In ice hockey, a scoring event is registered when a player either scores a goal or assists in a goal being scored. A goal credited to a player awards them one unit, and an assist credited to a player also awards one unit. Up to two assists can be awarded per goal. For example, if player A scores a goal, and players B and C assisted on the goal, then player A, player B, and player C each receive one unit in the games statistics.
These scoring statistics are crucial for evaluating a player’s offensive contribution to a team. Accumulation of these scoring statistics determines player rankings within a team and across the league. Throughout hockey history, individual player statistics have provided a basis for comparing players from different eras and understanding the evolution of the sport.