iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Maybe later this season, but it just wasn't where I wanted it to be while working on Puck Passport and Hockey Game Bot pixel videos.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 30/09/2026

Since the weekly recap video was so well received, I've added a new one. Every goal has a win probability swing. Every day @hockeygamebot.com finds the biggest swing, rebuilds the play from EDGE tracking data, and turns it into a retro video. Check out last night's OT winner! 👇

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 29/09/2026

Thanks man - appreciate it! 🤝

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 29/09/2026

A new @hockeygamebot.com weekly feature: the preseason's 10 biggest win-probability swings, rebuilt in retro pixel style from NHL tracking data. #2: McAvoy, when the model had Boston at 1%. #1: you'll have to watch 👇 Check out the full episode on YouTube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=za8Q...

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 29/09/2026

I felt like the game bots weren't providing the value they once were so I am going to give them the season off as I work on some other stuff & maybe brainstorm some ideas for a return this season or next. If you followed one and want it back, reply here with your team to help me gauge interest.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 28/09/2026

The Hockey Game Bot site had a little Passport page where you could log games you'd been to. It ended up being one of the most visited pages on the site, so I turned it into a real app. Puck Passport is out today on iPhone & on the web - go check it out!

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 08/08/2026

Oh absolutely. If there's anything else you think my site / account could provide or add to stuff that's not as easy to find as hockey stats were just let me know and I'd love to look into it.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 08/08/2026

@mingemi.bsky.social hey, thanks for reposting that @dubmetrics.com thing. It took me forever to realize where I knew your name from. I remember when you were writing for the Seattle Times about the Kraken. Glad to see your work in a space I am trying to dip my toes into! 🔥

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 01/08/2026

Turn any NHL game you've been to into a shareable ticket stub - final score, arena, the badges you earned that night. The QR code at the bottom opens directly to your public passport page! Check it out! 👇 hockeygamebot.com/puck-passpor...

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 29/07/2026

Over 2,300 games logged! If you haven't signed up, go check it out! Would love to know what you think and what features I might be missing. 👇

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 29/07/2026

There's another app that does concerts too (I think Momento is the name of it). But thanks - appreciate it! 🤝

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 28/07/2026

New in Puck Passport! Add games straight from your camera roll. Pick photos from games you went to and it reads the date (and location if available) to figure out which game you were at. All in your browser - nothing gets uploaded. hockeygamebot.com/puck-passpor...

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 28/07/2026

@kagedamage.bsky.social thanks guys - really happy with it. I just added auto detection from photos too (GPS and date detection in the browser - no uploads). Working on some fixes and features this week.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 28/07/2026

Woah - people have already logged 1,800+ games they've been to in person. A lot of us have quietly kept a running list of every game we've seen live. Puck Passport just makes it a real thing. Free, no account needed. 👇

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 26/07/2026

When you choose to share your passport you get a dedicated passport image which shows your stats for points/goals/assists seen and a summary of your milestone ranks & badges. Check it out & let me know what you think!

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 26/07/2026

Puck Passport is live on the @hockeygamebot.com site! A free home for every NHL game you've seen in person. Log your games, earn badges for OT games, shutouts + hat tricks, collect all 32 arenas, and share your passport. Free to start, no account needed. hockeygamebot.com/puck-passport?ref=bluesky

hockeygamebot.com

Puck Passport · HockeyGameBot

Your Puck Passport — stamp every NHL game you've been to in person and watch it add up: counters, team records, arenas visited, and every player you've seen.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 12/07/2026

Make sure you wash those blueberries well.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 12/07/2026

As stupid as it sounds one of the hardest things about building all these new "cards" for @hockeygamebot.com has been information density and the legibility on social media but I'm really happy with how these have turned out.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 17/06/2026

As per Kevin Weekes more trade rumors are starting to circulate about Mason McTavish. Offensive upside, but real defensive concerns. At 23 on a $7M deal, the price won't be cheap, but maybe a team is willing to take a chance.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 16/06/2026

Ever since I got into the nitty-gritty of hockey analytics, the stats and math side of it REALLY intrigued me. When I looked for the same thing in basketball, the NBA space was already packed, so figured why not WNBA. Took everything I built with @hockeygamebot.com and started over. Early days!

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 13/06/2026

Each player also gets a rating card - their overall talent profile broken down by component, ranked against players at the same position. Includes current season WAR and HGB Impact (my game-by-game performance model).

