In 2011, while he was still working in nanotechnology, Tulsky began writing for Philadelphia Flyers fan blog Broad Street Hockey.[5] Through SB Nation, he launched the blog Outnumbered.[3] Tulsky spoke at the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference about his work with possession metrics, concluding that the dump-and-chase tactic was ineffective and that teams should prioritize controlled zone entries. Although he did not receive any job offers after the conference, teams began to embrace controlled entries in a way that he found "unlikely" to be coincidental.[6]
After publishing his work online, Tulsky began doing various consulting projects for NHL teams.[7][8] His first consulting project was with the Nashville Predators during the 2012 offseason.[6] For the 2014–15 season, he was hired by the Carolina Hurricanes as a part-time analyst, working as a remote consultant for 20–25 hours per week. He was promoted to a full-time analyst in 2015, moving to Raleigh.[9][10][8] He was named head of hockey analytics in 2017, and in 2018 was promoted to vice president of hockey management and strategy.[11][5] In January 2021, Tulsky was promoted to assistant general manager.[10]
While Tulsky has remained with the Hurricanes, he was interviewed for the position of general manager by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022[12] and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023.[13] On May 24, 2024, Tulsky was named interim general manager of the Hurricanes after the resignation of Don Waddell, who had spent six years in the role.[14][2] In his first move in the position, he re-signed forward prospect Ryan Suzuki to a one-year, league-minimum contract extension.[15] On June 18, the Hurricanes announced that Tulsky had been officially hired as permanent general manager.[4]
Personal life
Tulsky was born in Port Huron, Michigan. He moved to Philadelphia at age four, becoming a fan of the Phillies and the Flyers. As a child, he was primarily a baseball fan.[1]
