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sports Wednesday 2 March 2022
NHL launching faceoff probability stat with AWS technology

By STEPHEN WHYNO tics such as height, weight,
The NHL is launching a new and handedness and
faceoff probability stat that game context such as the
uses a decade's worth of faceoff location, game
data and in-game analyt- score, and faceoff time,"
ics to determine the likeli- she said. "This combination
hood of each player in the of historical success rates,
circle winning the draw. player matchup charac-
The league and Amazon teristics, and game context
Web Services unveiled the brings together HITS and
new feature Tuesday. It's puck and player tracking
the latest innovation in the data to provide a com-
puck and player tracking plete perspective for a fa-
sphere and could be just ceoff's dynamics."
the start of machine-learn- Lehanski said ideas like
ing technology in hockey this dates to Commissioner
with implications for gam- Gary Bettman and TV ex-
bling and countless other ecutive David Hill's Fox-
statistics. Trax glowing puck from
Using information from the the mid-1990s. Technology
past 10 years of games in has advanced so far that
combination with the lo- it has paved the way for
cation of a faceoff, game more precise elements like
situation and player perfor- the new faceoff predictor
mance, AWS software spits Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson tool."Really, this is just the
(71) vie for the puck after a faceoff during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Feb. 18,
out percentage chances 2022, in Las Vegas. beginning," Lehanski said.
of who's coming away with Associated Press "Today we're just talking
the puck in a matter of sec- about face offs, but this
onds before the linesman start analyzing." about what might become Lab, said the NHL and AWS could expand the way we
drops it. Faceoff probability graph- betting options in the near built the model using data look at goaltending, power
"Hockey is such a series of so ics are set to debut on future. "The technology is at from thousands of faceoffs plays and almost every-
many events that lead up Sportsnet in Canada this a place and will soon get from the NHL's Hockey In- thing else. There's so much
to an outcome," NHL exec- week and on ESPN and to a place where almost formation and Tracking Sys- more."
utive vice president of de- Turner later in March. Down any in-game event could tem (HITS). It likely won't be as scien-
velopment and innovation the road, the stat could be- be processed to potentially "This data source was signifi- tific as some of the data in
Dave Lehanski said. "We've come a gambling opportu- be a bet type — something cantly varied and complex, other sports — mostly be-
identified the faceoff as nity for real-time, in-game that someone could take a incorporating such infor- cause of hockey's inherent
being this key component betting. bet on. " mation as a player's home randomness. That's why the
— the beginning of some "The technology will en- Priya Ponnapalli, senior and away faceoff statistics, NHL and AWS focused on
of these incredible events, able that," Lehanski said, manager of Amazon Ma- head-to-head matchup faceoffs as a gateway into
and that's what we want to deferring to league officials chine Learning Solutions history, player characteris- more advanced data.q

Bob Baffert sues Churchill Downs over 2-year suspension

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bob Kentucky racing stewards facts or any semblance of
Baffert has sued Churchill last week disqualified Me- due process.
Downs and track leader- dina Spirit and handed Baf- "Churchill Downs and Mr.
ship in federal court, seek- fert a 90-day suspension Carstanjen knew full well
ing to overturn the embat- and $7,500 fine. Churchill that imposing its suspen-
tled Hall of Fame trainer's Downs recognized runner- sion, based on zero factual
two-year suspension on up Mandaloun as winner or legal support, would give
grounds it violated his due soon after. Kentucky Horse illegitimate credibility to a
process rights. Racing Commission direc- false narrative about Bob,"
The suit filed Tuesday in tor Marc A. Guilfoil on Fri- Brewster added, "creating
U.S. District Court names day denied the trainer's pressure on the Kentucky
Churchill Downs Inc., CEO request to stay the suspen- Race Horsing Commission
William C. Carstanjen and sion that is scheduled to stewards to take action
board chair R. Alex Rankin. begin on March 8. against him, too."
The historic track sus- Baffert and his represen- Churchill Downs called Baf-
pended Baffert last spring tatives have argued that fert's lawsuit disappointing
through 2023 and cited a the steroid in Medina Spirit but not surprising in a state- Jockey John Velazquez, front left, stands with Jill Baffert as they
watch as Jill's husband, trainer Bob Baffert, holds up the winner's
recent spate of failed drug came from the topical oint- ment and said it would fight trophy after their victory with Medina Spirit in the 147th running
tests by his horses including ment Otomax, rather than the suit and defend the of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
now-deceased colt Me- an injection that is banned. company's rights. Associated Press
dina Spirit after he won the Attorney Clark Brewster "His claims are meritless and
Kentucky Derby. A post- stated in a release Tues- consistent with his pattern actions," it added. necropsy revealed no de-
race drug test revealed the day that Churchill Downs is of failed drug tests, denials, Medina Spirit died on Dec. finitive cause for his death.
corticosteroid betametha- not tasked with relegating excuses and attempts to 6 from what Baffert said was The horse's ashes will be in-
sone in his system, which horse racing in Kentucky blame others and identify a heart attack following terred at a retirement farm
is allowed in Kentucky but but "could unilaterally ban" loopholes in order to avoid a workout at Santa Anita for thoroughbred horses in
prohibited on race day. a trainer without having taking responsibility for his race track in California. A Kentucky.q