Point (ice hockey) facts for kids

A point in ice hockey is a special score given to a player. It shows when they help their team put the puck into the rival's goal. Players earn points by scoring a goal themselves or by helping a teammate score.

What is a Point in Ice Hockey?

In ice hockey, a point is a unit of score. It is given to a player who directly contributes to a goal. This means they either shoot the puck into the net or they pass the puck to a teammate who then scores. Points are a key way to track how much a player helps their team offensively.

How Points Are Scored

There are two main ways a player can earn a point:

• Scoring a goal: When a player shoots the puck into the opponent's net, they get one point. This is the most direct way to earn a point.
• Getting an assist: An assist is given to up to two players who pass the puck to the goal-scorer right before the goal happens. If you pass the puck to a teammate, and they score, you get an assist. An assist is also worth one point.

For example, if Player A passes to Player B, and Player B passes to Player C who scores, Player A and Player B both get an assist. Player C gets a goal. All three players earn one point for that play.

Goals and Assists

A goal is when the puck goes into the net. The player who shoots the puck into the net gets credit for the goal. An assist is given to the player or players who helped set up the goal. You can get up to two assists on one goal.

Here's how it works:

• The player who scores the goal gets one point.
• The first player who passed the puck to the goal-scorer gets one assist (and one point).
• The second player who passed the puck before the first assist also gets one assist (and one point).

So, for every goal scored, there are usually one to three points awarded in total.

Why Points Matter

Points are very important in ice hockey. They help coaches, fans, and scouts understand how productive a player is. Players who earn many points are often called "top scorers" or "playmakers." They are crucial for a team's success because they help create scoring chances.

Teams often rely on their top point-earners to win games. These players are usually very skilled at shooting, passing, and seeing the game.

Tracking Points

Points are tracked throughout a player's career. You will often see statistics like "Goals, Assists, Points" (G-A-P) for each player. For example, a player might have a stat line of 30-45-75. This means they scored 30 goals, had 45 assists, and earned a total of 75 points in a season.

At the end of each season, the player with the most points in a league often wins a special award. This shows they were the best at helping their team score goals that year.

See also

In Spanish: Punto (hockey sobre hielo) para niños