Calculate Hockey GAA
Enter total goals against and minutes played to calculate a goaltender's Goals Against Average. GAA normalizes goalie performance to the number of goals allowed per 60 minutes, even when a goalie plays a partial game or overtime.
The Pacing of Defense
While Save Percentage measures a goalie's shot-stopping efficiency, the Goals Against Average (GAA) measures their defensive pacing. GAA tells you, on average, exactly how many goals the goaltender allows per standard 60-minute hockey game.
Because a goalie might be pulled for an extra attacker, or replaced due to injury, you cannot simply look at the goals allowed in a game. You must mathematically normalize their performance against the official 60-minute clock.
Calculating the Average
If a goaltender allows 3 goals but only played 40 minutes before being pulled, their GAA for that game is much worse than 3.00, because they allowed those goals at an accelerated, highly damaging rate.
The Formula
The formula normalizes the goals against by multiplying them by 60, and then dividing by the exact number of minutes the goaltender was physically on the ice.
GAA = (Goals Against * 60) / Minutes Played
Interpreting GAA
- Under 2.20: Elite, league-leading defensive performance.
- 2.50 to 2.80: Average, reliable starting goaltender.
- Over 3.10: Struggling performance, indicating a porous defense or poor goaltending.