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What is “Shooting Percentage”?
Shooting percentage is a hockey player’s percentage shots that are goals.
A higher shooting percentage is a sign of a hockey player that scores a high number of goals per shot made.
Other sports with a goalie such as field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo also use SH%.
Formula – How to calculate shooting percentage
Shooting Percentage = Goals Scored ÷ Shots on Goal
- A “goal” is a shot that goes in the net. Include empty net goals. Do not include goals from a shootout.
- A “shot” is an action that directs the puck towards the net and is either stopped by the goalie or goes in the net. Include empty net shots. Do not include shots blocked by a non-goalie player (blocked shots), shots that miss the net or hit the goalpost (missed shots), or shots in a shootout.
Example
A player makes 622 shots on goal and in that time scores 48 goals:
48 goals ÷ 622 shots = 0.0772.
This player’s shooting percentage is 0.0772, or 7.72%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SH% in Hockey?
“SH%” stands for “Shooting Percentage.” It is the percentage of a player’s shots on goal that go in the net.
How do you calculate Shooting Percentage in Hockey?
Divide the number of goals by the number of shot attempts. Do not include shots that are blocked by a non-goalie player and shots that miss the net. Do not include goals or shots from a shootout.
What is a good shooting percentage for a hockey player?
The all time shooting percentage leader in the NHL is Craig Simpson (1985 – 1995) with a career shooting percentage of 23.66%. The 50th all time is Joe Nieuwndyk (1986 – 2007) with 17.40%. The 100th all time is Auston Matthews (2016 – current) with 15.94%. The 200th all time is Tim Higgins (1978 – 1989) with 14.54%. Statistics from Hockey-Reference.com’s shooting percentage career leader board as of January 28th, 2020.
Sources and more resources
- Wikipedia – Shot on Goal– Wikipedia’s definition of a shot on goal.
- Rule Books for the NHL and the IIHF include definitions for terminology such as “goals.”
- NHL Player Statistics from the NHL, TSN, ESPN, SportsNet, and Hockey-Reference.com, and QuantHockey (Includes All-Time Leaders).