text: hockey question? what is +/- mean in hockey?  i am guessing it could mean goals scored vs goals allowed when a particular person is on the ice....but if that is the case, wouldn't it be hard for the officials to determine who is out on the ice each time? every team has statisticians at every game, and the nhl does too, i think, to gather all the information. a goal is scored for your team when your on the ice gives you a plus 1. if your on the ice when you get scored upon, you get a minus 1. this is not so much indicative of the player, more for the team strength and when a player is on the ice. offensive forwards generally have plus ratings. even the best defense man may have a minus rating. a strong team that scores a lot and everyone on the team may be a plus.