What's a Good GAA for Youth Hockey Goalies?
Goals-against average (GAA) tells you how many goals a goalie allows per full game. It's easy to calculate — and easy to misread. Here's the formula, a worked example, and an honest answer to "is my kid's GAA good?"
The GAA formula
GAA scales a goalie's goals allowed to a full regulation game, so goalies who play different amounts of time can be compared:
If a goalie plays complete games, that simplifies to the average you'd expect:
Example. A goalie allows 6 goals across 3 complete 60-minute games.
GAA = 6 ÷ 3 = 2.00
Playing part of a game? Say 2 goals in 30 minutes of a 60-minute game:
GAA = (2 × 60) ÷ 30 = 4.00
GAA is shown to two decimals. Lower is better. Like save percentage, it normally excludes empty-net goals and shootout goals.
So what's a good GAA?
Here's the honest answer: it depends far more on the level and the team in front of the goalie than on the goalie alone. A GAA of 3.50 on a team that gets outshot every night can reflect a better goalie than a 2.00 on a stacked team that barely allows a shot.
Rough professional reference points (for scale, not as a target for kids):
| Level | Strong GAA |
|---|---|
| NHL (elite pro) | 2.00 – 2.60 |
| Junior / college | 2.20 – 3.00 |
| Youth / minor hockey | Hugely variable — judge against the goalie's own trend |
Why GAA can be unfair to a goalie
GAA rewards playing behind a good defense. A goalie who faces 40 shots a night and allows 4 goals records a .900 save percentage but will have a worse GAA than one who faces 15 shots and allows 3, which records .800. The example shows that the two statistics describe different parts of the workload; neither number explains the chances or the performance by itself. Read more about using save percentage with context.
How to actually use GAA as a parent
- Track the trend. Is it drifting down over the season? That's development.
- Pair it with SV% and shot volume. The three together tell the real story.
- Ignore single games. One 6-goal night against the league's best team is not a verdict on your goalie.
- Keep it positive. Kids don't need a nightly grade — they need to see progress over time.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 2.00 GAA good?
At most levels, yes — but only in context. A 2.00 behind a defense that surrenders 35 shots a game is excellent; behind one that allows 12, it's just okay.
GAA vs save percentage — which matters more?
For evaluating the goalie, save percentage is usually fairer because it accounts for workload. GAA is a great summary of outcomes. Track both. Read the SV% guide →
Do shootout goals count in GAA?
No. Shootout goals (and empty-net goals) are excluded from regulation GAA.
GAA and SV%, calculated for you
PuckStop computes GAA and save percentage automatically from the shots you tap in — using your game's real regulation length, with shootouts and empty-net goals excluded.