Report: Maple Leafs create analytics division, hire bloggers

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired three hockey bloggers who specialize in advanced stats analytics, reports Yahoo Sports. The three will form a new advanced

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired three hockey bloggers who specialize in advanced stats analytics, reports Yahoo Sports. The three will form a new advanced stats department for the team, and will report to assistant GM Kyle Dubas. 

The hires include Darryl Metcalf, founder of ExtraSkater.com; Cam Charron, who previously wrote for Yahoo Sports Canada; and Rob Pettapiece, who worked for Yahoo Sports' junior hockey blog Buzzing the Net. 

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The hires are a continuation of the Maple Leafs' front office restructuring that began when the team named Brendan Shanahan the club's new president in April. Since then, the team has fired executives Dave Poulin and Claude Loiselle, hired Dubas and handed coach Randy Carlyle a two-year extension. 

Toronto went 38-36-8 and failed to make the playoffs last season. The team has not won a playoff series since 2003-04.

- Alex Hampl