GAA Calculator (Hockey)

Goals Against Average (GAA) is a statistic that measures the average number of goals a goaltender allows per game played. It is calculated by dividing the total goals allowed by total minutes played, then multiplying by the regulation game length. The lower the GAA, the better the goalie's performance. See also our Hockey Salary Cap Calculator.

The formula is: GAA = (Goals Against ÷ Minutes Played) × Game Length. For example, if a goalie allowed 15 goals over 540 minutes in a league with 60-minute games, the GAA = (15 ÷ 540) × 60 = 1.67.

A GAA below 2.00 is considered Outstanding, between 2.00 and 2.70 is Good, between 2.70 and 3.00 is Respectable, and above 3.00 is generally considered below average. In the NHL, elite goalies typically post a GAA under 2.50.

Game length normalizes the GAA calculation so that goalies playing in leagues with different game durations can be compared fairly. The NHL and IIHF both use 60 minutes as the standard regulation game length.

GAA is most commonly used in ice hockey and field hockey, but it can also be found in soccer as a measure of goalkeeper performance. It is conceptually similar to baseball's Earned Run Average (ERA), measuring defensive consistency over time.

GAA measures the raw number of goals allowed per game, while Save Percentage measures the proportion of shots stopped. Both stats together give a fuller picture of goalie performance — a goalie can have a low GAA if their team faces few shots, even with a moderate SV%.

In most official league statistics, shootout goals are not counted in GAA calculations because shootouts are decided by penalty shots rather than in-game play. Only goals allowed during regulation and overtime are typically included.

Yes. Simply enter the actual game length for your league in the Game Length field. Many youth and amateur leagues use shorter periods, so you might enter 45 or 30 minutes instead of the standard 60-minute NHL game length.