GAA, save percentage and shutouts describe different things: goals allowed per 60 minutes, the share of shots stopped, and whether the opposing team scored at all. Each is useful, but none alone measures a goalie’s individual ability; read them together and account for playing time, role and shot context.
What does GAA mean in hockey?
Goals-against average (GAA) expresses goals allowed relative to 60 minutes of playing time. The NHL defines the calculation as: “Multiply goals allowed (GA) by 60 and divide by minutes played (MIN).” (NHL glossary.)
Formula: GAA = goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played.
For example, a goalie who allows 2 goals in 60 minutes has a 2.00 GAA. A lower GAA means fewer goals conceded per equivalent playing time. It is not a count of goals allowed in a typical game, and it can also reflect the team’s defensive play in front of the goalie.
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How is goalie save percentage calculated?
Save percentage (SV%) is saves divided by shots faced. The NHL glossary puts it this way: “Save percentage is determined by dividing saves by shots faced.” (NHL glossary.)
Formula: SV% = saves ÷ shots faced.
It is normally displayed as a decimal: .900 means the goalie stopped 90% of recorded shots on goal. Unlike GAA, its denominator is shots faced rather than playing time. But SV% does not show how difficult those shots were; two goalies with the same percentage may have faced very different shot circumstances.
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What counts as a shutout in the NHL?
A shutout means the opposing club scores no goals. It is a game outcome, not a rate, so it does not adjust for minutes played or shots faced.
The individual-credit rule matters when a team uses more than one goalie. The NHL states: “If two goaltenders combine for a shutout, neither receives credit for the shutout. Instead it is recorded as a Club shutout.” (NHL glossary.) Thus, the team can record a shutout without either goalie receiving an individual one.
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How should you compare GAA, SV% and shutouts?
Use the stats as complementary views, not as standalone verdicts. GAA accounts for time, SV% accounts for shots faced, and shutouts mark a zero-goal result for the opposing club. None isolates goalie skill from the team and circumstances around the goalie. NHL coverage has noted the limits of common measures and the importance of shot circumstances (Seattle Kraken, Alison Lukan, 2021).
- Match the comparison: compare goalies in the same season and competition.
- Check opportunity and role: consider minutes and games played, and whether each goalie was primarily a starter or relief goalie.
- Read GAA and SV% together: one is goals per 60 minutes; the other is the share of shots stopped. Neither reveals shot difficulty by itself.
- Treat shutouts as an outcome: they depend on the team allowing no goals and on the NHL’s individual-credit rule.
- Add shot context where available: measures that account for circumstances can help explain what the headline numbers leave out.
The NHL’s 2019 statistics redesign discussed presenting goalie information side by side for context, including start quality and complete or incomplete game views; that article is historical, not a guarantee of what the current stats interface displays (NHL.com, December 2019).
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A season-specific example
Among goalies with at least 25 games played, Scott Wedgewood recorded a .921 SV%, a 2.02 GAA and four shutouts for Colorado in the 2025–26 regular season, according to the Colorado Avalanche’s June 25, 2026 recap. These figures illustrate how the three stats can be read together; they are not universal good-or-bad thresholds or a current leaderboard.
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- DESIGNED FOR COMFORT: The adjustable backplate ensures a comfortable fit for any youth head size and makes this goalie helmet ideal for all street hockey players
- CHROME-WELDED STEEL: Specially designed with a chrome-welded steel cage for premium protection during street-hockey games
- QUICK-SNAP STRAPS: This hockey helmet goes on and off smoothly in seconds, thanks to its easy-to-use quick-snap elastic straps
- BALL & STREET HOCKEY APPROVED: These hockey goalie masks are not HECC/CSA-certified and are only made for street-hockey play with a 2 ⅝” ball. Not certified for ice hockey or any other type of puck play
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