Hockey Ratings

Judging by the calls to The Times’ sports department, one statistic in the NHL seems to cause confusion: the plus/minus statistic.

The statistic is calculated by giving a player a “plus” when he is on the ice for an even-strength or short-handed goal scored by his team. The player receives a “minus” when he is on the ice for an even-strength or short-handed goal scored by the opposing team. The statistic officially was adopted for the 1982-83 season. The leader this season is Detroit’s Vladimir Konstantinov with a plus-32. The Mighty Ducks’ leader is Paul Kariya at plus-16 and the Kings are “led” by Vladimir Tsyplakov at plus-3.

Source: NHL Official Guide and Record Book