Save percentage (SV%) is the share of shots a goalie stops; goals-against average (GAA) is goals allowed per 60 minutes; and a quality start (QS) records whether a start met a particular performance threshold. They describe different things, so a goalie’s line makes more sense when you know the formula, the sample, and—especially for quality starts—the definition used by the source.
What save percentage measures
The NHL defines save percentage as saves divided by shots faced. In a standard goalie line, shots faced are saves plus goals allowed, so SV% expresses the fraction of shots on goal the goalie stopped. A value of .910 means the goalie stopped 91 percent of shots faced in that sample.
For example, if a goalie faces 30 shots and allows 3 goals, the goalie makes 27 saves: 27 ÷ 30 = .900 SV%. This is a hypothetical example, not a league benchmark. A higher SV% means a larger share of shots was stopped, but the figure alone does not describe the shot mix, game situation, or length of the sample. The NHL glossary provides the official formula.
What goals-against average measures
GAA is the number of goals a goalie allows per 60 minutes played. The NHL formula is goals allowed multiplied by 60, divided by minutes played: GAA = goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played. It is a playing-time rate, not simply goals allowed per appearance.
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For example, allowing 3 goals in 60 minutes produces a 3.00 GAA; allowing those same 3 goals in 45 minutes produces a 4.00 GAA. These are hypothetical calculations. Unlike SV%, GAA does not account for how many shots the goalie faced. The NHL glossary defines the calculation.
How quality starts and QS% work
Quality start is a game-level measure of whether a goalie’s start met a specified standard. It is not an NHL glossary statistic, and there is more than one convention. Always identify the provider or threshold when citing QS or QS%.
Sports-Reference’s Hockey-Reference method
Sports-Reference describes the Hockey-Reference method as counting a start when the goalie’s save percentage reaches at least that season’s mean save percentage. It also applies a low-shot adjustment: a goalie facing 20 or fewer shots qualifies at .885 SV% or higher. In the source’s example for 2013–14, the season-mean threshold was .915; that is a historical illustration, not a current universal cutoff. See Sports-Reference’s explanation of quality starts.
NHL.com’s .900-start measure
NHL.com has also described a simpler measure: starts in which a goalie recorded an SV% above .900. Its 2019 explanation called this akin to baseball’s quality-start metric. That is a distinct convention—not a single official NHL quality-start definition—and should not be confused with Hockey-Reference’s season-specific method. NHL.com’s article reported league-average SV% of .915 in 2015–16 and .910 through 483 games in the then-current season; those are dated 2019 figures, not current benchmarks. Read NHL.com’s explanation.
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QS% is quality starts divided by games started. It tells you how often a starter met the chosen standard, not the average quality of every appearance or the goalie’s overall save percentage. Since both the threshold and the number of starts matter, QS% comparisons are meaningful only when the same convention and comparable samples are used.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare the three stats
| Stat | Question it answers | Formula or convention | Key caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| SV% | What share of shots faced did the goalie stop? | Saves ÷ shots faced | Interpret it in context: shot mix, game situation, and sample affect what the figure says. |
| GAA | How many goals did the goalie allow per 60 minutes? | Goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played | It is a goals-allowed rate, not a shot-stopping percentage. |
| QS / QS% | How often did a starter meet a game-level standard? | Provider-defined threshold; QS% = quality starts ÷ games started | State the source and threshold; conventions differ. |
Compare goalies over the same kind of sample—such as the same season and a similar number of starts—and avoid treating a short run as a stable career-level measure. The NHL records site specifies minimum games played for its season and career record lists, underscoring that playing-time thresholds matter when comparing records: NHL records.
A dated example shows how the traditional rates can appear side by side: an NHL.com article published August 17, 2026, reported Jakub Dobeš at 2.78 GAA and .901 SV% in 43 games in the prior season. That is one reported line, not a current leaderboard or a general standard for a good season. See the NHL.com article.
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