these extra columns, these “Less Hockey” stats. It was things like “Good Plays,” “Bad Plays,” and some other stuff that I needed to get my head around.
Figuring Out the Stats
This took some time. I watched a few games, trying to understand what counted as a “Good Play” versus a “Bad Play”. It wasn’t always obvious! A good pass that almost led to a goal? A defensive play that prevented a scoring chance, but wasn’t super flashy? This is where the “Less Hockey” part really started to make sense. It’s not just about the goals and assists; it’s about the whole game.
I made some notes, like:
- Good Play: Successfully getting the puck to teammates in good scoring positions, even if they missed.
- Bad Play: Icing the puck with no one around, bad turnovers.
- Good Play: A solid defensive block that stops a great scoring attempt.
Tracking a Game
Alright, with my new understanding of the spreadsheet I picked a game to analyze. It was a bit hectic at first! Trying to keep track of everything, plus the new “Less Hockey” stats, was a juggling act. I definitely missed some things, and probably miscategorized a few plays. It’s hard to rewind and rewatch every single play when you’re trying to do this live!
I paused, rewound, and re-watched certain plays multiple times. I wanted to be as accurate as possible, but honestly, it was tough. I started to see how subjective some of these calls could be. What I might consider a “Good Play,” someone else might disagree with.
The Result
After the game, I looked at the spreadsheet. It was…interesting. The usual stats were there, of course, but the “Less Hockey” stats added a whole new layer. I could see which players were making those little, crucial plays that didn’t always show up on the scoresheet. It gave me a new appreciation for the game, for sure.
It definitely felt like a work in progress. My tracking wasn’t perfect, and I’m sure my understanding of the “Less Hockey” philosophy will evolve over time. But it was a fun experiment, and I think I’ll keep playing with this idea. It’s a cool way to look at hockey beyond just the goals and assists, and I can see how tracking this would be fun.
