291: Managing Workload and Performance in the NHL

This week, host Richard Graves welcomes Steven Nightingale, Sports Scientist with the New Jersey Devils (NHL), to explore the realities of managing workload, performance, and recovery in one of the world’s most demanding sporting environments.
From starting out in Peterborough to working in China, Russia, and now in the NHL, Steve shares his fascinating journey through elite sport, and how data, experience, and practical collaboration with coaches all come together to optimise athlete performance.
They dive deep into how workload is managed across an 82-game season, the impact of fixture congestion and travel, and the evolving role of data and AI in shaping the future of sports science.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Steve’s career took him from teaching in England to sports science roles across China, the KHL, and the NHL.
• What workload management really means in professional ice hockey, and why it’s misunderstood.
• How the Devils balance recovery, readiness, and tactical demands across a relentless schedule.
• The challenges of measuring true intensity and how Steve uses Z-scores and T-scores to make data meaningful for coaches.
• Why less distance covered can actually correlate with winning more games.
• How travel, sleep, and recovery all factor into athlete performance across an 82-game season.
• The future of data analysis, including AI’s growing role in sports science.

About Steven Nightingale
Steven Nightingale is a Sports Scientist with the New Jersey Devils in the NHL and is currently completing his Doctorate in Applied Sport and Exercise Science. Originally from Peterborough, England, Steve’s career has taken him from teaching and voluntary roles in UK hockey to international positions with Ice Hockey UK, the Chinese Olympic Committee, and teams in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League).
His research focuses on workload monitoring, return-to-play strategies, and performance optimisation, using technologies such as Catapult to inform evidence-based decision-making. Steven regularly shares insights on LinkedIn and publishes his research on ResearchGate.

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