NHL scoring leaders: how points, goals and assists work

An NHL player’s points total is the sum of his goals and assists. If a player has 30 goals and 45 assists, he has 75 points.

What counts as a point in the NHL?

A player receives one point for scoring a goal and one point for being credited with an assist. On a goal, as many as two assists can be awarded to teammates involved in the play before the scorer finishes it.

That is why the league’s overall scoring leaderboard is normally ordered by total points rather than goals alone. A high-volume goal scorer and an elite playmaker can end up beside each other even though they produce offence in very different ways.

How to read a scoring-leaders table

The most useful columns are usually games played, goals, assists and points. Games played matters because two players can have the same point total while one reached it in fewer games.

• GP: games played.
• G: goals scored.
• A: assists credited.
• PTS: goals plus assists.

For a quick comparison, points per game can also be useful. Divide points by games played. A player with 60 points in 50 games is producing at a 1.20 points-per-game pace.

Goals leader versus points leader

The player with the most goals does not have to be the player with the most total points. One player might score frequently but record fewer assists, while another may create offence for linemates and accumulate a large number of assists in addition to his own goals.

That distinction is important in fantasy hockey. A scoring pool based on total points rewards overall point production, while a league that separately values goals and assists can treat the same two players very differently.

Why games played changes the picture

Raw points tell you who has produced the most so far. Games played helps explain the pace. Injuries, schedule differences and missed games can leave a high-scoring player temporarily below someone who has played more often.

Late in a season, the remaining schedule also matters. A player who is a few points behind with additional games left may have more opportunities to close the gap.

How this helps in a fantasy scoring pool

When you are choosing a player for a season-long scoring competition, the leaderboard is the starting point rather than the entire decision. Look at current points, games played and the balance between goals and assists. The goal is to understand how the production is being created, not merely to copy the order of the table.

RosterHouse’s hockey section also includes a season scoring competition, weekly NHL game picks and GM-style fantasy leagues, so the live player data connects directly to the games people are playing on the site.

Quick example

Suppose Player A has 28 goals and 42 assists. Player B has 38 goals and 29 assists. Player A has 70 points; Player B has 67. Player B is the stronger goal scorer in this example, but Player A is ahead in the total-points race.

Reference: the NHL’s official hockey glossary defines goals, assists and related scoring terms. NHL Hockey Glossary.