Goal (ice hockey)
A goal is scored when the puck fully crosses the goal line.
In ice hockey, a goal counts when the puck fully crosses the goal line between the two posts and under the crossbar. The attacking team gets one point, even if a player from the opposing team was the last to touch the puck. The word "goal" also describes the structure itself: a rectangular frame made of red-painted steel tube, with two upright posts and a horizontal crossbar, plus a net at the back to catch the puck and stop it from entering from behind. The whole goal is part of the playing surface, and players can legally handle the puck behind it. In the NHL, the goal opening is 72 inches wide and 48 inches tall, and the goal is 40 inches deep.
The game’s aim is to outscore the other team. Goaltenders and defensemen focus on preventing goals, while forwards mainly try to score, though forwards also need to defend and defensemen join the attack. Even goalies sometimes set up a counterattack or shoot at an empty net. For a goal to count, the puck must completely cross the line between the posts and under the crossbar. A goal is disallowed if: the puck was hit with a stick raised above the crossbar; it was deliberately kicked, batted, or thrown in by an attacker (though a deflection off a skate or body is okay if not intentional); it went in off an official; an attacker interfered with the goaltender; the scoring team was offside at the time of the shot; the team had too many players on the ice; the scorer used a broken stick; the net was knocked loose before the puck entered; the goaltender shot the puck after crossing the center line (though replacing the goalie with an extra skater is allowed); or the puck broke into pieces before crossing the line. Many leagues also disallow a goal if an attacker’s skate or stick was in the crease before the puck, but the NHL removed that rule after the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, when Brett Hull scored with his skate in the crease and the goal stood. A goal can be awarded instead of a penalty shot if the opposing team pulls their goalie for an extra skater.
The last player on the scoring team to touch the puck before it enters the net gets credit for the goal. Up to two other teammates can get assists if they touched the puck before the scorer without an opponent touching it in between.
- Nhl goal opening dimensions
- 72 in wide by 48 in tall
- Nhl goal footprint depth
- 40 in deep
- Rocket richard trophy awarded to
- NHL player with most goals in a season
- First player to score 50 goals in a seas
- Maurice Richard
- Most goals in an nhl season
- Wayne Gretzky (92 goals)
- Fastest to 50 goals in a season
- Wayne Gretzky (39 games, 1981–82 season)
Lore & Background
The goal structure is rectangular, with a front frame of red steel tube. Under NHL rules, the opening is 72 inches wide by 48 inches tall, and the footprint is 40 inches deep. The net prevents pucks from entering from behind, and the entire goal is considered inbounds, allowing play behind it. For a goal to count, the puck must normally cross the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. Goals are disallowed under several conditions, including if the puck is sent in from a stick raised above the crossbar, intentionally kicked or batted, deflected off an official, or if the goaltender was impeded. In many leagues, a goal does not count if an attacking player has a skate or stick in the goal crease before the puck; the NHL abolished this rule after the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, when Brett Hull scored with his left skate in the crease, and the play was not reviewed. A goal may be awarded if a penalty shot would normally be given but the opposing team has substituted a skater for a goaltender.
Reader's Guide
Goal scoring is a closely watched statistic. The Rocket Richard Trophy is presented annually to the NHL player with the most goals, named after Maurice Richard, the first to score 50 goals in a 50-game season. Wayne Gretzky holds the record for most goals in an NHL season (92) and was fastest to 50 goals, reaching that mark in his team's 39th game of the 1981–82 season. Overall goal scoring has decreased in recent years, with some attributing it to larger goaltending equipment and defensive systems like the neutral zone trap, while others view the high scoring of the 1980s as an anomaly. To increase scoring, the AHL introduced rule changes for the 2004–05 season, including narrowing the neutral zone, restricting goaltender puck play, and modifying offside rules; these were slightly modified and adopted by the NHL and ECHL for 2005–06. Types of goals include even strength, power play, shorthanded, empty net, penalty shot, awarded, own goal, overtime, go-ahead, and game-tying goals.
Did You Know?
- Wayne Gretzky scored his 50th goal of the 1981–82 season in the Edmonton Oilers' 39th game, finishing with 92 goals.
- An own goal occurs when a player puts the puck into their own net, and credit goes to the last player on the other team to touch the puck.
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