Kevin Abrams was instrumental in streamlining and enhancing the Central Canada Hockey League. During his tenure as the longest-serving commissioner for a Junior A League in North America, he developed the use of technology and analytics as standard operating procedures while overseeing the league’s growth. Stepping into his role as the United States Premier Hockey League adviser, he looks forward to using those same tools to grow the junior hockey league.
“The league admin tools, Trade Centre and draft platforms were seamless and smooth and became a necessity, which is what we anticipated in the CCHL,” he said. “The tools gave us the ability to operate the league more efficiently and became something we relied on daily. These same tools are going to be beneficial for moving the USPHL forward.”
Abrams is referencing RinkNet, a technology that hockey scouts, managers and coaches around the world use to access real-time stats, information and analytics. It covers more than 13,500 teams and 300,000 players across the NHL, Junior and youth hockey, giving users access to the information they need to make decisions, and recruit and enhance communication within their team and across the industry.
“Users have a wealth of information at their fingers tips,” said Kenny Rausch, vice president of client relationships at RinkNet . “This means they can use their time more efficiently and teams can make decisions based on data and real-time information.”
RinkNet’s player information system offers one-stop shopping for player information and evaluations. The company’s additional products also allow leagues and teams to manage their central registry, conduct league drafts and execute trades. In addition, RinkNet develops custom solutions to meet the unique needs and nuances of larger leagues like the USPHL, which is important to the league’s successful growth.
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“USPHL is a stand-alone platform that is far more unique than one might anticipate,” Abrams said. “We have some nuances with rules and regulations, which are significantly different compared to other leagues.”
RinkNet’s portal allows organizations to enter original player information into the platform for statistics broadcasting, analytics and synchronization, creating a streamlined and cohesive database.
“We have so many teams and conferences as well as different categories that have different regulations. So we’ve worked with Rinknet to make adjustments and have it fit our model,” Abrams said. “I'm looking forward to seeing what it will look like next season.”
As Abrams and the USPHL team work to grow the league in the western U.S., day-to-day efficiencies will be key in scaling capabilities.
“There’s a level of expectation from every customer, whether coach, parent or athlete,” Abrams said. “If you’re not really cutting edge and you’re not doing all you can do then you fall behind whatever competition you might have. I think the myriad ability to assign time and resources to other areas because we’re doing this efficiently with RinkNet is a real advantage.”
Looking ahead, he’s optimistic they’ll be successful.
“Every junior league has ideas of growth and there are some exciting days ahead for this group,” Abrams said. “The potential to grow exponentially over the next five years is real and something to keep an eye on for sure. RinkNet will be a big part of that growth."
The Trust Project
