Goalie usage
NHL Goalie Starts by Team 2021-22
How often each team's starter played in 2021-22, how often the backup got the net, and whose net changed hands. Goalies are ranked G1, G2 and G3 by season starts, and each keeps one colour. Open a team for every game of the season.
Juuse Saros had the heaviest workload in 2021-22, 67 of 82 Predators starts (82%). 4 teams rode a workhorse and 17 teams split the net 1A/1B, and the net changed hands during the season for 10 teams.
Who changed hands, split or carried the load
Changed hands
1A/1B splits
Most starts
- Juuse SarosNSH67 of 82
- Connor HellebuyckWPG66 of 82
- Jacob MarkstromCGY63 of 82
- Andrei VasilevskiyTBL63 of 82
- Thatcher DemkoVAN61 of 82
Most goalies used
- Devils7 starters
- Sabres6 starters
- Coyotes5 starters
- Hurricanes5 starters
- Canadiens5 starters
Changed hands: a different goalie took the lead in the last 10 starts and kept it for at least 20 games. The note names the last such change.
Atlantic Division
| Team | Status | Last 10 of the season | Season split | Starter | Backup | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lightning82 GP | Workhorse | 63 GS · 77% · L10 7 | 17 GS · 21% · L10 3 | Lagace 2, Alnefelt 0 | ||
 Panthers82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 53 GS · 65% · L10 6 | 27 GS · 33% · L10 3 | Johansson 2 | ||
 Red Wings82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 52 GS · 63% · L10 5 | 28 GS · 34% · L10 4 | Hellberg 1, Pickard 1 | ||
 Maple Leafs82 GP | 1A/1B split | 47 GS · 57% · L10 5 | 18 GS · 22% · L10 0 | Kallgren 12, Woll 4, Hutchinson 1 | ||
 Senators82 GP | 1A/1B split | 44 GS · 54% · L10 7 | 20 GS · 24% · L10 0 | Gustavsson 16, Sogaard 2 | ||
 Bruins82 GP | 1A/1B split | 39 GS · 48% · L10 6 | 39 GS · 48% · L10 4 | Rask 4 | ||
 Canadiens82 GP | 1A/1B split | 35 GS · 43% · L10 0 | 30 GS · 37% · L10 5 | Primeau 9, Price 5, Hammond 3, McNiven 0 | ||
 Sabres82 GP | 1A/1B split | 31 GS · 38% · L10 5 | 28 GS · 34% · L10 5 | Dell 9, Luukkonen 9, Subban 3, Houser 2 |
Metropolitan Division
| Team | Status | Last 10 of the season | Season split | Starter | Backup | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Blue Jackets82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 56 GS · 68% · L10 8 | 17 GS · 21% · L10 0 | Berube 6, Tarasov 3 | ||
 Penguins82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 56 GS · 68% · L10 2 | 24 GS · 29% · L10 7 | Domingue 2 | ||
 Islanders82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 52 GS · 63% · L10 7 | 29 GS · 35% · L10 3 | Schneider 1 | ||
 Rangers82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 52 GS · 63% · L10 6 | 28 GS · 34% · L10 4 | Kinkaid 1, Huska 1 | ||
 Hurricanes82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 51 GS · 62% · L10 3 | 26 GS · 32% · L10 5 | Kochetkov 2, Lyon 2, LaFontaine 1 | ||
 Flyers82 GP | 1A/1B split | 44 GS · 54% · L10 1 | 33 GS · 40% · L10 5 | Sandstrom 5 | ||
 Capitals82 GP | 1A/1B split | 39 GS · 48% · L10 6 | 39 GS · 48% · L10 4 | Fucale 3, Copley 1 | ||
 Devils82 GP | 1A/1B split | 24 GS · 29% · L10 2 | 23 GS · 28% · L10 2 | Gillies 14, Bernier 8, Hammond 7, Schmid 4, Wedgewood 2 |
Central Division
| Team | Status | Last 10 of the season | Season split | Starter | Backup | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Predators82 GP | Workhorse | 67 GS · 82% · L10 7 | 12 GS · 15% · L10 2 | Ingram 3 | ||
 Jets82 GP | Workhorse | 66 GS · 80% · L10 6 | 16 GS · 20% · L10 4 | – | ||
 Avalanche82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 57 GS · 70% · L10 7 | 18 GS · 22% · L10 3 | Johansson 6, Annunen 1 | ||
 Coyotes82 GP | 1A/1B split | 49 GS · 60% · L10 7 | 23 GS · 28% · L10 0 | Sateri 4, Prosvetov 3, Hutton 3, Korenar 0 | ||
 Wild82 GP | 1A/1B split | 48 GS · 59% · L10 4 | 23 GS · 28% · L10 0 | Fleury 11 | ||
