There seem to be two types of hockey fans. One’s the noted stats nerd, who can turn anything into a number through the miracle of quantification. The other is the eye test guru, who can learn everything that they need to know by watching the game.
There are pros and cons to each approach. Sometimes numbers can limit interference, like how we feel about a player or a team on an emotional level. There’s an assumption that there is a lack of emotionality in quantitative research. If everything is a number, then what purpose can the eye test serve?