Empty net goal

Lore & Background

Empty net goals in ice hockey typically arise in two scenarios. The first occurs in the final minutes of a game when a trailing team pulls its goaltender for an extra attacker to improve scoring chances; if the leading team gains control of the puck, they often shoot at the empty net after clearing center ice. Shooting from one's own zone is less common due to potential icing if the shot misses. A notable instance occurred on January 21, 2022, when Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby hit a bank shot intended for Bryan Rust while the opposing Columbus Blue Jackets were on the extra attacker, and the puck went into the empty net, giving Crosby a hat trick. In some circumstances, a team may also pull their goalie during a two-man advantage even if not near the end of the game, creating a six-attacker to three advantage.

The second scenario involves a delayed penalty, where the non-offending team pulls their goaltender for an extra attacker. Empty net goals in this case are often accidental own goals, as the whistle would blow if the offending team touches the puck. An own goal typically occurs when a forward passes backwards to a defenseman not in position, and the puck slides into the team's own net, or when players under pressure accidentally knock it in. The goal is credited to the last player on the scoring team who touched the puck.

Empty net goals are also found in association football and handball. In soccer, a losing team may send its goalkeeper forward during a set piece late in a match, allowing the defending team to score into the empty net if they win possession. In handball, rule changes in the 2010s allow pulling the goalie not only in desperate situations, as scoring is easier than in ice hockey or soccer; a loss of possession often results in an empty net goal.

Reader's Guide

Empty net goals hold a distinct significance in ice hockey statistics and game strategy. They are tracked separately from a goaltender's goals against average and save percentage, recorded as empty net goals against (EN, ENG, or ENA). However, a goaltender can be credited with a loss due to an empty net goal: for example, if a team trailing by one goal pulls its goalie, concedes an empty net goal, then scores but fails to tie before time expires, the loss is assigned to the last goaltender on the ice. An unusual case involved goaltender Adam Wilcox, who in his lone NHL appearance did not concede a goal but was credited with a loss because of this scenario.

The legacy of the empty net goal extends beyond ice hockey into other sports. In association football, notable examples include Xabi Alonso scoring for Liverpool against Luton Town in the FA Cup, Ryan McCann for Queen of the South against Dundee in the Scottish Cup, Son Heung-min for South Korea against Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and Pity Martínez scoring the last goal of his team against Boca Juniors in the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores Finals. In handball, rule changes in the 2010s made pulling the goalie a more common tactic, with empty net goals almost always resulting from a loss of possession. The empty net goal thus represents a high-risk, high-reward moment across multiple sports, often defining critical game outcomes.

Did You Know?

• Empty net goals are charged to the goaltender that was previously in net as empty net goals against (EN, ENG, or ENA).
• Sidney Crosby scored an empty net goal on a bank shot intended for Bryan Rust, earning a hat trick on January 21, 2022.