NHL Demographics: Let Your Eyes Do the Work

A fun data viz here. Don't read it. Let your eyes tell you if the NHL is getting younger.

The circles represent the total amount of ice time by each age group. The larger and darker the circle, the more ice time (as a percentage of the year's total ice time).

Your eyes will likely be drawn to the top right area, where recent years show the largest dark circles for ages 21 to 24. On the left side, your see some large circles representing the most ice time for ages 28 to 30.

Explore the data viz by hovering and clicking on each dot see more information including the players that represent each circle.

Maybe the most interesting observation your eyes will make is the diagonal correlation, which is a strong visual of the impact a strong draft cohort can be on the league. Take a closer look at age 25 in 2006 and follow it diagonally; this is the Sedin cohort. Age 32 in 2006; the Forsberg cohort. Click and explore to find out more.

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data source: hockey-reference.com