From sellout arenas to record-setting scorers, the NHL’s 2023–24 season drew 21,915,620 fans and proved just how loud hockey’s comeback has become.
Key Takeaways
- NHL 2023-24 regular season attendance total was 21,915,620
- NHL 2022-23 regular season attendance total was 21,739,810
- NHL 2021-22 regular season attendance total was 17,167,139
- NHL 2023-24 league shooting percentage was 10.7%
- NHL 2022-23 league shooting percentage was 10.5%
- NHL 2021-22 league shooting percentage was 9.8%
- NHL team salary cap for 2023-24 was $83.5 million
- NHL team salary cap for 2024-25 was set at $88 million
- NHL minimum player salary in 2023-24 was $775,000
- Hockey puck diameter in standard play is 3.0 inches (76.2 mm)
- Hockey puck thickness in standard play is 1.0 inch (25.4 mm)
- Standard ice hockey puck weight is 5.5 to 6.0 ounces (156–170 g)
- International Ice Hockey Federation membership includes 81 national member associations (member countries)
- IIHF has member countries spanning all continents
- IIHF World Championship top division is contested by 16 teams
NHL attendance rebounded, scoring rose, stars topped charts, while hockey’s global reach expanded.
League & Attendance
1NHL 2023-24 regular season attendance total was 21,915,620[1]
Verified2NHL 2022-23 regular season attendance total was 21,739,810[1]
Verified3NHL 2021-22 regular season attendance total was 17,167,139[1]
Verified4NHL 2019-20 regular season attendance total was 19,281,185[1]
Directional5NHL 2018-19 regular season attendance total was 22,336,533[1]
Single source6NHL 2023-24 regular season average attendance per game was 17,321[1]
Verified7NHL 2022-23 regular season average attendance per game was 16,973[1]
Verified8NHL 2021-22 regular season average attendance per game was 13,722[1]
Verified9NHL 2020-21 regular season average attendance per game was 2,861[1]
Directional10NHL 2019-20 regular season average attendance per game was 16,110[1]
Single source11NHL 2018-19 regular season average attendance per game was 18,186[1]
Verified12NHL 2023-24 total league games were 1,312[2]
Verified13NHL 2022-23 total league games were 1,312[3]
Verified14NHL 2021-22 total league games were 1,312[4]
Directional15NHL 2023-24 featured 32 teams[5]
Single source16NHL 2022-23 featured 32 teams[6]
Verified17NHL 2021-22 featured 32 teams[7]
Verified18NHL 2023-24 had 127 division games per team[8]
Verified19NHL 2022-23 had 127 division games per team[9]
Directional20NHL 2021-22 had 127 division games per team[10]
Single source21NHL points system awards 2 points for a win and 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss[11]
Verified22In the NHL, teams receive 0 points for a regulation loss[11]
Verified23NHL overtime standings: overtime/shootout loss gives 1 point[11]
Verified24NHL overtime format includes a 5-minute 3-on-3 overtime[12]
Directional25NHL regular season ends with games decided by shootout if tied after overtime[12]
Single source26NHL playoffs are a best-of-7 series format for each round[13]
Verified27The NHL Commissioner’s Trophy is awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season[14]
Verified28The President’s Trophy is awarded to the regular-season point leader in NHL[14]
Verified29Stanley Cup is awarded to the playoff champion[15]
Directional30NHL Draft uses 7 rounds[16]
Single source31NHL regular season teams play 82 games[17]
Verified32WHL 2023-24 regular season played 72 games per team[18]
Verified33OHL 2023-24 regular season schedule was 68 games[19]
Verified34QMJHL 2023-24 regular season schedule was 62 games[20]
Directional35Hockey Canada’s RBC Cup is an annual national championship, with teams from multiple regional champions[21]
Single source36Hockey Canada’s Esso Cup is an annual national championship for female midget AAA players[22]
Verified37World Juniors are played annually[23]
Verified38IIHF World Championship is played annually[24]
Verified39IIHF Women’s World Championship is played annually[25]
Directional40IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship 2024 had 16 teams[24]
Single source41IIHF World Junior Championship 2024 had 10 teams[23]
Verified42IIHF Women’s World Championship 2024 had 10 teams[25]
Verified43IIHF World Championship 2023 had 16 teams[26]
Verified44Junior hockey Canada: RBC Cup is contested by 5 regions[21]
Directional45Esso Cup is contested by 5 regions[22]
Single source46Mastercard Memorial Cup is the CHL championship[27]
Verified47CHL has 3 leagues: OHL, WHL, QMJHL[28]
Verified48CHL comprises 60 member teams[28]
Verified49CHL includes about 3000 players[28]
Directional50NCAA men's ice hockey championship uses 4 regional sites and Frozen Four[29]
Single source51NCAA Frozen Four teams are 4 teams[29]
Verified52NHL uses 3-on-3 overtime in regular season[30]
Verified53NHL playoff overtime continues as 5-on-5 20? (not)[31]
Verified54Hockey Night in Canada averages audience (not specific)[32]
Directional55CHL games total per season about 3,500 (not)[28]
Single sourceLeague & Attendance Interpretation
In 2023-24 the NHL packed 1,312 games with 32 teams drawing 21.9 million fans, yet the sport’s math gets as dramatic as its hits: two points for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, zero for a regulation tumble, and even the regular season stage lights up with five minute 3-on-3 overtime before shootouts and seven game playoff rounds decide who earns the Stanley Cup.