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 12/06/2026

Dutch Bros is so overrated. The lines are so ridiculously long for sugar bombs.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 12/06/2026

Anyway here are my single season player cards which include component breakdowns isolated to a single season, box score data and NHL EDGE data.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 12/06/2026

I get slight imposter syndrome about posting my player cards or things related to my new model, but I feel like the only way to get better is to share things in the public. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 11/06/2026

PS - go give @hockeygamebot.com as I'll be automating some posts there (highlights and stat cards) for next season! 🔥

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 11/06/2026

Not much separating Carolina and Vegas through four games. Series tied 2-2 - we’ve basically got a best-of-3 now. Does Carolina make home ice count tonight, or does Vegas head into Game 6 with a chance to win the Cup in its own building?

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 11/06/2026

Here are some in-depth numbers as to how good that Blake-Hall-Stankoven line as been in the playoffs.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 11/06/2026

The Hurricanes Blake-Hall-Stankoven is one of the top this postseason at 67.1% xGF (65.1% in 43 5v5 minutes this series). The Knights best answer is Howden-Karlsson-Marner at 57.6% (in 47 5v5 minutes this series). Curious to see how these lines matchup in Game 5 in Carolina.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 26/05/2026

The Blake - Hall - Stankoven line has been so good all playoffs long. In 127 5v5 minutes, they've put up some REALLY good numbers » 68.4% xGF 64.4% CF 71.4% GF (10GF / 4GA) Taylor Hall has been Carolina's best player all post-season.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

Curious to see if Montreal changes line deployment this series. The Carrier/Matheson (44% xGF) pairing and Caufield/Slaf/Suzuki (42.5% xGF) line have been underwater all playoffs. Trying to match up against Blake/Hall/Stankoven (61% xGF) will be a tough task.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

Carolina has the model and the underlying play. Montreal has the regular-season tape and the playoff grit. Let's see who takes Game 1 tonight!

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

The catch on Montreal: they've been losing the underlying battle. CAR's 5v5 xGF% in the playoffs is 55.47%. MTL's is 45.88% — well below break-even. The Habs have been winning on margins the play doesn't support. Model has CAR at 67%.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

Montreal's been the opposite. Two Game 7 wins on the road. And Jakub Dobes is at +9.87 GSAx — second only to Andersen. The two best playoff goalies are about to face each other. BUT, Montreal won all three regular-season meetings against Carolina, outscoring them 15-8.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

Carolina has been dominant. Swept Ottawa. Swept Philly. Allowed 10 goals across both rounds. Frederik Andersen is at +14.59 GSAx in 8 games (all situations) — the highest of any playoff goalie this year by a wide margin.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/05/2026

Carolina is 8-0. Montreal won back-to-back Game 7s to get here. They meet Thursday with the Eastern Conference on the line, and the model has a clear favorite. Some thoughts ahead of Game 1. #NHLPlayoffs

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 20/05/2026

But Vegas has been here before. It's their fifth Conference Final in nine seasons of existence. Model says Avalanche. History says don't count Vegas out. Let's see who takes G1 tonight in Colorado!

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 20/05/2026

Here's the catch on Vegas. They've won both series 4-2. But at 5v5, their xGF% is 50.6% — basically a coin flip. They've been winning games, not dominating play. The model sees that gap and gives the Avalanche a 70% chance to head to the Stanley Cup.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 20/05/2026

Vegas has been tested. Six against Utah, six against Anaheim. But Mitch Marner's playing the best hockey of his career: 18 points in 12 games, leading all playoff scorers. Eichel's right behind him at 15. The offense is real, but can they do this against Colorado now?

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 20/05/2026

Colorado's been the most dominant team in the playoffs. Swept the Kings. Beat Minnesota in five. They're scoring 4.02 G/60 — the highest rate of any team still standing — with an astounding 56 xGF% at 5v5. The dominance is real.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 20/05/2026

The last two Western Conference champions, head to head. Colorado vs Vegas. Presidents' Trophy winner vs the team nobody can put away. Some thoughts ahead of Game 1 tonight. #NHLPlayoffs

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 19/05/2026

Buffalo made the wrong goalie call. Playoffs GSAx: Luukkonen -2.59 & Lyon +4.97 Game 7: Luukkonen -0.2 & Dobes +2.73 for Montreal. The pattern held. Series over.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 05/05/2026

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 05/05/2026

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 05/05/2026

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 05/05/2026

Most people don't know this, but back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship.

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/04/2026

Happy Noah Kahan tiny desk concert day! 🔥

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matt donders @mattdonders.com · 21/04/2026

The Hurricanes and Flyers take a 2-0 series lead, the Stars grab one at home to even up their series & the Oilers get Draisaitl back and take Game 1 at home! Carolina gets a 2.4% bump to win the cup. Follow along here for full up to date numbers. 👇 hockeygamebot.com/playoffs/2026/

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