What is Faceoff Win %?

The percentage of faceoffs a player wins when the puck is dropped in his favor at the start of play.

What this tells us

When this player takes a faceoff, he wins a certain share of them — anywhere from under 40% to over 60% depending on his role and matchups. Winning faceoffs gives your team possession right away, which is why centers on the first line and penalty kill typically have higher win percentages. It's not the most important stat in hockey, but it matters in tight games and specific situations like the final minute.

Limitations

Faceoff win percentage doesn't account for where on the ice the faceoff happens — winning a draw in the offensive zone is much more valuable than winning one in your own end. It also ignores what happens *after* the faceoff; you can win the draw and still lose the puck five seconds later. And it's heavily influenced by quality of opposition — a star center's win percentage will drop when he's matched against another star center.

Example

A first-line center typically wins 50–55% of his faceoffs. A fourth-line center or winger might be closer to 45–48%. Specialists brought in for penalty-kill situations can push above 55%.