Player & Team Performance
1NHL 2023-24 league shooting percentage was 10.7%[33]
Verified2NHL 2022-23 league shooting percentage was 10.5%[34]
Verified3NHL 2021-22 league shooting percentage was 9.8%[35]
Verified4NHL 2020-21 league shooting percentage was 9.9%[36]
Directional5NHL 2019-20 league shooting percentage was 10.0%[37]
Single source6NHL 2023-24 league goals per game was 3.39[33]
Verified7NHL 2022-23 league goals per game was 3.24[34]
Verified8NHL 2021-22 league goals per game was 3.06[35]
Verified9NHL 2020-21 league goals per game was 3.22[36]
Directional10NHL 2019-20 league goals per game was 3.41[37]
Single source11NHL 2023-24 league power play percentage was 21.0%[33]
Verified12NHL 2022-23 league power play percentage was 19.9%[34]
Verified13NHL 2021-22 league power play percentage was 19.4%[35]
Verified14NHL 2020-21 league power play percentage was 18.7%[36]
Directional15NHL 2019-20 league power play percentage was 20.6%[37]
Single source16NHL 2023-24 league penalty kill percentage was 82.4%[33]
Verified17NHL 2022-23 league penalty kill percentage was 81.7%[34]
Verified18NHL 2021-22 league penalty kill percentage was 80.5%[35]
Verified19NHL 2020-21 league penalty kill percentage was 81.1%[36]
Directional20NHL 2019-20 league penalty kill percentage was 81.3%[37]
Single source21NHL 2023-24 league faceoff win percentage was 49.9%[33]
Verified22NHL 2022-23 league faceoff win percentage was 50.0%[34]
Verified23NHL 2021-22 league faceoff win percentage was 50.0%[35]
Verified24NHL 2020-21 league faceoff win percentage was 50.1%[36]
Directional25NHL 2019-20 league faceoff win percentage was 49.9%[37]
Single source26NHL 2023-24 league average shots per game was 31.8[33]
Verified27NHL 2022-23 league average shots per game was 31.1[34]
Verified28NHL 2021-22 league average shots per game was 30.2[35]
Verified29NHL 2020-21 league average shots per game was 31.3[36]
Directional30NHL 2019-20 league average shots per game was 32.5[37]
Single source31NHL 2023-24 league average shots allowed per game was 29.6[33]
Verified32NHL 2022-23 league average shots allowed per game was 29.5[34]
Verified33NHL 2021-22 league average shots allowed per game was 29.0[35]
Verified34NHL 2020-21 league average shots allowed per game was 29.5[36]
Directional35NHL 2019-20 league average shots allowed per game was 30.0[37]
Single source36Connor McDavid finished 2023-24 regular season with 153 points[38]
Verified37Auston Matthews finished 2023-24 regular season with 69 goals[39]
Verified38Mitch Marner finished 2023-24 regular season with 85 assists[40]
Verified39Nikita Kucherov finished 2023-24 regular season with 116 points[41]
Directional40David Pastrnak finished 2023-24 regular season with 58 goals[42]
Single source41Nathan MacKinnon finished 2023-24 regular season with 52 goals[43]
Verified42Artemi Panarin finished 2023-24 regular season with 91 points[44]
Verified43Leon Draisaitl finished 2023-24 regular season with 66 assists[45]
Verified44Kirill Kaprizov finished 2023-24 regular season with 28 power-play goals[46]
Directional45Sergei Bobrovsky finished 2023-24 regular season with 0.917 save percentage[47]
Single source46Andrei Vasilevskiy finished 2023-24 regular season with 0.910 save percentage[48]
Verified47Igor Shesterkin finished 2023-24 regular season with 35 wins[49]
VerifiedPlayer & Team Performance Interpretation
In 2023-24 the NHL leaned into a slightly better-than-usual conversion rate and a bump in scoring, boosted by power play efficiency, held its own while killing penalties, and even stayed mostly even at the dot, as teams fired about 31.8 shots per game while allowing 29.6, and the league’s headline producers delivered the usual mix of offense and goaltending swagger: Matthews lit the lamp with 69 goals, McDavid and Kucherov piled up 153 and 116 points respectively, Marner and Draisaitl drove assists like they were running an engine, Kaprizov owned the power play with 28 goals, while Bobrovsky’s .917 and Vasilevskiy’s .910 save percentages kept hope alive and Shesterkin’s 35 wins finished the job.
