A point in hockey is a goal or an assist, worth 1 each. One goal can hand out up to 3 points. The scorer gets 1, and up to two teammates get 1 each.
The answer to what is a point in hockey is different for a team. In the standings, a team earns 2 points for a win.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid led the NHL in 2025 to 2026 with 138 points. He had 48 goals and 90 assists, NHL.com says.
What is a point in hockey for a player?
A player earns a point each time he scores a goal or gets an assist. Under NHL Rule 78.1, the In Arena Scorer decides who gets each one.
The referee tells the In Arena Scorer who put the puck in. Rule 31.5 says he gives no advice on assists. Rule 78 answers four questions on every goal:
- Who put the puck in the net? That player gets the goal and 1 point. A puck that goes in off a teammate’s skate or body counts for that teammate (Rule 78.4).
- Who touched the puck before him? Up to two teammates get an assist, worth 1 point each (Rule 78.3).
- Did an opponent play the puck in between? If a defender played or controlled it, the touches before that earn nothing (Rule 78.3).
- Did anyone touch it twice? No player can earn more than 1 point on the same goal (Rules 78.2 and 78.3).
So one goal hands out 1, 2 or 3 points. The answer depends on who touched the puck before the shot.
Goals and assists count the same
Rule 78.2 counts each goal as 1 point in a player’s record. Rule 78.3 counts each assist as 1 point too, so an assist in hockey is worth as much as a goal.
A game winning goal earns no extra point. An overtime goal earns no extra point either. McDavid’s 48 goals and 90 assists add up to his 138 points.
First and second assists
Rule 78.3 does not rank the two assists. Both are worth 1 point each.
On 15 October 2026, Owen Power scored Buffalo’s overtime winner at Toronto. He scored off a saucer pass from Jack Quinn, NHL.com reported. The official summary lists Quinn’s assist first.
Quinn also fought that night, which gave him a Gordie Howe hat trick.
One point per player on each goal
A player can touch the puck twice on the same rush. He still earns only 1 point on that goal, Rules 78.2 and 78.3 say.
If a center passes, gets the puck back and scores, he gets the goal. His earlier pass does not add an assist.
When an opponent touches the puck
An opponent can wipe out an assist. Rule 78.3 gives an assist only if no defender plays or controls the puck afterward. In Hockey Canada games, only a defender’s possession and control wipes it out (Rule 6.6).
A rush that ends with no assist
This rush shows how one opponent touch changes the points:
- A defenseman passes the puck up to his center.
- An opponent knocks the puck loose.
- A winger picks up the loose puck and scores.
- The winger gets the goal and 1 point.
- The defenseman and the center get nothing.
That goal hands out just 1 point. Without the opponent’s touch, the same rush would hand out 3.
Can a goal have no assist?
Yes. A goal can be unassisted, and then only the scorer earns a point. A goal has no assists in these cases:
- A player takes the puck from an opponent and scores alone.
- A player scores on a penalty shot, where only the shooter plays the puck.
- A defender shoots the puck into his own net (Rule 78.4).
- An opponent played the puck after the last pass (Rule 78.3).
Who gets the points?
Tap players in the order they touched the puck. Pick how it went in and see who earns a point.
- The right wing put the puck in the net, so he gets the goal: 1 point (NHL Rule 78.2).
- First assist: the center, 1 point (NHL Rule 78.3).
- Second assist: the left defense, 1 point (NHL Rule 78.3).
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Own goals, tips and shootouts
Some goals follow special rules. Rule 78.4 covers goals a team scores on itself, and Rule 84.4 covers the shootout.
When a team scores on itself
A defender may shoot the puck into his own net. The goal then goes to the last attacker who touched it. No assists are given, Rule 78.4 says.
A defender can also knock the puck in another way, such as off his skate. The last attacker still gets the goal, and assists can be given.
Hockey Canada is stricter on own goals. Its Rule 6.6 gives no assist on any own goal. It also records penalty shot goals and awarded goals with no assists.
Can a goalie get points?
Yes. A goalie earns an assist like any other player. Grant Fuhr collected 14 points in 1983 to 1984, the Hall of Fame says.
Some goalies have scored too. NHL.com says 18 goalies have been credited with 21 goals. The latest came on 1 October 2026, when Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers scored into an empty net.
A goalie can also be credited when an opponent puts the puck in his own net. He just has to be the last on his team to touch it, NHL.com says.
Shootout goals do not count
Shootout goals stay out of a player’s points. Rule 84.4 says the player who scores the shootout winner is not credited with a goal in his personal stats.
The final score gives the winning team one more goal than its opponent. The losing goalie is not charged with that extra goal, Rule 84.4 adds.
