To understand NHL player stats, first check what the number covers: a career, season, or game, and regular season or playoffs. Then read the relevant measures together—scoring and games played for skaters, or results, workload, and rates for goaltenders. The NHL’s stats interface provides those views; Records.NHL.com is the official destination for historical records and eligibility rules.
Start by checking the scope of the statistic
A total has meaning only within its reporting scope. NHL stats can be viewed by career (all-time), season, or game, and regular-season figures should not be compared directly with playoff figures. Before comparing two players, confirm that both rows use the same view and game type. When quoting a number, name that scope—for example, “all-time regular-season points,” not simply “points.”
The NHL’s stats pages provide separate reports for skaters and goaltenders, with controls for different reporting views. A leaderboard’s title and filters matter as much as its column headings.
How to read the main skater statistics
Skater tables combine scoring totals, rates, and situational or context categories. The most useful first pass is to read games played alongside goals, assists, and points.
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| Column | What it tells you at a glance |
|---|---|
| GP | Games played; useful context for the opportunity behind a total. |
| G | Goals. |
| A | Assists. |
| P | Points, shown separately from goals and assists. |
| P/GP | Points per game, a rate to consider alongside the total and games played. |
| +/- and PIM | Additional categories displayed with scoring statistics. Consult the NHL glossary for formal definitions and recording details. |
| EVG/EVP | Even-strength goals and points. |
| PPG/PPP | Power-play goals and points. |
| SHG/SHP | Shorthanded goals and points. |
| OTG, GWG | Overtime goals and game-winning goals. |
| S, S% | Shots and shooting percentage, separate context fields. |
| TOI/GP | Time on ice per game. |
| FOW% | Faceoff percentage. |
These columns help answer different questions; no single one describes a player’s overall value. For exact definitions of abbreviations and how categories are recorded, use the NHL’s glossary rather than inferring a formula from a label.
Read totals with their opportunity
Goals, assists, and points are cumulative totals. Check GP before treating a larger total as evidence of a higher per-game scoring rate. P/GP supplies a rate for comparison, but should still be considered with the underlying total and the same season or career scope.
Use situational columns to add context
EVG/EVP, PPG/PPP, SHG/SHP, OTG, and GWG separate scoring categories by situation or outcome. They can help explain where a player’s recorded production came from, but the NHL glossary is the appropriate place to confirm precise category definitions.
How to read goaltender statistics
Goalie tables use a different set of measures. Separate game outcomes from workload and rate statistics instead of treating them as interchangeable. Read at least one workload field alongside a rate or outcome when comparing goalies, and keep the reporting period and game type consistent.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Group | Columns shown | How to use them |
|---|---|---|
| Games and decisions | GP, GS, W, L, T, OT | Shows appearances, starts, and listed game results or decisions. |
| Workload | SA, Svs, TOI | Provides context about shots faced, saves, and time on ice. |
| Goals allowed and rates | GA, Sv%, GAA | Keep goals allowed distinct from rate measures; check the NHL glossary for formal definitions and formulas. |
| Other categories | SO and goalie scoring | Shutouts and scoring categories appear in the goalie report alongside the other measures. |
The NHL’s goaltender report lists these categories. The labels alone do not establish every formula; consult the NHL glossary for exact definitions of save percentage, goals-against average, and other abbreviations.
Check record eligibility before comparing leaders
A record list may set minimum appearances or attempts so that a rate category is not led by a very small sample. The NHL’s regular-season goaltender records page specifies these thresholds for the categories shown:
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- Career goals-against average and save-percentage categories require at least 100 games.
- Season versions of those categories require at least 25 games.
- Shootout save-percentage categories also have shot minimums; check the specific record entry for its threshold.
When citing a record, identify the exact category and confirm its eligibility rule on the NHL goaltender regular-season records page. Do not compare a qualified leaderboard entry with an unqualified rate as if they had the same basis.
A fair way to compare players
- Match the scope. Compare career with career, season with season, or game with game; also match regular season to regular season or playoffs to playoffs.
- Check opportunity and workload. For skaters, note GP. For goalies, include games or starts and shots faced where relevant.
- Choose measures that fit the question. For skater scoring, consider G, A, P, and P/GP together. For goalies, keep decisions and workload visible alongside rates and shutouts.
- Check record qualifications. Look for minimum games or shots on rate-stat leaderboards before drawing a comparison.
This method makes a comparison clearer, but it does not make any one statistic a complete measure of player value. NHL tables provide multiple categories because different questions call for different evidence.
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For player and team statistics
Use NHL.com/stats for skater and goalie reports, plus all-time, season, and game views. Confirm the active filters before copying a figure so the scope travels with the number.
For records and League history
Records.NHL.com organizes official individual and team records, milestones, trophies, draft history, and other League history. In a September 17, 2018 announcement, the NHL said the digital site replaced its annual printed Guide & Record Book and that online records update as games are played. NHL vice president of Statistics and Information Russell Levine described the stated goal as “to continue to bring NHL fans closer to the game’s history.”
The NHL reported in 2017 that a digitization project added “more than 15 million new player and game data points” covering more than 24,000 games from 1917 through 1987. That is an attributed figure for the material added by that project, not a current count of the entire database. The NHL’s announcement is available at NHL Offers Online Access to 100 Years of Player, Team, Game Stats.
For a printed historical snapshot
The 2018 NHL Official Guide & Record Book is a print reference describing statistics, retired players, prospects, and current players for that edition. Treat an older edition as a historical snapshot or collectible, not as the current source for active-player totals.
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