from Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News,
A decade ago, the Flyers' least conditioned player would likely have been chosen subjectively - by a kangaroo court of vets judging simply with their eyes.
Last month, the Flyers - and team management - were able to tell which players maintained their fitness by huddling around a computer screen. The numbers spoke for themselves.
That's because the Flyers are the only NHL team to train with data-collecting technology by Catapult Sports. During nearly every practice, Flyers players skate with a durable GPS tracking device that is roughly half the size of an iPhone sewn into a pocket on the back of their shoulder pads that remotely monitors distance, velocity, acceleration, deceleration, jumps, heart rate and recovery time, among many other things.
The heart-rate monitor, a strap that wraps around their chest, is the only piece of equipment players notice.
"I don't think anyone in here had any issue with wearing it," Flyers forward Jay Rosehill said. "In fact, I think everyone was pretty curious when we first started to wear it. It's funny how the game has evolved and they're using technology like that to track us."
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