Empty net goals count the same
An empty net goal counts like any other goal. The scorer and up to two teammates still earn their points.
Who checks the points, and can they change?
The In Arena Scorer keeps the record of all goals and assists, under Rule 33.1. Video replay helps confirm who touched the puck, Rule 78.1 says.
Fixing a mistake after a goal
Rule 78.1 says an obvious scoring mistake should be fixed quickly. Once the referee signs the game report, only the league’s Chief Statistician can change it.
The IIHF rule for Olympic and world events goes further. Its Rule 78.1 allows no changes after the game ends.
Video review can take points away
A coach’s challenge can wipe out a goal, and its points go with it. On 4 April 2026, Los Angeles challenged a Toronto goal for offside.
Video showed John Tavares entered the zone ahead of the puck, NHL.com reported. Morgan Rielly’s goal came off the board, along with any assists on it.
Points records and leaders
Points decide the NHL scoring title. The Art Ross Trophy goes to the regular season points leader, NHL.com says.
This table shows NHL points and assists records, plus the latest scoring leader:
| Record | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Most points in one season | Wayne Gretzky, 1985 to 1986 | 215 |
| Most career points, regular season | Wayne Gretzky | 2,857 |
| Most points in one game | Darryl Sittler, 7 February 1976 | 10 (6 goals, 4 assists) |
| Most assists in one game | Wayne Gretzky (3 times) and Billy Taylor Sr. | 7 |
| Most points by a defenseman in one season | Bobby Orr, 1970 to 1971 | 139 |
| 2025 to 2026 scoring leader | Connor McDavid | 138 (48 goals, 90 assists) |
The Hockey Hall of Fame lists Gretzky with 894 goals and 1,963 assists. Those add up to his 2,857 regular season points.
The Art Ross Trophy tiebreak
A tie for the Art Ross goes to the player with more goals, NHL.com says. Next come fewer games played, then the earlier first goal of the season.
In 1979 to 1980, Marcel Dionne and Wayne Gretzky both had 137 points. Dionne won the trophy with 53 goals to Gretzky’s 51.
McDavid’s win in 2026 was his sixth Art Ross Trophy. That tied Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux, and Gretzky holds the record with 10.
Points a game in an 84 game season
Each team plays 84 games in 2026 to 2027, up from 82, NHL.com says. So points a game is a fair way to compare seasons.
McDavid’s 2025 to 2026 pace works out like this:
- He had 138 points in 82 games.
- 138 divided by 82 is about 1.68 points a game.
- At 1.68 points a game, 84 games would bring about 141 points.
Career points among active players
Sidney Crosby had 1,761 career points entering 2026 to 2027. Alex Ovechkin had 1,687, NHL.com said on 25 September 2026.
Ovechkin entered the season with an NHL record 929 goals. He passed Gretzky’s 894 on 6 April 2025 against the New York Islanders.
Ovechkin is 41 years old on 11 November 2026. The oldest NHL player guide shows the date he reaches Gordie Howe’s age.
Team points, the point spot and youth hockey
The word point turns up in a few more places around the game.
Team points in the standings
An NHL team earns 2 points for any win. An overtime or shootout loss earns 1 point, and a regulation loss earns none.
Our guide to NHL overtime rules shows how those team points add up over a season.
The point on the ice
Defensemen who set up just inside the blue line on an attack play the point. Our hockey positions guide covers that job.
Points in youth hockey
Hockey Canada keeps no score in Under 7 and Under 9 games. Its game play rules also say game sheets are optional at those ages.
Ask the desk
How many points is a goal worth?
A goal is worth 1 point to the player who scores it. Each assist on that goal is worth 1 point too.
Is a goal worth more than an assist?
No. A goal and an assist in hockey each add 1 point. Goals do break ties for the Art Ross Trophy.
What does P mean in hockey stats?
On NHL.com stat lines, G is goals, A is assists and P is points. P is always G plus A. The rest of the stat line is in what SOG means in hockey.
Do playoff points count in career totals?
They are counted apart. The Hall of Fame lists Gretzky with 2,857 regular season points and 382 more in the playoffs.
Can points change after the game?
Yes. Once the referee signs the game report, only the league’s Chief Statistician can change one (Rule 78.1).
Do overtime goals count as points?
Yes. A goal in regular season or playoff overtime counts like any other goal. Shootout goals stay out of a player’s stats (Rule 84.4).
Take your shot
A defenseman passes to his center. An opponent knocks the puck loose, and a winger picks it up and scores. How many assists are given?
Pick one to take your shot.
Checked against NHL Rules 78.2 and 78.3
NHL Official Rules 2026 to 2027
Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026 to 2028
Hockey Hall of Fame, Wayne Gretzky
Checked October 2026
