For other uses, see
Point.
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:
- A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one. The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season.
The term is also used as follows:
- When a team is in the offensive zone, the area near the blue line and the boards is referred to as "the point". When a team is on the power play, the defensemen usually take up positions at the point. The name is taken from the former names of the defense positions, point and cover point. It has similar meanings in basketball (point guard) and in the military, as in "to take the point" or "to take point" (to lead a group).
- Another meaning for point is in terms of standings (or rankings). When a team gets a win, the team earns 2 points in the standings, when a team ties, they earn one point. In the NHL, there are no ties as a result of many rule changes after the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. However, a rule that was instituted in the 1999-2000 season makes it so that when a team loses in overtime, they shall earn one point for making it to overtime. This rule includes shootouts which were instituted after the lockout. The top teams in the standings are the teams that make the post-season. In the NHL, it is the top eight teams from each conference that make it, with the top three being their division leaders.
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