Save Percentage & GAA
A goalie’s save percentage, goals-against average and goals saved above average from shots, goals and minutes, for any game length.
Save percentage written the hockey way (.917), goals-against average over the game length you set, games played, shots faced per game and — with a league save percentage — goals saved above average.
Example: 1,500 shots, 125 goals in 3,300 minutes: .917 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA; against a .905 league, 17.5 goals saved above average.
Shots stopped,
goals per game.
What save percentage and GAA divide, why the game length matters, how goals saved above average compares a goalie with the league, and what they cannot see.
Save percentage
Saves ÷ shots on goal, written to three places without the zero: 1,375 saves on 1,500 shots is .917. Only shots on goal count — blocked and missed shots are not in either number.
Goals-against average
Goals against × game length ÷ minutes played: the goals a goalie would allow over a full game at this rate. The NHL and NCAA play 60 minutes; youth and recreational leagues often play shorter periods, so the length is an input. Empty-net goals are not charged to the goalie in the NHL.
Goals saved above average
At the league’s save percentage, a goalie facing the same shots would allow shots × (1 − league SV%) goals. The difference from the goals actually allowed is goals saved above average — positive is better.
What the numbers do not settle
Shot quality, defence in front and penalty-kill time are outside these rates. Inputs stay in your browser; the same anonymous usage counts as the rest of the site apply.
SOURCES
- NHL official statistics definitions — save percentage and goals-against average
Last reviewed 24 September 2026. How results are checked: How we verify.