Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations Chris MacFarland announced on Thursday that the organization has hired Hayden Speak as the new Director of Research and Development. Speak will focus on expanding the franchise's analytics department. He will create research models to evaluate the team and its competitors, and build tools to support the coaching staff with its game preparation. “We are strongly familiar with the type of work Hayden produces, and it speaks for itself,” MacFarland said in a press release. “We are excited to add another person with significant NHL experience to our ever-expanding hockey analytics department.” — Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) August 27, 2026Speak spent the last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, working for current Predators Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Rob Blake for six. He began his NHL career as an analyst for the Kings before being promoted to senior analyst of amateur analytics, and then manager of research and development ahead of the 2025-26 season.He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Central Florida, an MBA from UMass Lowell and a master's degree in computer science from Georgia Tech and spent time as a lead hockey researcher in the OHL for the Mississauga Steelheads from 2016-19.October 2026November 2026December 2026January 2027February 2027March 2027April 2027Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram for the latest news.