Power Play Percentage (PP%)
The percentage of power-play opportunities on which a team scores at least one goal. A fundamental measure of man-advantage efficiency.
Power Play Percentage (PP%) is one of the oldest and most intuitive team statistics in hockey. It simply measures how often a team converts its power-play opportunities into goals. If a team scores on 4 of 20 power plays, their PP% is 20%. The NHL average typically hovers around 20-22%.
While PP% is easy to understand, it has limitations as an analytical tool. It is heavily influenced by small samples and shooting percentage variance, especially early in a season. A team might be generating excellent chances on the power play but converting at a low rate due to bad luck or cold shooting. Expected goals on the power play (PP xGF/60) provides a more stable and predictive measure of power-play quality.
For individual players, power-play production is tracked separately from even-strength output. Some players see their value inflated significantly by PP time -- a player with 30 points on the power play and 20 at even strength has a very different profile from one with 20 PP points and 30 EV points, even though both total 50.
Formula
PP% = Power Play Goals / Power Play Opportunities x 100 NHL average: ~20-22%
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good power play percentage?
The NHL average is typically 20-22%. A PP% above 24% is considered elite, while below 17% is poor. However, PP% can fluctuate significantly over short stretches due to shooting percentage variance.
Why can PP% be misleading?
PP% is heavily influenced by shooting percentage, which is volatile in small samples. A team might generate excellent chances but not convert, or might score on lucky bounces despite poor process. Expected goals per 60 on the power play is a better measure of sustainable quality.
How does the power play affect player stats?
Power-play points can significantly inflate a player's raw totals. Analytics models like GAR separate power-play contributions (PPO component) from even-strength production to give a more nuanced view of player value.
Does PP% correlate with team success?
There is a moderate positive correlation between PP% and standings points, but it is weaker than even-strength metrics. Teams rarely make or miss the playoffs based on power play alone -- even-strength play is a much stronger driver of team success.