Hockey statistics are full of acronyms and hockey slang oftentimes leaving hockey fans confused as to what they are reading. One of the most asked about acronyms is TOI as this is a statistic that every player is going to have on their stat sheet.
TOI in hockey is a statistic that stands for time on ice. This statistic measures the amount of game time that a player spends on the ice during a game. This time is only counted when the clock is running so coasting over to the faceoff circle is not going to increase your TOI.
TOI is a stat that is primarily looked at in two ways. First off it is used during each game so the stats can be looked at and fans can see how much each player was on the ice during a specific game.
The other way TOI is used as a hockey statistic is through a players average TOI. This statistic will often tell you how involved a player is in his team. For example, if a defenseman has an average TOI of over twenty minutes then you can be sure he is a huge part of the team.
Players that lead the league in average time on ice are usually several of the best defensemen in the league.
Understanding TOI In Hockey
Alright, now you know what TOI stands for in hockey but how exactly do you go about reading this statistic? It’s one thing to know what the numbers besides time on ice mean but it’s another to be able to interpret those numbers.
There are several different ways to look at the TOI statistic, below we will break down a few different ways you can use this stat to learn more about your team.
Time On Ice Over Several Games
One way you can use this statistic is to get a better understanding of a players usage on the team. One of the best ways to do this is by looking over a players ice time over several games.
Say, for example, a player had a bad turnover causing their team to lose a game. You may be wondering if the coach is going to put this player in the dog house.
If you check out the players next several games you will be able to use his time on ice to determine how much he is playing. If the player has seen a drastic decrease since the turnover you can assume the coach has him in the dog house.
This can also be helpful when trying to determine if a player is well-liked by a newer coach as their TOI will likely change once the new coach comes in.
Star Player Usage
Another common way in which time on ice can be used to learn some more about your team is by monitoring the usage of star players.
This use of the time on ice stat is especially relevant to big market teams that are often under the pressure of the media cough cough Toronto Maple Leafs.
Often times fans will monitor the TOI stats of their players after a game to determine if they got enough ice time. For example, if a game ended and Auston Matthews had ten minutes of ice time you can expect fans to be quite upset.
This usage of the stat is typically reserved for fans or media looking to criticize the management of hockey teams and how they are using their players.
Importance Of Your Defensemen
Another way you can learn from the time on ice statistic is by looking at this stat for each of your defensemen. It is no secret that your best defensemen is going to play the most minutes on your team but the number of minutes can vary largely from team to team.
The top tier of defensemen are almost always going to have over twenty-five minutes of ice time. This means they are going to be on for over a third of a game. While a third pairing may only get ten or fifteen minutes on the ice.
The breakdown of ice time between your defensmen should let you know which ones are crucial for your team. It may also show you which defensemen your coach is trying to keep off the ice.
These facts aren’t going to offer any groundbreaking analysis but it will let you know a little more about your favourite hockey team.