NHL Rookie Stats: how the numbers are made

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Sources

Every figure comes from the NHL's own public records: the schedule for each date, the official boxscore for each game, and the NHL's own rookie classification for the season. Players are matched by their NHL player id, never by name.

Who counts as a rookie

We use the NHL's own rookie classification for the selected season. If a player who appeared is not yet in the NHL's lists, his status is shown as unknown and the night is not marked complete until a later check classifies him.

Dates and times

Each game stays on the date the NHL schedules it, even when a late game ends after midnight in Chicago. Update times are shown in Central Time.

Counts

• Rookie skaters with at least one point are counted once each, however many points they had.
• Shootout goals are not goals or points.
• Goalies are shown in their own table and are not in the skater counts.
• A player appears only when the boxscore shows him playing; a roster spot or a scratch is not an appearance.
• Points per game is points divided by games played, and is left blank when games played is zero.

Coverage labels

• Complete for slate: every scheduled game is accounted for, every played game's record was read and checked (skater goals reconcile with the final score), and every participant's rookie status is known.
• Live/provisional: games are in progress; figures will change.
• Partial: some games or classifications are not yet confirmed; figures cover only the games named.
• Delayed: the latest successful check is older than three minutes while games are live; the time shown is that check.
• No games: the NHL scheduled no games on that date.

The NHL can correct a game record after it ends. Finished games are checked again later, and earlier values are kept in our records when a correction arrives.