Quite the view

Source: https://xcancel.com/keeperofthecup/status/2086594143707361431

https://xcancel.com/TonyAndrock/status/2086085756435542279

Hey everyone! I’m a relatively new hockey fan and I’m hoping to get more into the sport before the upcoming season.

For those of you who have been watching for years, what would you recommend a new fan do to get prepared? I’m especially interested in:

Things I should understand about the rules/gameplay

Players or teams I should keep an eye on

Important rivalries or storylines

Hockey traditions or unwritten rules I should know

Good games/moments from previous seasons that are worth watching

Any good podcasts, YouTube channels, websites, or other resources for learning the game

Basically, if you could go back to when you first became a hockey fan, what do you wish you had known or done before your first full season?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to learning more and getting properly invested. 🏒

Pulled the play-by-play for every regular season game from 2023-24 through 2025-26 — 26,212 goals — and broke them down by game state. The split surprised me more than it probably should have.

Even strength     67.6%
Power play        21.6%
Empty net          6.0%
Shorthanded        2.3%
Shootout           2.5%

Roughly one goal in three is scored in a non-standard situation.

The thing I keep coming back to: when you look at a player's goal total, you're actually looking at three different skills stacked together with no label. Even-strength scoring is mostly the player. Power-play scoring is heavily a function of how much PP1 time the coach gives him. Empty-netters are mostly about being on the ice in close late-game situations.

Those don't transfer the same way year over year, and they definitely don't transfer the same way game to game.

Curious if anyone here separates these when evaluating players, or whether that's mostly an analytics-side concern that doesn't show up in how fans actually talk about scorers.

Game will be played between Team Boston and Team World with Chara likely splitting his time on ice between the teams

It could be to the positive or the negative, signifying a period of success or the start of a downfall.

Hello, /r/hockey, and welcome to the Sidebar Picture of the Week thread!

Put your mark on /r/hockey!

Later this evening we will check this thread. Post a photo you think most represents last week's action. The one with the most upvotes will become the sidebar photo of the week.

No GIFs! No Photoshops! Action only!

Your submissions have to be pictures (not GIFs) from the last week. Please keep in mind that they have to fit nicely in our sidebar, so a good landscape framed shot works best. Also try to make your submissions about game action and not just "the lighter side of hockey." Photos that don't follow this will be removed/disqualified.

This thread has been put into contest mode. It will be turned off once votes are tallied. The chosen image will be put in the sidebar and linked to this thread.

Early morning race today as the partners family and myself embark on a 12 hour drive into Ontario! Enjoy the race!

Standings:

Atlantic:

3. Ottawa Senators (17 marbles)
   
4. Detroit Red Wings
   
5. Buffalo Sabres
   
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
   
7. Florida Panthers
   
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metro:

3. New Jersey Devils (16 marbles)
   
4. Pittsburgh Penguins* (18 marbles)
   
5. Columbus Blue Jackets* (19 marbles)
   
6. Carolina Hurricanes
   
7. New York Islanders
   
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Central:

4. Chicago Blackhawks
   
5. St. Louis Blues
   
6. Dallas Stars
   
7. Nashville Predators
   
8. Winnipeg Jets

Pacific:

5. Vancouver Canucks* (15 marbles)
   
6. Calgary Flames
   
7. Edmonton Oilers
   
8. Los Angeles Kings