Introduction
If you’ve ever watched a hockey game or read a box score and wondered “what is the plus minus in hockey,” you’re not alone. The plus/minus statistic, often written as +/- or plus-minus, is one of the oldest and most recognizable stats in hockey. Fans, coaches, and scouts use it to get a quick sense of a player’s impact on goal differential while they’re on the ice. But like any statistic, it’s simple to calculate and often misunderstood in context. In this article, we’ll explain the plus minus stat, show how the plus/minus rating is calculated, give examples, highlight how even-strength, power play, and short-handed situations affect it, and discuss common criticisms and alternatives from hockey analytics like Corsi and Fenwick.
What the Plus Minus Statistic Actually Measures
The plus/minus in hockey is a measure of goal differential when a player is on the ice. In its basic form, the plus-minus rating adds one point for a player whenever their team scores an even-strength or short-handed goal while they are on the ice, and subtracts one point whenever their team allows an even-strength or short-handed goal while they are on the ice. The purpose is to summarize a player’s on-ice contribution to goals for and against into a single number.
Key points to remember about the plus-minus formula:
- Applies mainly to even-strength goals and short-handed situations. Power play goals for the scoring team typically do not give pluses to power-play teammates, and power play goals against generally do not penalize power-play players.
- Goalies also have +/- ratings, though analysts often treat them differently because every goal against is credited to the goalie in net.
- On-ice impact is what is tracked, not who scored the goal. A player can receive a plus without touching the puck if their team scores while they are on the ice.
How Is Plus Minus Calculated: The Plus Minus Formula
To answer “how is plus minus calculated” in a clear step-by-step way:
- If the team scores an even-strength goal while a player is on the ice, that player gets +1.
- If the team allows an even-strength goal while a player is on the ice, that player gets -1.
- If the team scores a short-handed goal while a player is on the ice, that player gets +1.
- Power-play goals scored by the player’s team usually do not give pluses to the power-play unit, and power-play goals against do not give minuses to the penalized team on the power play.
So the plus-minus rating for a player across a season is just the net total of these pluses and minuses, and it can be positive, negative, or zero. For example, a player with +15 was on the ice for 15 more even-strength or short-handed goals for their team than against.
Examples: Interpreting Plus/Minus in Real Situations
Practical examples make the plus/minus stat easier to grasp:
- Example 1: A forward is on the ice at even strength when their team scores. The forward gets +1 even if their teammate scored the goal.
- Example 2: A defenseman is on the ice when the opponent scores an even-strength goal. The defenseman receives -1 regardless of whether they made a mistake or were out of position.
- Example 3: A player is on the ice during a short-handed goal by their team (a goal scored while one or more teammates are serving a penalty). That player gets +1 because short-handed goals count positively.
- Example 4: A player on the power play scores a goal. Most leagues do not award a plus to the power-play players for that goal; the scoring player will not receive a +1 in the typical plus/minus calculation.
These examples show why the plus/minus rating often reflects the team context and on-ice situations more than a single player’s individual skill.
Use Cases: Why Teams and Fans Look at Plus/Minus
Even with its limitations, the plus-minus stat can be useful:
- Quick snapshot: It gives a fast, easy-to-understand number for a player’s on-ice goal differential.
- Comparing linemates: If two wingers on the same line have notably different plus/minus numbers, that can indicate differences in defensive play or deployment.
- Context for defenders: Defensemen with strong plus/minus ratings may be contributing to a positive goal differential when on ice, especially at even strength.
Tips for using plus/minus wisely:
- Always check the player’s role and average ice time. Star players get more minutes and tougher matchups.
- Look at special teams deployment. Players often receive different +/- impacts depending on how often they play on power play or penalty kill units.
- Pair plus/minus with other stats like points, Corsi, and Fenwick for a fuller evaluation.
Common Criticisms and Limitations of Plus/Minus
One of the biggest questions is whether the plus/minus stat is meaningful for evaluating individual players. Critics point out several limitations:
- Team dependency: A player’s +/- can be heavily influenced by the overall strength of their team. Good teammates and systems can inflate a player’s plus/minus; weak teams can depress it.
- Situational bias: Players who spend a lot of time on the power play or penalty kill may get fewer chances to earn pluses and minuses. Power-play scorers often don’t get pluses for their goals.
- Small sample noise: In any single game or short stretch, +/- swings can be misleading. Hockey is low-scoring, so variance is high.
- No credit for preventing high-danger chances: The stat only cares about goals, not shot quality, Corsi shots, or high-danger chances. A player could suppress chances but still be on the ice for a lucky goal against and get a minus.