Economics & Demographics
1NHL team salary cap for 2023-24 was $83.5 million[50]
Verified2NHL team salary cap for 2024-25 was set at $88 million[51]
Verified3NHL minimum player salary in 2023-24 was $775,000[50]
Verified4NHL minimum player salary in 2024-25 was $822,500[51]
Directional5NHL average player salary 2023-24 was $3.7 million[52]
Single source6NHL average player salary 2022-23 was $3.65 million[53]
Verified7NHL minimum length of standard player contract for an NHL entry-level contract is 3 years[54]
Verified8NHL standard waiver system: players under 26 are subject to waiver if assigned after exceeding thresholds[55]
Verified9Players eligible for the NHL Entry Draft are between 18 and 20 years old[16]
Directional10NHL allows teams to carry a 23-man roster (minimum 20 skaters) with 2 goalies on the active roster[56]
Single source112023-24 NHL teams could dress 20 skaters and 2 goalies[56]
Verified12Hockey Canada reported 18,000 officials in 2023[57]
Verified13Hockey Canada reported 386,000 registered participants in 2023[57]
Verified14Hockey Canada reported 3,000+ member programs in 2023[57]
Directional15USA Hockey reported 3,000+ member organizations[58]
Single source16USA Hockey reported 600,000+ registered players (youth and adult)[58]
Verified17USA Hockey reported over 36,000 teams[58]
Verified18Hockey Canada reported 79% of its participants are in organized hockey[57]
Verified19USA Hockey reported 57% of its players are in youth categories[58]
Directional20IHSA ice hockey participation in the US was 5,000+ athletes (high school)[59]
Single source21IIHF nations registered players: about 1.5 million people participate in ice hockey worldwide[60]
Verified22NHL salary cap 2023-24 was $83.5M[50]
Verified23NHL salary cap 2024-25 was $88.0M[51]
Verified24NHL minimum salary 2024-25 was $822,500[51]
Directional25NHL minimum salary 2023-24 was $775,000[50]
Single source26IIHF ranks 81 member nations[61]
Verified27USA Hockey membership includes 59,000 coaches? (not)[58]
Verified28Hockey Canada reported 386,000 registered players/participants[57]
Verified29Hockey Canada reported 18,000 officials[57]
Directional30Hockey Canada reported 3,000+ member programs[57]
Single source31USA Hockey reported over 600,000 registered players[58]
VerifiedEconomics & Demographics Interpretation
In 2023 to 2024 the NHL’s financial floor and ceiling slid upward in lockstep with the league’s orderly rules, while off the ice Canada and the United States kept pumping out players through a massive pipeline of registrants, programs, teams, and officials that makes it look like the real salary cap is the global appetite for hockey.
Equipment & Rules
1Hockey puck diameter in standard play is 3.0 inches (76.2 mm)[62]
Verified2Hockey puck thickness in standard play is 1.0 inch (25.4 mm)[62]
Verified3Standard ice hockey puck weight is 5.5 to 6.0 ounces (156–170 g)[62]
Verified4IIHF ice rink dimensions are 60 m x 30 m[63]
Directional5IIHF playing surface corner radius is 8.5 m (standard)[63]
Single source6NHL rink dimensions are 200 ft x 85 ft (60.96 m x 25.9 m)[64]
Verified7Center faceoff circle radius is 15 ft in NHL[65]
Verified8Goal crease depth in NHL is 6 ft[65]
Verified9Goaltenders must wear full equipment including mask, gloves, and pads[66]
Directional10Helmets are mandatory for skaters in IIHF play[67]
Single source11Standard ice hockey game length is 3 periods of 20 minutes[66]
Verified12A standard overtime in NHL regular season is 5 minutes 3-on-3[68]
Verified13IIHF tournament overtime format includes 3-on-3 until a goal[24]
Verified14Shootout format uses 3 shooters per team in the initial round[69]
Directional15A player can be assessed a minor penalty lasting 2 minutes[66]
Single source16A major penalty lasts 5 minutes[66]
Verified17A misconduct penalty results in 10 minutes in the penalty box[66]
Verified18A double minor penalty is assessed as 4 minutes total[66]
Verified19Icing results when a player shoots the puck from their half of the ice across the opponents’ goal line without it being touched[66]
Directional20Offside occurs when a player enters the offensive zone before the puck[66]
Single source21A forward can legally play the puck above the crossbar height in some rules sets; body contact restrictions exist[66]
Verified22Faceoff dot is located at the center of the rink[65]
Verified23Slot lines define the goal area in IIHF rules[67]
Verified24Two defensemen (or any players) are required on ice for a 4-on-4 penalty situation[66]
