Traditionally, ice hockey has used a point total format to determine team placements in the league standings. Sometimes, when due to unforeseen or logistical issues sometimes teams are not able to play the same number of games, so a point percentage system is used.
Usage during a league season[]
Points percentage is also used by many leagues such as the NHL and other top level leagues during the course of the regular season to determine standings for certain circumstances that occur during the season. Sometimes a player has to clear Waivers to be able to be sent to the NHL teams minor affiliate. Teams are allowed to claim the player (usually with some sort of consequence for that selection such as a financial fee or loss of a draft pick in the next draft the league holds) The ranking system to determine the order on who would have first claim on that player is usually in inverse order of the league standings (i.e the last place team in the league) as it is unusual for teams to have all played the same number of games at some random point in the middle of the season point percentage is usually used in these cases to determine standing at that point in time. Sometimes a team is forced to disband during a season usually due to finances, or an other unforeseen issue such as their arena no longer being available, in some of these cases a dispersal draft is held where other teams in the league are given a chance to claim (some or all) of the players off of that team's roster depending on how a player is contracted as a minor league team may fold but a higher level league's team may have the player under contract and have sent the player to the team for conditioning or experience in game conditions. These drafts are usually held in inverse order of the league standings.
Types of Point Systems[]
Many leagues post their standings by point totals even during the season when teams have played different numbers of games with the assumption that when all is said and done each team will have played the same number of games. But point percentage would figure out who has actually projecting out to get the most points
Two points per game[]
Prior to many leagues abolishing tie games or using overtime in an attempt to break the tie.
- Win (W)= 2 points to the winning team
- Tie (T)= 1 point to each team
- Loss (L)= 0 points to the losing team
Point percentage=Points/(games played*2)
Two points for a win and one point for an overtime loss[]
- Win (W) = 2 points to the winning team (either regulation or overtime
- Tie (T)= 1 point to each team
- Overtime loss (OTL.OL or SOL/SL) = 1 point to the losing team in overtime or a shootout
- Loss (L) = 0 points to the losing team
Point percentage=Points/(games played*2)
Three points awarded per game (with no ties allowed)[]
- Regulation Win (W or RW) = 3 points
- Overtime (or Shootout) win (OTW/OW or SOW/SW = 2 points
- Overtime (or Shootout) loss (OTL/OL) or (SOL/SL) = 1 point
- Loss in regulation time (L) = 0 points
Point percentage=Points/(games played*3)
Examples[]
The Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL played a reduced schedule due to the local restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2020-21 season. With the system in place for the season the league assumed some games would be cancelled due to weather and pandemic related conditions. Fort Wayne played 51 games earning 63 points which in a traditional season 63 points would have put them in 7th place, but due to the unequal number of games played by the teams they had a higher points percentage than four other teams in the division and earned a playoff spot. Fort Wayne played 51 games which means they could have earned 102 points (2 points per game). They earned 63 points, so there point percentage was 63/12=.618 (to 3 decimal places) while Utah played 72 games earning 81 points, so there point percentage was 81/144=.563 (to 3 decimal places) based on that calculation the team would have ended up with about 89 points in 72 games and the Wichita Thunder had a point percentage of .634 which would have put them at just under 92 points for a complete schedule.
Also shown below is the Florida Everblades highlighted in Yellow which indicates that they won the 2021 Brabham Cup as the ECHL's regular season champion. They earned 92 points in 69 games due to some games being cancelled for a point percentage of .667 and that the Allen Americans earned 94 points but played their full 72 game schedule for a point percentage of .653.
2020-21 ECHL season[]
| Eastern Conference | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | Pts | Pts% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z — Florida Everblades (NSH) | 69 | 42 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 233 | 193 | 92 | .667 |
| x — Greenville Swamp Rabbits (FLA) | 72 | 38 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 210 | 204 | 91 | .632 |
| x — Indy Fuel (CHI) | 69 | 37 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 204 | 199 | 82 | .594 |
| x — South Carolina Stingrays (WSH) | 70 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 216 | 212 | 81 | .579 |
| Orlando Solar Bears (TB) | 72 | 36 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 218 | 232 | 79 | .549 |
| Jacksonville Icemen (WPG) | 71 | 34 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 205 | 212 | 75 | .528 |
| Wheeling Nailers (PIT) | 68 | 22 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 196 | 241 | 51 | .375 |
| Western Conference | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | Pts | Pts% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y — Allen Americans (MIN) | 72 | 45 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 236 | 196 | 94 | .653 |
| x — Wichita Thunder (EDM) | 71 | 41 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 218 | 190 | 90 | .634 |
| x — Fort Wayne Komets (VGK) | 51 | 29 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 170 | 136 | 63 | .618 |
| x — Utah Grizzlies (COL) | 72 | 35 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 207 | 219 | 81 | .563 |
| Tulsa Oilers (ANA) | 72 | 30 | 28 | 11 | 3 | 180 | 203 | 74 | .514 |
| Kansas City Mavericks (CGY) | 72 | 31 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 205 | 226 | 72 | .500 |
| Rapid City Rush (ARI) | 71 | 32 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 197 | 232 | 68 | .479 |
x – clinched playoff spot; y – clinched regular season conference title; z – Brabham Cup (regular season) champion