 Stars82 GP | 1A/1B split | 46 GS · 56% · L10 6 | 22 GS · 27% · L10 0 | Wedgewood 7, Khudobin 7 | ||
 Blackhawks82 GP | 1A/1B split | 45 GS · 55% · L10 0 | 29 GS · 35% · L10 7 | Delia 6, Soderblom 2 | ||
 Blues82 GP | 1A/1B split | 38 GS · 46% · L10 5 | 37 GS · 45% · L10 5 | Lindgren 4, Hofer 2, Gillies 1 |
Pacific Division
| Team | Status | Last 10 of the season | Season split | Starter | Backup | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Flames82 GP | Workhorse | 63 GS · 77% · L10 6 | 19 GS · 23% · L10 4 | – | ||
 Canucks82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 61 GS · 74% · L10 6 | 14 GS · 17% · L10 1 | Martin 6, DiPietro 1, Silovs 0 | ||
 Ducks82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 56 GS · 68% · L10 6 | 23 GS · 28% · L10 4 | Dostal 3, Hodges 0 | ||
 Kraken82 GP | Clear No. 1 | 54 GS · 66% · L10 4 | 24 GS · 29% · L10 5 | Daccord 4 | ||
 Kings82 GP | 1A/1B split | 46 GS · 56% · L10 8 | 35 GS · 43% · L10 2 | Sparks 1 | ||
 Sharks82 GP | 1A/1B split | 46 GS · 56% · L10 5 | 22 GS · 27% · L10 0 | Kahkonen 10, Sawchenko 3, Stalock 1 | ||
 Golden Knights82 GP | 1A/1B split | 44 GS · 54% · L10 4 | 21 GS · 26% · L10 0 | Thompson 17, Patera 0 | ||
 Oilers82 GP | 1A/1B split | 43 GS · 52% · L10 5 | 27 GS · 33% · L10 5 | Skinner 12 |
Goalie data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- The Schedule Got Kinder. The Second Night Didn’t. In the Original Six era about a third of NHL games were a team’s second night in a row, and one goalie played both.
- Hainsworth’s 22 Was Mostly Arithmetic George Hainsworth’s 22 shutouts in 1928-29 have stood for almost a century.
- A Shootout Shooter Needs More Than 200 Tries Before Skill Outweighs Luck. The Most Anyone Has Taken Is 135. T.J.
- The Last Goalie Who Played Every Night A rule ended the every-night goalie in the mid-1960s, and the 1990s brought him back.
How to read it
G1 starter, G2 backup, G3 third goalie and beyond. The colour follows the goalie, so a goalie who loses the net keeps the same colour while the label changes.
For a finished season, roles are ranked on season starts. Season share is starts over games.
Statuses: Workhorse Clear No. 1 1A/1B split. Hover a status for its rule.
Tonight's confirmed and expected starters are on starting goalies today; save % and form are in the goalie hub.
Frequently asked questions
How are the starter, backup and third goalie decided for a past season?
By season starts: G1 made the most starts, G2 the next most, G3 and beyond everyone else who dressed. Each goalie keeps one colour on the page.
What do the team statuses mean?
Workhorse: the No. 1 started at least 75% of games. Clear No. 1: 60-75%. 1A/1B split: under 60%.
What does "changed hands" mean?
A different goalie took the lead in the last 10 starts (strictly more of them than the goalie who had been leading) and held it for at least 20 games. Short injury fill-ins don't count; injuries, slumps and trades that lasted do.
Which NHL teams split their goalie starts?
Teams whose No. 1 started under 60% of games: ARI (Karel Vejmelka 49, Scott Wedgewood 23); BOS (Jeremy Swayman 39, Linus Ullmark 39); BUF (Craig Anderson 31, Dustin Tokarski 28); CHI (Marc-Andre Fleury 45, Kevin Lankinen 29); DAL (Jake Oettinger 46, Braden Holtby 22); EDM (Mikko Koskinen 43, Mike Smith 27); LAK (Jonathan Quick 46, Cal Petersen 35); MIN (Cam Talbot 48, Kaapo Kahkonen 23); MTL (Jake Allen 35, Samuel Montembeault 30); NJD (Mackenzie Blackwood 24, Nico Daws 23); OTT (Anton Forsberg 44, Matt Murray 20); PHI (Carter Hart 44, Martin Jones 33); SJS (James Reimer 46, Adin Hill 22); STL (Ville Husso 38, Jordan Binnington 37); TOR (Jack Campbell 47, Petr Mrazek 18); VGK (Robin Lehner 44, Laurent Brossoit 21); WSH (Ilya Samsonov 39, Vitek Vanecek 39).