Why the same player has five different IDs, and how clubs fix it
A short, plain guide for coaches and staff on why player data from different sources does not line up, and what a simple matching setup looks like.
The short answer
Every data provider gives the same player its own ID, so nothing joins automatically. Clubs fix it with one master list: one club ID per player, linked to each source's ID, with a person checking the unclear cases.
A coach asks a simple question: how did our new defenceman play last season, and how is he doing in practice now? The answer sits in three systems. Each one knows him under a different ID.
That is the whole problem in one sentence.
Why the IDs do not match
Each provider built its own system. League data, video, tracking and your own scouting sheet all give a player a number that only works inside that tool.
On top of that, names vary:
- First name first, or last name first
- Accented and Nordic letters kept in one source and dropped in another
- Short forms or initials
- Two different players with the same name
So you cannot just put the files side by side. Someone has to decide which rows are the same person.
What usually happens today
An analyst exports the files and matches them in a spreadsheet. It works once. Next week it has to be done again, and the fixes from last time are often lost.
When that analyst leaves, the knowledge leaves too.
A simple setup that works
The fix is not complicated. It is a master list.
One club ID per player
Each player gets one ID that belongs to the club. Every source ID is linked to it.
Match on more than the name
Use name, birthdate, team and season together. That settles most cases on its own.
Let a person decide the rest
Some cases stay unclear, for example a common name or a young player called up mid season. Put them in a short review list. A staff member decides once, and the decision is saved so it is not asked again.
Keep the original IDs
Never throw away the source IDs. They let you trace a number back to the system it came from.
What staff get out of it
- One player, one row, across all your data
- Questions that need two sources can be answered in minutes, not days
- Fewer wrong numbers caused by mixing up two players
- A setup the next analyst can understand
Where The Hockey Brain fits
Matching players across sources is a core part of what The Hockey Brain is building for clubs. The matched tables are stored in the club's own database. We are in early access and build this together with the first clubs.
If you want the technical detail, read the deeper guide on player ID matching linked below.
Read next
Frequently asked questions
Can we match players by name only?
Not safely. Names are spelled differently across sources and some players share a name. Birthdate, team and season are needed too, and a person should check the cases the rules cannot settle.
Do we lose the original IDs?
No. A good setup keeps every source ID next to the club ID, so any number can be traced back to where it came from.
Tired of reconciling exports?
We are building maintained connectors for hockey data sources. Early clubs decide what ships first.