There are actually multiple reasons why Jack Han is my favourite sports writer.
The main reason is that he's able to analyze hockey through different lenses such as data, analytics and first principles. Another reason why I love his writing is how he uses concepts from different industries and applies them to hockey. And finally, I just find it really cool to see a fellow Asian succeed in a mostly white-dominant sport such as hockey.
But before we dive in, who exactly is Jack Han?
(it’s the Asian dude in the middle if you didn’t know)
I first learned of Jack through his 1-minute tactics videos he used to post on Twitter. He then had a brief stint as a contributor for The Athletic (where I started to read his articles), before getting hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He then spent the next two years as a player development analyst, a hockey ops assistant and an assistant coach for the Leafs AHL team.
He very recently quit his job as an assistant coach and currently writes on Substack and recently published his first e-book, Hockey Tactics 2020 (which I obviously purchased).
Now that you are caught up, let's expand on why I enjoy his writing so much.
A blend of hockey knowledge, analytics and first principles
I love how he's seamlessly able to blend hockey, data/analytics and first principles all together in his writing.
This is a quick Venn diagram I made of how I view his writing lol.
The reason why thinking from first principles is so important is because it allows you to break down complicated subjects (in this case hockey) at a very fundamental level which will then allow you to come up with new solutions instead of reverting back to the same solution over and over again because "it's always been that way". Especially in hockey, where any non-traditional solution is almost always looked down upon (until someone wins the cup with a new solution and everybody copies it).
According to Jack, the first principle of hockey is the following: Create a small advantage, then connect them in sequence to create a larger advantage. In one article, he uses this principle to explain why Woman's Canadian National team has been lagging behind the USA. For the longest time, Canada has put an importance on being coachable, being defensively responsible and being fit as the main criteria of who should be on the national team. The only issue with this thinking is that the game of hockey has evolved and now rewards players who are quick on their feet and offensively gifted. Sadly, Canada’s mentality has not and is one of the reasons why we have a very hard time beating the USA.
But he doesn't always use first principles to explain tactics.
What makes him such an interesting writer is that he's able to select the appropriate medium to perfectly present his arguments.
In one article, he uses video clips (hockey knowledge) to present a case study of Seth Jones' defensive weakness.
In this article, he blends images (hockey knowledge) and team stats (data/analytics) to argue if you should (or not) play on your off-wing.
Using a mix of his hockey knowledge, analytics and hockey first principles explains why he’s able to communicate so well through his writing.
Applying concepts from different areas to hockey
One of my favourite things to do as a writer is to take a concept I learned from one industry and try to apply it to another industry I'm interested in and see how it works.
And that's something that Jack does constantly.
In his latest article, we see him apply learnings from books such as The Art of Learning or concepts found in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
In the same article, he also uses a KPI, a concept used in business, when suggesting a development plan for Quinton Byfield, an upcoming star NHL player.
Another example of this is when he wrote an article on how can top kitchens can make you a better hockey coach.
Asian Representation
I wasn't sure if I wanted to mention this, as I don't want to take anything away from his writing (it's definitely the biggest reason why he's my favourite writer), but I can' t help but think how awesome it is to see a fellow Asian making it to the NHL - no matter what you're doing.
As a Habs fan, I was super happy when we traded for Nick Suzuki, a half-Japanese player and even got his jersey (thanks Chan).
And I had the same reaction when I heard that Jack found work at the NHL level. Sadly, there's no jersey to buy, but I did buy his book!
Unlike in business, Asians are very underrepresented in the hockey circle, so I can't seem to help it but for root for them. The same way as Nick Suzuki is inspiring other Asian players to pick up hockey as a sport, I'm sure that Jack Han is also inspiring other Asian hockey-lovers that there's a place for them in other areas as well (such as writing, coaching and management).
One cool fact about Jack - he's actually the first Chinese-born person to stand behind a bench in an AHL or NHL game!
Wrapping Up
If there’s one word I can use to explain Jack’s writing is that it’s fresh. As I mentioned previously, the hockey world is definitely not a place where creativity happens often and I appreciate Jack’s unique writing through different lenses to explain hockey concepts and tactics. I’m excited to continue following him in his writing journey and wherever the hockey world takes him next.
If you think his writing would interest you, I'd definitely suggest subscribing to his Substack and the book that he recently published.
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