Ice Hockey Abbreviations
36 abbreviations · part of Sports Abbreviations
Positions, scoring and goaltending statistics, special-teams situations, standings columns, analytics terms and contract language used in the NHL and other ice hockey leagues. Hockey box scores list goals, assists and points for skaters and GAA and SV% for goaltenders, while standings track overtime losses separately. Several entries, such as OT and GP, are explained here for all sports.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | Assists | Credit for helping set up a goal; in hockey up to two players who touched the puck before the scorer can each receive one. |
| AAV | Average annual value | Total value of a contract divided by its number of years, used across sports to compare deals. |
| C | Center (American football) | Offensive lineman in the middle of the line who snaps the ball between his legs to the quarterback to start each play and then blocks. |
| CF% | Corsi for percentage | Share of all shot attempts (goals, shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots) a team or player's team generates while he is on the ice. |
| D | Defenseman | Skater who plays primarily in his own half, defending against attacks, blocking shots and moving the puck up the ice. |
| EBUG | Emergency backup goaltender | Amateur goalie available at NHL arenas to dress for either team if both of its goaltenders become unable to play. |
| ELC | Entry-level contract | First NHL contract a player signs, with a maximum salary set by the collective bargaining agreement and a length of up to three years depending on age at signing. |
| ENG | Empty-net goal | Goal scored into a net left unguarded because the opposing team pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker, usually in the final minutes while trailing. |
| ES | Even strength | Game situation in which both teams have the same number of skaters, usually five-on-five. |
| FO% | Faceoff percentage | Share of faceoffs a player wins, shown as a percentage of faceoffs taken. |
| G | Goals | Number of goals scored by a player, the first column in a skater's box-score line. |
| GAA | Goals against average | Goaltending statistic: goals allowed multiplied by 60 and divided by minutes played, giving goals allowed per full game. |
| GP | Games played | Number of games in which a player appears or a team has played, listed first in most statistics tables across hockey, baseball, basketball and other sports. |
| GSAx | Goals saved above expected | Goaltending metric comparing goals actually allowed with the number an average goalie would be expected to allow given the quality of shots faced. |
| GWG | Game-winning goal | Goal that gives the winning team one more goal than the losing team's final total, for example the third goal in a 5-2 win. |
| LTIR | Long-term injured reserve | NHL injury designation for players expected to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. |
| LW | Left wing | Forward who plays primarily on the left side of the ice, working the boards and attacking from that flank. |
| NMC | No-movement clause | Stronger NHL contract provision than a no-trade clause: the player cannot be traded, placed on waivers or sent to the minors without his consent. |
| NTC | No-trade clause | Contract provision that prevents a team from trading a player without his consent, often modified to list teams he can or cannot be traded to. |
| OT | Overtime | Extra period played when a game is tied at the end of regulation. |
| OTL | Overtime losses | Standings column for games lost in overtime or a shootout, which still earn the losing team one point. |
| PIM | Penalty minutes | Total minutes of penalties assessed to a player or team: two for a minor, five for a major, ten for a misconduct. |
| PK | Penalty kill | Situation in which a team plays short-handed while serving a penalty, trying to prevent a goal until the penalty expires. |
| PP | Power play | Situation in which a team has more skaters on the ice because the opponent is serving a penalty, usually five against four. |
| PPG | Power-play goal | Goal scored while a team has a man advantage. |
| PTO | Professional tryout | Agreement letting a veteran NHL player attend a team's training camp and play preseason games without a contract, so the team can evaluate him before deciding whether… |
| PTS | Points (basketball) | Total points a player or team scores: two for a field goal inside the arc, three from beyond it and one per free throw. |
| ROW | Regulation plus overtime wins | NHL standings figure counting wins earned in regulation or overtime, excluding shootout wins. |
| RW | Right wing | Forward who plays primarily on the right side of the ice, opposite the left wing on the same line. |
| S% | Shooting percentage | Goals divided by shots on goal, for a player or team. |
| SHG | Short-handed goal | Goal scored by a team that has fewer skaters on the ice because it is killing a penalty. |
| SO | Shootout | Tiebreaker used in the NHL regular season when a game is still tied after overtime: players alternate penalty-shot-style attempts, three rounds at first and then sudden… |
| SOG | Shots on goal | Shots that would have entered the net if not stopped by the goaltender, plus goals. |
| SV | Saves | Number of shots on goal a goaltender stops in a game or season. |
| SV% | Save percentage | Share of shots on goal a goaltender stops: saves divided by shots against, written as a three-digit decimal such as .915. |
| TOI | Time on ice | Amount of time a player is on the ice during a game, shown in minutes and seconds. |