The average plus-minus for players in the NHL. The average plus-minus for players in the NHL can vary from season to season. In recent years, the average plus-minus for players in the league has been around 0, which means that, on average, players are even in terms of goals scored and goals against when they are on the ice. Yet nowhere do plus-minus statistics account for this difference. 4. A player on any NHL team who consistently plays against the opposition's top line is likely to have a poorer plus-minus rating More to plus-minus than meets the eye. By E.J. Hradek. ESPN The Magazine. Every statistic has its pluses and minuses. So, fittingly, the NHL's plus/minus stat has its own share of positives and negatives. THE DEFINITION. A skater gets a +1 if he is on the ice when his team scores an even-strength or short-handed goal. A player who is scored minus-1 for being on the ice because the opposition scored an empty-net goal is not indicative of his ability. Penalty minutes can also be troublesome because it's usually A Corsi number is determined by taking the number of shot attempts at even strength and dividing it by the number of shot attempts by the opponent. Shot attempts are different from shots on goal The plus-minus rating is a goal differential statistic measured for individual players. Players earn a plus (+1) when on the ice for every goals-for and a minus (-1) for every goals-against. The exception is for power play goals or goals-against on the penalty kill, where the plus-minus rating doesn't change in either direction. FantasyData offers sports research tools, fantasy stats and projections across media, daily fantasy sports, and betting industries. NHL Stats Glossary. /A. Indicates that the statistic is adjusted . /G. Indicates that the statistic is per game played. +/-. Plus/minus; calculated by subtracting the total number of goals allowed by a player's team while the player is on the ice (at even strength or on the power play) from the total number of goals scored by the player's team Don Lever was the third overall selection in the 1972 NHL Draft and was more or less awarded his captaincy for staying with the team for a long time. Before getting the 'C' in the 1976-77 season, Lever amassed a -58 plus/minus and had as many penalty minutes as points (219). I'm essentially copying and pasting this portion into every Plus/Minus post-game article. The Avalanche came out flying, and it was a shame they didn't leave the first period with a lead. They outshot Ottawa 19-9 and looked like the much better team. Then the second period started, and the roles were completely reversed. IolN8tn.