Assists A

A stands for assists in hockey. Credit for the pass or shot that set up a teammate’s goal. Hockey gives up to two assists on every goal: the last two teammates to touch the puck before the scorer.

How A is calculated

Counted by the official scorer, 0 to 2 per goal.

Because a second assist is awarded too, a hockey playmaker collects far more assists than goals — Gretzky’s 1,963 career assists would lead the all-time points list on their own.

What counts as a good A?

Half of the 670 qualified NHL players in 2025-26 were at or below 16. Clearing 39 put a season in the top tenth of the league.

Median
16
Top 10%
39
Leader
90

By position, the median was 20 for RW, 16.5 for C, 16 for LW and 15 for D.

Qualified: 20+ games, non-zero, 2025-26 regular season.

Assists questions