Do Canadian Players help NHL Teams Win?
Posted 5:20 PM ET | Comments 5
The ideology that Canadian players are responsible for the success of any given team is common. Farm-born Saskatchewan kids can elevate their game and play clutch hockey when it really matters. But do local boys offer any discernable advantage over American or European players to a teams success? That's what this blog is going to be about. I'm going to find out.
To start, we have to calculate, on average, what percentage of an NHL team Canadians consist of. Here are all 30 teams, along with the accompanying percentage that indicates the concentartion of Canadian players(Stats provided by THN):
-Anaheim Ducks: 42%
-Boston Bruins: 58%
-Buffalo Sabres: 32%
-Calgary Flames: 58%
-Carolina Hurricanes: 48%
-Chicago Blackhawks: 55%
-Colorado Avalanche: 77%
-Columbus Blue Jackets: 52%
-Dallas Stars: 65%
-Detroit Red Wings: 40%
-Edmonton Oilers: 62%
-Florida Panthers: 62%
-Los Angeles Kings: 68%
-Minnesota Wild: 52%
-Montreal Canadiens: 50%
-Nashville Predators: 52%
-New Jersey Devils: 26%
-New York Islanders: 49%
-New York Rangers: 45%
-Ottawa Senators: 48%
-Philadelphia Flyers: 58%
-Phoenix Coyotes: 55%
-Pittsburgh Penguins: 58%
-St. Louis Blues: 56%
-San Jose Sharks: 55%
-Tampa Bay Lightning: 52%
-Toronto Maple Leafs: 55%
-Vancouver Canucks: 55%
-Washington Capitals: 48%
-Winnipeg Jets: 46%
From these numbers, we can establish that the league ACP (Average Canadian Percentage) is 51.6%.
I'm going to divide the 2011-2012 statistical season into two categories, for comparison's sake: regular season and post-season. For comparison of the regular season, I'm going to juxtapose the points average of teams below the 51.6% clip against teams above it. The following are the records and total points of the teams below 51.6%, or the teams with less Canadians than average and therefore a lower ACP:
-Anaheim: 34-36-12 (80 pts)
-Buffalo: 39-32-11 (89 pts)
-Carolina: 33-33-16 (82 pts)
-Detroit: 48-28-6 (102 pts)
-Montreal: 31-35-16 (78 pts)
-New Jersey: 48-28-6 (102 pts)
-NYI: 34-37-11 (79 pts)
-NYR: 51-24-7 (109 pts)
-Ottawa: 41-31-10 (92 pts)
-Washington: 42-32-8 (92 pts)
-Winnipeg: 37-35-10 (84 pts)
Average Points: 89.9 points
Here are the records and point totals of teams above the clip, with more Canadians than the league average and therefore a greater ACP:
-Boston: 49-29-4 (102 pts)
-Calgary: 37-29-16 (90 pts)
-Chicago: 45-26-11 (101 pts)
-Colorado: 41-35-6 (88 pts)
-Columbus: 29-46-7 (65 pts)
-Dallas: 42-35-5 (89 pts)
-Edmonton: 32-40-10 (74 pts)
-Florida: 38-26-18 (94 pts)
-Los Angeles: 40-27-15 (95 pts)
-Minnesota: 35-36-11 (81 pts)
-Nashville: 48-26-8 (104 pts)
-Philadelphia:47-26-9 (103 pts)
-Phoenix: 42-27-13 (97 pts)
-Pittsburgh: 51-25-6 (108 pts)
-St. Louis: 49-22-11 (109 pts)
-San Jose: 43-29-10 (96 pts)
-Tampa Bay: 38-36-8 (84 pts)
-Toronto: 35-37-10 (80 pts)
-Vancouver: 51-22-9 (111 pts)
Average Points: 93.2 points
Regular Season Result:
From the stats you can clearly see that the amount of Canadian players on your team has a direct correlation to the amount of points you accumulate over an 82-game season. When one goes up, so does the other. However the Stanley Cup isn't awarded in April, and quite often a team that underachieved in the regular season will experience success in the playoffs, much like the Kings did last year. To see the impact of Canadian players on the playoffs, I'm going to go round-by-round and compare the ACP fn the remaining teams to the league-wide average of 51.6%.
Round 1 Teams Remaning:
-New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 52.4 %
Round 2 Teams Remaining:
-New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, St, Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 51%
Round 3 Teams Remaining:
-New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 48.5%
Round 4 Teams Remaining:
-New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 47%
These stats are very interesting. At the start of the playoffs, the ACP is at 52.4%, which is higher than the league average. That's to be expected after demonstrating the influence Canadian players had on the regular season, because after the regular season the top 16 teams get into the playoffs. However after that the ACP declines each round. By the beginning of Round 2, it is below the league average. By the time the Stanley Cup Final begins the ACP of the remainging teams sits at a lowly 47%. There are many ways to analyze and interpret these stats, but that's not my job. Whether you want to write the decline off because of the outlier that is New Jersey's 26% ACP or whether you want to use these stats to re-think playoffs pool selection is up to you. I'm just here to give you the stats. Use them however you like.
Thanks for reading and listening to my ramblings!
