Yesterday Cap Geek founder Matthew Wuest passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer and the internet is collectively saying goodbye to one of their own.
Wuest created Cap Geek in 2009, after, according to this article by Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski, he realized that not only was there no calculator available online to crunch a team’s numbers, but that he could provide one.
Wyshynski writes,
"The “cap calculator” he created was an instant hit and, quite frankly, a godsend for Web-savvy hockey fans. Here was an application to test wild scenarios, predict future roster configurations and play fantasy GM with free-agent signings. Perhaps most importantly, it was an immediate sniff test on the outlandish trade rumors that pervade the online sports fan experience on blogs and message boards."
His dedication to ensuring that this information was available to all, fan to GM, made Cap Geek a must-stop site for bloggers, reporters, talking heads and even stats-inclined players. When the site went dark in early January of 2015 due to health reasons, hockey twitter went through an uproar of sorts, bemoaning the loss of its favorite site.
Social media went through a similar, if more somber, revelation last night.
I worked with Matt for about three years and only about two years in did someone, not him, mention he was behind capgeek.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) March 20, 2015
Like oh, by the way, Matt on the side created a website that revolutionized hockey fandom.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) March 20, 2015
Just a brilliant, obsessively humble and private guy, who died incomprehensibly too soon.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) March 20, 2015
But he changed the sport he loved forever. Who among us can say that?
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) March 20, 2015
Authors at The Hockey Writers were asked to put together a brief tribute to Wuest, who enriched our lives and articles, and made finding data for our passion so much easier.
You can read my comments on the situation below, or at The Hockey Writers where they were originally published.