iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Small professional update. Looking forward to the start of a new chapter in Owen Sound as the director of analytics and hockey research 🐻

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

While updating my USport womens hockey xG model this summer, I got fixated on one question If analytical models at higher levels of play tell us something isn’t very good when we feel it should be, do we need to focus more on it at younger levels, or abandon it? sites.google.com/view/bencsie...

sites.google.com

Ben Csiernik - How Analytical Models Can Inform Player Development

How analytical models can inform player development: A case study using WHIMS V2

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Enormous week for me personally. Got to present at my first conference outside of North America on how advanced analysis tools in hockey can inform practice design and measure learning, AND Nik Ehlers is Stanley Cup champion.

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Rhys Jessop @rhysjessop.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I remember writing this all the way back in 2012. Incredible.

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Micah McCurdy @hockeyviz.com · 15/06/2026

A great day for analytics, and therefore the world.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Rightfully, Ehlers. Couldn’t be better.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

@ladyotreesyrup.bsky.social work is always so thoughtful and well explained. I am constantly amazed at the level of knowledge we have in the world of hockey that’s at the hands of passionate people working on things they care about. It’s really cool.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Women’s hockey in Hamilton rocks so much. Despite my hometown biases, Hamilton (and the surrounding communities) have been such a hub for girls and women’s hockey for so long.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Really exciting time for Detroit hockey, and women’s hockey in the state of Michigan. Too much good girls and women’s hockey from the state to not have more representation and here we go.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Re-reading a @hockeyviz.com article on adjusted possession metrics from 2014 (!!) and more recent work, and running into something I think is interesting. Score effects may behave differently across levels of sport. Some preliminary work from Canadian women’s college hockey…

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The 2025-2026 OUA women’s hockey season is over, and my data tracking is complete. With one complete missing game (sad), and parts of four other games missing, we end up with a 180.37/182 game coverage. A lot of hockey watched and tracked, and some sadness for goalies towards the end of the season.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Had the privilege to (briefly) coach Kaitlyn last year at the World University Games. She’s an excellent goaltender (and person) who more than deserves this opportunity.

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Jared Book @jaredbook.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

The PWHL has announced the games at TD Garden (BOS) and Madison Square Garden (NY) have sold out. Ticket sales indicated this was coming anyway, but the post-Olympics boom is REAL.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Add this to both Clarkson’s first years Sara and Kate Manness being first team ECAC players and everyone saying Canadian women’s hockey is doomed can breathe a little. The current Canadian hockey system will continue to create lots of top tier players.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Working on a new component for some of my modelling work in college hockey around “replacement level” players. Given mostly fixed roster properties (e.g teams may not carry more than 8 D), do we think replacement level and its underlying theory is applicable in college hockey as currently used?

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

This is true, the American team rocks and is super young. Now everyone go look at the freshman and sophomore scoring leaders in the NCAA. Canada will be more than fine into the next quad.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Putting this out there so I can revisit this in the future but if the 2026 PWHL draft deviates from this order I will be disappointed. 1. Harvey 2. Murphy 3. Edwards 4. Janecke 5. Simms I will allow (and would encourage) a team needing center depth to take Janecke at 3.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

It takes somewhere between 50-60 point shot attempts in womens hockey to result in a goal (tips and screens included), and this game seemingly finally hit the 60 mark for that goal

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Double repost here but the Canadian girls and women’s development system isn’t broken. It closely mirrors the USA except for the unique situation that is Minnesota high school hockey. Hockey Canada has very clear, and at times very centralized development opportunities for girls hockey.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Kind of fun to see the top 4 PWHL picks for next years draft look dominant in a Canada USA Olympics game. Less good for Canadians that all four play for the USA.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

This past Sunday, team USA won the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship 2-0 over Team Canada. A really competitive game from two teams filled with players with bright hockey futures. Here is the game report and game probabilities based on my modelling work in women's hockey.

A game report showing Team USA scoring 2 goals on 1.66 expected goals on 33 shot attempts, 33 shots, and 6 scoring chances. Canada had 0 goals on 1.13 expected goals on 49 shot attempts, 35 shots on net, and 1 scoring chance.

A game probability worm showing the most likely score in the game would have been 1 to 1.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

An article looking at rush offence using women's Canadian University is up on my website. Had a lot of fun looking at rush offence in response to the discussion in the NHL. While not directly applicable to the NHL tactically, I think there's important overlaps. sites.google.com/view/bencsie...

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Lots of good discussion on rush chances in hockey the past few weeks from @ladyotreesyrup.bsky.social and @hockeyviz.com . Thought I'd throw my hat in the ring with some more detailed data, albeit, not NHL. So, a rush breakdown from the detailed data that I do have in women's college hockey.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

New year means the second half of the OUA women's hockey season is about to start and I am caught up on all 101 games from the first half with 10 thousand + shot attempts watched. Looks like scoring has stabilized around expected, and team shooting profiles look very different.

