Is there, or should there be a stat to record a skaters points-per-minute?

Question

I was wondering if there is a stat taken to record an NHL skating players points or goals per minute. I ask this because there are a lot of depth players who don't see as many minutes as the top line players and I think it would be very interesting to see how many points a 20-30 point-a-season player would score in his limited minutes versus how much a 60-100 point-a-season player would score in their many minutes.

If this is not currently recorded, I figure it would be similar to how a Goalie's GAA is figured; minutes played averaged to a set amount (usually a 60 minute game, maybe for skaters a period) totaled and compared to total points or goals scored.

For example, Player A plays 20 minutes a game for 9 games and has 15 points. 20 minutes x 9 games = 3 full games. 15 points divided by 3 games = 5 points per 60 minutes played.

Player Z plays 10 minutes a game for 9 games. He has 4 points. 10 minutes x 9 games = 90 minutes or 1.5 games. 4 points divided by 1.5 games = 2.667 points per 60 minutes played.

Answer 1

You bring up a good point. I see points per game calculated a lot. It is usually used for hockey pools to say we predict a player will play this many games this year and has a history of x points per game. Mario Lemiuex retired the first time with the record at over 2 points per game.

But I like what you are saying, some players a game means 20 minutes, some means 15 minutes, wonder if there is a difference.

I remember announcers use to harp over and over that power plays should be calculated that way too - goals per minute.

Answer 2

I remember reading about an effort a few years ago by a Canadian group that wanted to basically reinvent the statistical categories for hockey. Points-Per-Minute was the primary objective.

As you stated, goalies are measured on GAA, which is calculated per-minute, even though it implies a per-game category.

For example, to correctly calculate GAA, you take the number of goals scored in the game against the goalie, divide THAT number by the number of minutes that the goalie was on the ice and multiply the resultant number by 60, which is the number of minutes in a regulation game.

Say Rollie the Goalie lets in 5 goals in a 65 minute game (60 mins + 5 OT mins) His GAA is NOT 5. It is actually 4.62.

Another example, Stan the Sieve is on the ice for exactly one minute, and lets in two goals before getting yanked by the coach. His goals against average is now a whopping 120.

He does not have a 120 game counting against him. The next time his GAA is caculated, the total number of minutes is taken into consideration again. So, if he has a regulation shutout next game, you take the one minute from his first game, add the 60 minutes from his second game to get 61 minutes played. He let in 2 goals in that 61 minutes. That gives him a 1.97 GAA on the season.

I know it strayed off your question, but the theory is actually in use.

Answer 3

I do believe that you answered your own question. If someone is that interested in that kind of stat they could figure it out. However, numbers will not always be so clean-cut. It would be far to difficult for the NHL to compute this stat for every player in the league.

In addition, the players that only have 20-30 points a season could have a higher or lower "Point per Minute" stat because there are guys that go out there and make things happen but do not neccesarilly record a point. That is why we have the "+/-" stat.

I could see why you may want this kind of stat but the true answer to why there is no such stat and why there probably never will be is because it is far too much work. People are lazy and very unlikely to do more than they are supposed to do. A sad realization but true.

Answer 4

I would like to see that as a stat. We have shooting percentage so why not points, goals, and assists per minutes played.

It could be hockey's version of MLB's OPS.

In reference to figuring it out myself. I might want to know but I do not really want to have to take time out of my day to figure these things out when statisticians have the means to do it in seconds to my hours of figuring each one out.

And in reference to the guys that play many minutes or few minutes doing the "little things" that wouldn't matter. All stats would have to be eliminated to be more sensitive to giving credit to their style of play. Those of us who are that type of player or play with that type of player give those guys credit within the team and that's all that matters.