What is Goals Against Average?

The average number of goals a goaltender allows per 60 minutes of play.

What this tells us

When this goaltender is on the ice, how many goals does he let in per hour of game time? A lower number is better — it means he's stopping more of the shots he faces. GAA is the simplest way to compare how many goals different goalies give up, accounting for the fact that they play different amounts of time.

Limitations

GAA doesn't account for the quality of shots the goaltender faces or the defense in front of him. A goalie with an excellent team might post a great GAA even if he's not playing particularly well, because his team gives up fewer chances. That's why we also show save percentage and expected goals against, which isolate the goaltender's own performance from his teammates'.

Example

A starting goaltender in the NHL typically posts a GAA between 2.50 and 3.00. A backup might be higher, and an elite starter might dip below 2.50.