Mike M writes...
>Rita-Ann Monde writes:
>>When teams are at even strength, if team "A" scores, then the skaters from
>>team A on the ice at the time of the goal gets a "+" and the players from
>>team "B" get a minus.  In the NHL, if Team "A" scores while shorthanded,
>>then the team A players get plus, and team B skaters get a minus.
>
>To relate this to the earlier discussion about uniformity of
>statistics, not everyone follows this method either.  Some schools
>count ONLY even strength goals in their +/-.  Some schools keep +/-
>for goalies, too.  I prefer the method outlined by Rita-Ann, myself.
 
Agreed, on all counts.  While the CCHA does not record +/- for goaltenders,
the club teams in this area do.
 
And, even if everyone agrees to the above method, there is always the debate
of how to handle special situations...
 
  1. What if it's a delayed penalty and the offense has six skaters on the
ice?  Do you award 6 +'s and 5 -'s?
  2. What about empty net situations?  Again, it's not a power play.  Do you
go 6 and 5, or 5 and 6, as the case may be?
 
  Finally, personal observations/opinions about +/-.  It is a difficult
statistic to interpret.  It is very team specific...the best defensive
player on a weak team may be minus a jillion while the worst defensive
player on a good team may have a large positive value.  Often, top defensive
players on a championship caliber team have low ratings because they are
always on the ice with the opposition's top offensive unit.  They've done
their "job" simply staying even with the opponent.  For a good example, look
at Ron Francis' numbers during his time with the Penguins.  Wayne Gretzky
was +90 something on one of the dominant Oiler teams, and it wasn't due to
his tight defensive play.  On the other hand, David Harlock was +48 in 38
games for Michigan last season although he only registered 12 points (and 44
in 163 career games).  The point?  It's a difficult statistic to interpret.
 
 
  John H
  U Mich