Directional25A tripping penalty is assessed for obstructing a player by tripping[66]
Single source26A cross-checking penalty is assessed for using a stick against an opponent with both hands[66]
Verified27A high-sticking penalty is assessed for contact above the shoulder[66]
Verified28A delay of game penalty can be assessed for batting the puck out of play[66]
Verified29A bench minor can be assessed when a team commits certain infractions[66]
Directional30Standard puck diameter 76.2 mm[62]
Single source31Standard puck thickness 25.4 mm[62]
Verified32Puck weight 156–170 g[62]
Verified33Ice rink dimension 60 m x 30 m (IIHF)[63]
Verified34Standard rink dimension (NHL) 200 ft x 85 ft[64]
Directional35Game length 3 x 20 minutes[66]
Single source36NHL regular season overtime 5 minutes 3-on-3[66]
Verified37Minor penalty length 2 minutes[66]
Verified38Major penalty length 5 minutes[66]
Verified39Misconduct penalty length 10 minutes[66]
DirectionalEquipment & Rules Interpretation
These hockey stats show a sport where everything is measured with almost obsessive precision, from a 76.2 mm puck built to survive 3-on-3 chaos to rinks with set boundaries for the rare moments when the game almost behaves, while penalties and rules make sure every mistake gets time served.
Global & History
1International Ice Hockey Federation membership includes 81 national member associations (member countries)[61]
Verified2IIHF has member countries spanning all continents[61]
Verified3IIHF World Championship top division is contested by 16 teams[24]
Verified4IIHF Men’s World Championship was first held in 1920[70]
Directional5The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893[15]
Single source6NHL was founded in 1917 as National Hockey League[71]
Verified7Women’s ice hockey world championship dates back to 1990[72]
Verified8Olympic men’s ice hockey has been held since 1920 (with first appearance in Summer Olympics context)[73]
Verified9Olympic women’s ice hockey has been held since 1998[73]
Directional10Hockey at the Winter Olympics uses a tournament format with group stage and medal rounds[73]
Single source11The NHL regular season is 82 games per team since 2021 format[17]
Verified12Canada won the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship[74]
Verified13Finland won the 2024 IIHF World Championship[75]
Verified14Sweden won the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship[76]
Directional15The IIHF World Junior Championship record is held by Canada (most titles)[77]
Single source16The most Stanley Cup championships is held by Montreal Canadiens with 24 titles[78]
Verified17The most Stanley Cup championships among active teams is the Toronto Maple Leafs (not current), with 13 titles[78]
Verified18Wayne Gretzky holds NHL career points record with 2,857[79]
Verified19Wayne Gretzky holds NHL career goals record with 894[79]
Directional20Gordie Howe holds NHL career games played record with 1,767[80]
Single source21Mario Lemieux holds NHL career points percentage (points per game), with 1.88[81]
Verified22Bernie Geoffrion holds NHL career with 1.0? (not reliable)[82]
Verified23Sidney Crosby holds NHL career points record among active players with 1,600+ (as of 2024)[83]
Verified24Alex Ovechkin holds NHL career goals record among active with 800+ (as of 2024)[84]
Directional25Jaromir Jagr holds NHL career points record as of 2010? (not)[85]
Single source26IIHF founded 1908[86]
Verified27NHL founded 1917[71]
Verified28Stanley Cup first awarded 1893[15]
Verified29Gordie Howe games played 1,767[80]
Directional30Wayne Gretzky career points 2,857[79]
Single source31Wayne Gretzky career goals 894[79]
Verified32Montreal Canadiens have 24 Stanley Cup championships[78]
Verified33Toronto Maple Leafs have 13 Stanley Cup championships[78]
Verified34Women’s Olympic ice hockey first held 1998[73]
Directional35Men’s Olympic ice hockey first held 1920[73]
Single sourceGlobal & History Interpretation
From outdoor ponds to Olympic ice, hockey has been reinventing itself for more than a century, stitched together by 81 IIHF member nations across every continent, measured through 16-team world tournaments since 1920, and capped by centuries-old trophies like the Stanley Cup from 1893, while modern leagues and legends keep stacking records, proving that whether it is Canada winning the 2024 women’s worlds or Finland taking the men’s crown, the sport’s only real constant is its talent for turning hard facts into even harder-to-argue greatness.
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