The evolution of the Castlegar Rebels continues with the hiring of analytics prodigy Parker Hickey.
Hickey, from Montreal, Que. just finished his fourth year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. where the recently appointed Engineer excelled on his Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Mathematics.
In addition to his schooling he was Commissioner of the LUG student hockey league, a revenue generating, 15-employee venture where he lead and coordinated many large-scale fundraising events.
Parker also co-founded Hockey Helps the Homeless Queen’s Committee, where they raised over $115,000 that went towards benefiting the Kingston Youth Shelter among others.
In addition to the above Parker also has spent time as a Project Manager as well as an Equity Research Analyst in Toronto.
Rebels President, Mike Johnstone said “We’re thrilled to have Parker join our hockey club. His analytics background is a huge addition to our team and his work in the community fits perfectly with what were trying to accomplish here in Castlegar.”
Johnstone added, “As an organization, we’ve committed to become one of the premier Junior B hockey programs in Canada, and Parker is a big piece of the puzzle. We want to build a culture of excellence, both on and off the ice, and this is one more step forward.”
General Manager, Bill Rotheisler commented “Parker is an extremely intelligent young man. Through his resume and subsequent interview process, he showed his polish, intelligence, and ability to see projects through. At a young age, he has already shown many examples of his steadfastness to get things done and manage an organization.”
When asked specifically about bringing in someone with an analytical ability, Rotheisler continued, “Hockey doesn’t change, but it does evolve. you must be willing to evolve with it. We have seen a predominant advanced stats trend in hockey with many examples of the analytics, as well as age, shift. From full-blown NHL buy-ins like Arizona and Florida, to simple analytics manager roles. I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, but you can’t deny that even the wheel has evolved to be a much more efficient phenomenon. (NHL) Toronto’s success of incorporating an analytics intellectual as an assistant GM within a strong organizational structure has paid of in dividends.”
Parker begins the transition into the role immediately, and the Castlegar Rebels could not be more thrilled to have him part of the continuing legacy.
The feeling is mutual, as Parker Hickey commented, “I am both thrilled and excited to serve as the next Assistant GM for the Castlegar Rebels. Bill and I share a vision for the exceptional organization we want to build. Am eager to get out there and get to work. Players and fans should be excited about the season ahead.”
One thing is for sure, the Rebels are certainly beating the same drum for the 2017-18 season.