The analytics aren't advanced. You don't need variables, means or modes to quantify the data. It's simple math and the reality is that Brian was shown the prevalence of left-handed shooters in the League during his career, and it outnumbered those who shot right. History has a way of repeating itself and the stats, to this very day, still remain similar.

A simple search in NHL.com's player database reveals 739 records returned when searching statistics on players that have dressed in at least one game in the 2017-18 season. Configure the data to reflect left shooters and 453 skaters appear. There's a significant drop-off when filtering it for righties. Of the 739 players, there are only 286, accounting for roughly 39 percent of the League.

As for defencemen, 254 are listed in the directory and 151 of them are left-shooters. That leaves 103 right-shot rearguards in the League altogether -- just 13 percent total.

"It's pretty easy," answered Eric Gryba, a right-hand dominant right shot. "Your dominant hand is supposed to be your top hand. I'm not that way, I'm right-handed and I shoot right. I should shoot left."

Studies suggest right-hand dominant individuals account for 88 to 92 percent of the world's population. That adds evidence to Gryba's explanation that the primary hand should be on the knob. Although empirical, it's the comfort of holding a stick that's subjective to each player.

In the Oilers Dressing Room, the team falls in line with the stats: 14 members of the club shoot left and nine right, which equals 39 percent. Three of the 23 skaters on the roster are right-shot defencemen -- reflecting 13 percent of the team. Having a left-right defence pairing is typically ideal for most coaches because it provides some fluency on the backend when giving, taking and making a pass. Despite the disparity in the number of lefts versus rights, as of Nov. 18, the top-five leaders in points by defencemen were righties. That changed to seven when looking at the top-10, leading some to believe there is an advantage for right-shooters despite their scarcity.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with goalies," continued Gryba. "It's harder to catch than it is to use your blocker. A righty is going to have a better angle on the glove side. Even if you see the angle, the angle of your shot is different than the angle you see. Majority of the time, they're going to have a better angle at the glove side."

Backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit hasn't given the topic much thought but agreed there is likely an edge to right-shot skaters when they barrel down the right wing or unload one-timers from the East side of the ice.

"I don't notice a difference but I'm sure there is," the netminder, who catches with his left hand and holds a paddle with his right, said. "A right-handed shot coming down going cross-body might be difficult but I don't pay attention enough to say for sure."

Iiro Pakarinen is an outlier. The Finn is ambidextrous. He throws a ball with his left but pens his letters with his right. When the team did fitness testing at the beginning of the season, his left and right legs scored equal and he says he can shoot as a lefty but not stickhandle.

But he, like many of the other Oilers players, knows of the phenomena but can't explain the competitive advantage.

"There might be more players that have done what Benny did," Pakarinen said. "Try to shoot left-handed but then they try to switch it as young as they can. I've heard a couple guys do that. But otherwise, is there a difference? I don't think so."

The evidence remains: there's a need for a right-shooting defenceman in the League and Brian knew it.

"For me, it's what I've always known and I'm glad that my dad did that when I was a child," said Matt, the hometown kid sitting in his Oilers stall, 18 years after learning to hold a stick. "On all the teams I've played on, there's been a lot of lefty defencemen. Being right-handed just helps in some situations."