Because of these issues, advanced analytics communities often prefer metrics like Corsi and Fenwick, which measure shot attempts and possession, or goal-based expected metrics that adjust for teammate and opponent quality.
Plus/Minus vs Advanced Stats: Corsi, Fenwick, and Expected Goals
Hockey analytics has grown dramatically, and many analysts use alternative or complementary metrics to the +/-. Here’s how they differ:
- Corsi tracks shot attempts (shots on goal, missed shots, blocked shots) while a player is on the ice. It measures puck possession and territorial advantage better than +/-.
- Fenwick is similar to Corsi but excludes blocked shots, focusing on unblocked shot attempts.
- Expected Goals (xG) weights shots by quality and location, estimating the likelihood a shot becomes a goal. xG addresses the limitation that +/- only counts goals and ignores shot quality.
These advanced stats help answer questions like whether a player is driving play in the right direction or just lucky/unlucky in goal outcomes. Still, plus/minus remains part of the conventional stat set and can complement these newer measures when interpreted correctly.
How Coaches and Scouts Use Plus/Minus in Player Evaluation
Scouts and coaches rarely use plus/minus as a standalone metric. Instead, they combine it with observations and other statistics. Practical ways teams use +/-:
- To spot players who consistently end up on the wrong side of goal differential, prompting video review to identify tactical or positioning issues.
- To flag defensemen who tend to be on the ice for more goals against, especially at even strength, and investigate deployment or matchup choices.
- To compare similar players across teams when context (linemates, zone starts) is adjusted for using deeper analytics.
Coaches often value situational awareness, defensive responsibility, and matchup management more than raw plus/minus numbers, but a persistently poor +/- can be one indicator that a player needs tactical adjustment.
Practical Tips for Fans: How to Read Plus/Minus on Box Scores
If you’re following games or evaluating players, here are practical tips to use the plus/minus rating effectively:
- Check the context: Are you looking at a player on a top team or a rebuilding club? Team context matters.
- Compare similar roles: Look at players with similar minutes, ice time quality, and special teams usage.
- Cross-reference: Use Corsi, Fenwick, and expected goals to confirm whether a high or low +/- matches possession and shot quality trends.
- Watch for streaks: Single-game fluctuations happen. Long-term trends over 20–30 games are more informative.
- Consider zone starts: Players who start more shifts in the defensive zone are more likely to have worse +/- simply because they face tougher situations.
FAQ: Five Common Questions About Plus/Minus
1. What does a plus-minus number mean?
The plus-minus number is the net total of even-strength and short-handed goals for and against while the player is on the ice. A +10 means the player’s team scored 10 more such goals than it allowed when that player was playing.
2. Does power play scoring affect plus/minus?
Typically, power-play goals do not give a plus to the power-play teammates, and power-play goals against do not give a minus to the penalized team on the power play. Short-handed goals do count for pluses.
3. Is plus-minus a good way to evaluate defensemen?
Plus/minus can provide some insight but should not be the sole measure. Defensemen on strong teams often have better +/-; use it alongside on-ice shot metrics, expected goals against, and video scouting.
4. Who are plus-minus leaders and why does it matter?
Plus-minus leaders are players who have high net on-ice goal differentials. While being a leader suggests positive on-ice results, it is important to consider team strength, linemate quality, and usage when interpreting that leadership.
5. Are there alternatives that are better than +/-?
Yes. Many analysts prefer possession and shot-based metrics like Corsi and Fenwick, or goal-quality metrics like expected goals, which adjust for shot location and probability. These alternatives reduce some of the team and chance biases inherent in plus/minus.
Short Conclusion
To answer “what is the plus minus in hockey” simply: it is a straightforward stat that tracks goal differential while a player is on the ice at even strength and short-handed. The plus/minus rating is easy to calculate and offers a quick snapshot of on-ice results, but it has important limitations tied to team context, situational usage, and randomness. The best approach is to use plus/minus alongside advanced stats like Corsi, Fenwick, and expected goals, and to interpret the number with an eye toward role, ice time, and deployment. When used carefully, the plus/minus stat remains a useful piece of the bigger puzzle in player evaluation and game analysis.
Final Tips
- Remember that plus/minus is one tool among many; never rely on it alone.
- Watch games and use video to confirm what the numbers are telling you about a player’s defensive and offensive contributions.
- Use long-term trends rather than single-game +/- swings to make judgments.
Closing
Understanding the plus/minus stat gives fans a better way to read box scores and evaluate player impact. While simple, the plus/minus rating opens the door to deeper questions about possession, luck, and system effects — and that curiosity is where modern hockey analytics begin to add real value.