What is assists in hockey?

Assists in hockey are recorded when a player passes the puck to a teammate who then scores a goal. The player who made the pass is credited with an assist. Assists are important because they can help a player accumulate points, which is a measure of their offensive contribution to the team. Assists often go to the player who is most directly involved in creating the scoring opportunity, but sometimes they can also go to players who make secondary passes that still contribute to the goal. In some cases, a goal may have multiple assists if more than one player contributed to the scoring play. Overall, assists are a valuable measure of a player's playmaking ability and their ability to create scoring opportunities for their teammates.