Plus-Minus in Hockey, Explained
Plus-minus is hockey's oldest attempt at a two-way number. It asks a simple question: when this skater is on the ice, does the team score more than it gives up? Get on for an even-strength goal and you earn a +1. Get caught out for one against and you take a -1. Add it all season and you get a rough read on whether a player tilts the game the right way. Rough is the key word. Here is exactly how it works, and why smart coaches never trust it alone.
4 min read · Reviewed July 2026
How a skater earns a plus or a minus
Plus-minus moves one tick at a time, and only on goals. When your team scores a goal at even strength, every skater on the ice for your team gets a +1. When the other team scores at even strength, every one of your skaters on the ice takes a -1. Goalies are not scored this way.
There is one wrinkle that helps the short-handed side. Shorthanded goals count too. If your team is killing a penalty and scores anyway, the skaters on the ice get a +1. And if you give up a shorthanded goal, those skaters take a -1. The rule tracks even-strength play plus the scrappy shorthanded moments, not the man-advantage ones.
Plus-Minus = (On-ice Goals For) - (On-ice Goals Against)
- ·even-strength and shorthanded goals only
Power-play goals do not count
This is the part people miss. Goals scored on the power play do not move plus-minus for the team with the extra skater. If your team scores while up a man, nobody on the ice gets a plus. The stat deliberately ignores man-advantage scoring so it does not reward players just for logging power-play minutes.
The flip side still bites, though. If you are on the power play and the other team scores shorthanded against you, you take the minus. Plus-minus never hands out a reward for scoring with the advantage, but it will punish you for coughing one up while you have it.
A concrete example
Say a defenseman plays a full game. In the first period his team scores an even-strength goal while he is on the ice: that is +1. In the second, his team is on the power play and the opponent scores shorthanded with him on the ice. A shorthanded goal against is one of the few special-teams goals that still counts, so that is -1. Late in the third, his line gives up an even-strength goal with him on the ice: another -1.
His team also scored a power-play goal in the second while he ran the point. That one does not count, because plus-minus ignores power-play goals for. Add up only the goals that qualify: one plus and two minuses. His plus-minus for the night is -1.
+1 (even-strength goal for) - 1 (shorthanded goal against) - 1 (even-strength goal against) = -1. The power-play goal for is ignored.
Why it is a flawed number
Plus-minus is a team stat wearing an individual's name. Your rating depends heavily on the four teammates out there with you and the goalie behind you. Skate with a strong line and you inherit their pluses. Get stuck on a weak pairing and the minuses pile up whether you played well or not.
Ice time and role distort it further. A shutdown defenseman who starts every shift in his own zone against top lines will bleed minuses that a sheltered forward never sees. And because it only counts goals, not the flood of scoring chances underneath them, a hot or cold goalie can swing your number for reasons that have nothing to do with your game. Read plus-minus as a starting clue, then check the shot and chance numbers to see the real story.
Key takeaways
- A skater gets +1 when on the ice for an even-strength or shorthanded goal by their team, and -1 when on for one against.
- Power-play goals do not count toward plus-minus for the team with the extra attacker.
- The formula is simply on-ice goals for minus on-ice goals against, counting even-strength and shorthanded goals only.
- Plus-minus is heavily influenced by teammates, ice time, matchups, and goaltending, so it is a rough indicator, not a verdict.
- Use it as a first glance, then confirm with shot and scoring-chance numbers before drawing conclusions.
Frequently asked
What is plus-minus in hockey?
Plus-minus is a skater rating that goes up by one for every even-strength or shorthanded goal their team scores while they are on the ice, and down by one for every such goal their team allows. It is a rough measure of whether a player is on the right side of the score at even strength.
Do power-play goals count toward plus-minus?
No. Goals scored on the power play do not earn a plus for the team with the man advantage. Plus-minus only counts even-strength and shorthanded goals. You can still take a minus, though, if you give up a shorthanded goal while on the power play.
Is a high plus-minus always good?
Not necessarily. Plus-minus depends heavily on your linemates, your ice time, the quality of competition you face, and your goalie. A strong player on a weak team can post an ugly number, so it should be read alongside shot and scoring-chance stats.
How is plus-minus calculated?
Take the number of even-strength and shorthanded goals scored by your team while you were on the ice, then subtract the number your team allowed while you were on the ice. The result is your plus-minus. Power-play goals for your team are left out entirely.