Can One Number Really Tell the Whole Story?

A Follow-On Post to our Weekly Newsletter

Hockey can be a stat-lover’s dream. But with so many numbers, sometimes the temptation is to mash them together into a single composite metric.

The upside?

✅ Summaries make it easier to see broad trends.

✅ Aggregates help compare teams across seasons.

✅ Directional signals can point us toward who’s gaining or slipping.

The downside?

❌ They can oversimplify a game with a ton of variability and chaos.

❌ They risk hiding the real “why” behind team performance.

That’s why we use composite metrics like the Team Balance Index (TBI) carefully. They’re directional snapshots, not crystal balls.

👉Check out our newsletter and Instagram coverage on the Balance Index!

Sign up to get free access to more weekly content and courseware on all things Hockey Analytics.