hockeyfanland.com

It wasn't just because Jay Feaster and Bob Hartley are such good buddies. Stats and in-depth analysis played a dominant part in the hiring of Hartley as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames.

ESPN.com's Craig Custance discusses how Chris Snow -- Calgary's Director of Video and Statistical Analysis -- researched the respective data-related histories of teams (at all levels) coached by the finalists for the position.

And Hartley came out smelling like roses.

"His teams consistently performed in the top third in the league in every team category. When he was in Atlanta, those teams improved every season," Snow said. "Improving is such a big thing we looked for when we looked for a coach ..."

Plus, Custance reveals Hartley impressed in one particularly crucial area.

(As an aside, the Washing