To start, we have to calculate, on average, what percentage of an NHL team Canadians consist of. Here are all 30 teams, along with the accompanying percentage that indicates the concentartion of Canadian players(Stats provided by THN):
-Anaheim Ducks: 42%
-Boston Bruins: 58%
-Buffalo Sabres: 32%
-Calgary Flames: 58%
-Carolina Hurricanes: 48%
-Chicago Blackhawks: 55%
-Colorado Avalanche: 77%
-Columbus Blue Jackets: 52%
-Dallas Stars: 65%
-Detroit Red Wings: 40%
-Edmonton Oilers: 62%
-Florida Panthers: 62%
-Los Angeles Kings: 68%
-Minnesota Wild: 52%
-Montreal Canadiens: 50%
-Nashville Predators: 52%
-New Jersey Devils: 26%
-New York Islanders: 49%
-New York Rangers: 45%
-Ottawa Senators: 48%
-Philadelphia Flyers: 58%
-Phoenix Coyotes: 55%
-Pittsburgh Penguins: 58%
-St. Louis Blues: 56%
-San Jose Sharks: 55%
-Tampa Bay Lightning: 52%
-Toronto Maple Leafs: 55%
-Vancouver Canucks: 55%
-Washington Capitals: 48%
-Winnipeg Jets: 46%
From these numbers, we can establish that the league ACP (Average Canadian Percentage) is 51.6%.
I'm going to divide the 2011-2012 statistical season into two categories, for comparison's sake: regular season and post-season. For comparison of the regular season, I'm going to juxtapose the points average of teams below the 51.6% clip against teams above it. The following are the records and total points of the teams below 51.6%, or the teams with less Canadians than average and therefore a lower ACP:
-Anaheim: 34-36-12 (80 pts)
-Buffalo: 39-32-11 (89 pts)
-Carolina: 33-33-16 (82 pts)
-Detroit: 48-28-6 (102 pts)
-Montreal: 31-35-16 (78 pts)
-New Jersey: 48-28-6 (102 pts)
-NYI: 34-37-11 (79 pts)
-NYR: 51-24-7 (109 pts)
-Ottawa: 41-31-10 (92 pts)
-Washington: 42-32-8 (92 pts)
-Winnipeg: 37-35-10 (84 pts)
Average Points: 89.9 points
Here are the records and point totals of teams above the clip, with more Canadians than the league average and therefore a greater ACP:
-Boston: 49-29-4 (102 pts)
-Calgary: 37-29-16 (90 pts)
-Chicago: 45-26-11 (101 pts)
-Colorado: 41-35-6 (88 pts)
-Columbus: 29-46-7 (65 pts)
-Dallas: 42-35-5 (89 pts)
-Edmonton: 32-40-10 (74 pts)
-Florida: 38-26-18 (94 pts)
-Los Angeles: 40-27-15 (95 pts)
-Minnesota: 35-36-11 (81 pts)
-Nashville: 48-26-8 (104 pts)
-Philadelphia:47-26-9 (103 pts)
-Phoenix: 42-27-13 (97 pts)
-Pittsburgh: 51-25-6 (108 pts)
-St. Louis: 49-22-11 (109 pts)
-San Jose: 43-29-10 (96 pts)
-Tampa Bay: 38-36-8 (84 pts)
-Toronto: 35-37-10 (80 pts)
-Vancouver: 51-22-9 (111 pts)
Average Points: 93.2 points
Regular Season Result:
From the stats you can clearly see that the amount of Canadian players on your team has a direct correlation to the amount of points you accumulate over an 82-game season. When one goes up, so does the other. However the Stanley Cup isn't awarded in April, and quite often a team that underachieved in the regular season will experience success in the playoffs, much like the Kings did last year. To see the impact of Canadian players on the playoffs, I'm going to go round-by-round and compare the ACP fn the remaining teams to the league-wide average of 51.6%.
Round 1 Teams Remaning:
-New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 52.4 %
Round 2 Teams Remaining:
-New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, St, Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 51%
Round 3 Teams Remaining:
-New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 48.5%
Round 4 Teams Remaining:
-New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings
Average Canadian Percentage: 47%
These stats are very interesting. At the start of the playoffs, the ACP is at 52.4%, which is higher than the league average. That's to be expected after demonstrating the influence Canadian players had on the regular season, because after the regular season the top 16 teams get into the playoffs. However after that the ACP declines each round. By the beginning of Round 2, it is below the league average. By the time the Stanley Cup Final begins the ACP of the remainging teams sits at a lowly 47%. There are many ways to analyze and interpret these stats, but that's not my job. Whether you want to write the decline off because of the outlier that is New Jersey's 26% ACP or whether you want to use these stats to re-think playoffs pool selection is up to you. I'm just here to give you the stats. Use them however you like.
Thanks for reading and listening to my ramblings!
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53.6% of the league was Canadian. They accounted for 52.4% of all points scored last year. Of course they help teams win. So do Americans at 23.9% of the NHL population with 19.5% of total points.per blog post i found http://www.puckingopinion.com/2012/07/nhl-breakdown-nationality-statistics.html
Yes Canadian players help teams win in that they scpre a large portion of a team's points. I just thought it was interesting that the teams that had success in last year's playoffs had significantly less Canadian players than the average team. Thanks for the imput and comment, though.
It's definitely interesting when you break it down like you did, I just wanted to give you another post similar to check out...didn't mean to come across as ignorant. Great post!
Thanks, as a new blogger I really appreciate that. What I found interesting about the puckingopinion breakdown is that Russian players combine for only 3.9% of NHL points, despite having Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk etc. Huh.
I'd be curious to see the points per player instead. I'm fairly positive the points per Russian player is much higher than the points per Canadian player. As high as the percentage of Canadian players is in relation to teams, I don't think the point output per player is as great as other countries. Alot of those Canadians are role players and bottom 6 guys. Guys who didn't pan out to their potential when they were drafted.