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A hockey box score shows what a player produced and what happened while they were on the ice—but those are different things. Shots measure attempts that reached the net, hits record physical contact, plus-minus tracks goal differential in specific situations, and points credit a player for goals and assists. Read each stat in context rather than treating any one of them as a complete measure of performance.
Start with the player’s game line
Box-score layouts vary by broadcaster, league, and website, but a skater’s line commonly includes goals, assists, points, shots, hits, and plus-minus. A team result and an individual stat answer different questions: the final score tells you who won, while the player line records selected actions or outcomes associated with one player.
For example, a player can earn an assist on a goal without taking a shot, or finish with a positive plus-minus despite recording no points. The key is to understand what each column counts—and what it leaves out.
What do shots mean?
In a standard hockey box score, “shots” usually means shots on goal. The NHL glossary defines a shot on goal as an attempt that scores or would have gone in if the goalie had not stopped it. A puck that misses the net or is blocked by a skater is not a conventional shot on goal. See the NHL hockey glossary.
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This means the shot total is narrower than the total number of attempts a team or player may generate. A missed attempt or blocked attempt can still matter to broader shot-attempt statistics, but it does not appear as a shot on goal in the ordinary box-score column.
Shots are not the same as shot attempts
Shot-attempt measures include attempts that miss or get blocked as well as shots on goal. Seattle Kraken writer Alison Lukan explains that Corsi combines missed and blocked attempts with conventional shots on goal. So a player credited with three shots may have taken more than three attempts; the basic box score does not show the full attempt count.
What do hits mean?
Hits are recorded instances of physical contact credited to a player under the league’s statistical rules. They give a glimpse of physical involvement, not a complete measure of defensive quality or effort. A high hit total does not, by itself, show whether those contacts disrupted a play, led to possession, or were made at a useful moment.
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Hit totals can also depend on how the game is scored. Treat them as a recorded statistic within that league’s box score, not as a universal measure that can be compared perfectly across every competition or scoring system.
What does plus-minus mean?
Plus-minus describes the goal differential while a skater is on the ice in situations that count under the applicable scoring rules. In a common NHL formulation, a player gets a plus when their team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal while they are on the ice, and a minus when the opponent scores an even-strength or power-play goal while they are on the ice. Power-play goals are not credited as pluses to the scoring team’s skaters; shorthanded goals can count as minuses for the team scored against.
For instance, a plus-minus of +2 means the player was credited with a two-goal net advantage in the situations counted by that statistic. It does not mean they scored two points, nor does it include every goal scored in every game situation. Because the number depends on teammates, opponents, deployment, and the scoring context, it is not a standalone rating of an individual’s skill.
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What do goals, assists, and points mean?
A goal is credited to the player who scores. Assists are credited to teammates whose play helped produce the goal, according to the league’s scoring rules. A player’s points are the sum of their goals and assists: one goal counts as one point, and each credited assist counts as one point.
For example, a player with one goal and one assist has two points. A player can also have a point without a shot on goal if they assisted on a teammate’s score. Points measure credited scoring production; they are not the same as plus-minus or a measure of all-around play.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the stats together
Use the columns as separate clues rather than interchangeable grades. Shots show attempts that reached the net or scored; hits show recorded physical contact; points show credited scoring contributions; plus-minus summarizes goal differential in specified on-ice situations.
- High shots, no points: the player tested the goalie but did not score or receive an assist.
- Points with few or no shots: the player may have assisted on goals scored by teammates.
- Positive plus-minus, no points: the player shared the ice for more counted goals by their team than by the opponent, without necessarily recording a scoring point.
- Many hits: the player was credited with frequent physical contact, but the total alone does not establish its impact.
Check the league and the box-score provider when comparing figures across competitions. Stat labels may look familiar while definitions, recording practices, and which situations count differ.
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