Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world. The sport was first played in England in the 1800s and has since grown in popularity worldwide. It is a combination of ice hockey, soccer, and rugby and is officially recognized by the Olympics. There are many aspects to the game that make it interesting and complicated; however, there are only three numbers that matter: goals, assists, and points.
Let’s examine each number and what they mean.
Table of Contents
Goals
The most recognizable and important number in hockey is goals. A goal in hockey is scored when the player throws the puck into the net. To put it simply, the person with the most goals at the end of the season wins. This number is important for several reasons. First, it shows the total number of goals that were scored throughout the season. Second, there is a record of all goals that were scored throughout history. Finally, goals matter because they represent how well the player did this season. When comparing one player to another, one may look at their goal totals and see who performed better–there is actually a name for this in hockey: goal differentials.
Assists
An assist in hockey is given to the player who gives the puck to the teammate who scores the goal. An assist does not necessarily mean that the player was directly involved in the goal–they may have simply pass the puck to another player who scored the goal. Still, assists are valuable in hockey because they show the quantity of passes made throughout the season. The person with the most assists at the end of the season wins. Just like goals, assists also matter because they represent how well the player did this season. When comparing one player to another, one may look at their assist totals and see who performed better–there is actually an official name for this in hockey: assist difference.
Points
In addition to goals and assists, there is another number that matters in hockey: points. Like goals and assists, points are also recorded at the end of the season and represent the total number of points that were earned throughout the season. To put it simply, the person with the most points at the end of the season wins. Like goals and assists, points also matter because they represent how well the player did this season. When comparing one player to another, one may look at their point totals and see who performed better–there is actually an official name for this in hockey: point differentials.
These three numbers matter in hockey because they show how the player did this season compared to the rest of the league. The better the performance of the player, the better the numbers will be at the end of the season. Hopefully, this article will help you understand what each number means in hockey.