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Adam Gretz @adamgretz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

The Olympic hockey roster argument that makes my eyes glaze over more than any other is "you need players to play a bottom-six and fourth-line role." No you don't. You literally don't.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Expected goal value distributions of goals and all unblocked shot attempts. Median expected goal value of a shot resulting in a goal is 0.12 compared with a median of 0.02 for all unblocked shots.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Expected goals and actual Goals distributions after 83 tracked OUA womens hockey games. A lot of shutouts in the first half of the season, goalies rule.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Im a bit over a third into tracking this year’s OUA women’s hockey season and the expected goal model is doing pretty well. A really “fun” case of regression to the mean at this point.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Canadian women’s university hockey model through 23 games and 1700 unblocked shot attempts. Slow start for the offence, partly due to some bad luck, partly due to some great goaltending through the first two weeks.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Given that the new school year is starting, I'm thrilled to share that I was selected as part of the final class of SHRC Vanier Scholars! This scholarship supports our work on trying to better understand what the best development pathway is for young hockey players.

Ben is affiliated with Ontario Tech University, and his doctoral thesis is titled: Analyzing the impact of scaling on decision making, and development: An international comparative study in youth ice hockey.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

A little bit of science published on Canada Day.

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Micah McCurdy @hockeyviz.com · 26/06/2025

Even if Mitch Marner goes to free agency as seems likely, the biggest prize will be Nik Ehlers:

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Had a ton of fun this past weekend sharing some of our research on goaltending, practice design, and team offensive tactics. Bonus fun getting to speak about some of what I consider seminal work by @allthreezones.bsky.social and @hockeyviz.com

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

I coach multiple children under 10 years old who are better skaters than I was when I played Collegiate hockey in the early/mid 2010s This is super cool! But all I really want is for kids to love hockey and goaltending, and I am nervous every single day that they aren’t on that path.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

This is a perfect example of how to not play a 2 on 1 that supports a goalie. By sliding over to the pass option, leafs gives Jones a direct line to the net. Causes Woll to get stuck in an awkward waiting cycle where it’s a mini breakaway with maybe still a pass. D needs to stay short post.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Hockey is so fascinating because it’s hard to look at Phillips’ career and say anything other than “yeah the puck doesn’t go in much”. The USA is winning the race in letting their younger players rise

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

One final chart series from #USport Women’s Nationals from the 5th place game where UBC took it 5-1 over Alberta.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Bishop's University is your 2025 #USport Women's Hockey National Champions! First tournament appearance, first title. A very even game that saw momentum swings throughout. Score effects a big differentiator in the final expected goals as Waterloo made a late push down 1-0 in the third.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Who else but Gabi Santerre. Bishops opens the scoring in the #USport championship game shooting through heavy traffic.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

The University of Toronto is the 2025 #USport Women's National Hockey Championship bronze medalists, winning 3-1 over Concordia. Toronto held the quality advantage throughout, and held off a late surge from Concordia looking to tie it up. Game information and statistics in the thread below.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

The goalies won at least once this weekend at #USport women’s nationals.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Catching up on some of the consolation bracket games at the #USport 2025 Women's National Championships. Alberta took yesterday's first game 3-0 over AUS champs St. FX. St. FX outshot and out Fenwick'd Alberta, but total quality was always in favour of the Pandas.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Bishop's secures their first opportunity at winning a #USport National Championship in the first year they make the tournament by beating last year's runner ups in the University of Toronto. An incredibly fun game filled with unbelievable goaltending.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

In between Ohio State and Wisconsin winning last night, the University of Toronto beat UNB in the final #USport Women's Hockey National Championship quarter final game. A bit of a one sided game saw the Varsity Blues come out on top. Most likely outcome happened with the game ending at 2-0.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Bishop's University takes down UBC in Overtime in Game 3 of the #USport Women's Hockey National Championships. Both teams had periods where they were the better team. 4 points for Gabi Santerre including the OT game winner.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

The only shot attempt in the last 6 minutes of the third game at the #USport Women’s National Hockey championship between UBC and Bishops resulted in a Bishops tying goal to send the game into OT. Gabi Santerre involved in each Bishops goal with 1 goal and 2 assists today.

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Ben Csiernik @bcsiernik.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Waterloo takes the 2nd game of the 2025 #USport Women's Hockey National Championship 3-0. Physical game that saw 12 minor penalties. Extremely even game opportunity wise that saw Alberta hold the possession advantage due to more time on the powerplay.

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