Glossary · Last updated
PK meaning in hockey
Penalty-kill percentage (PK%)
Short answer
In hockey, PK means penalty kill — the shorthanded unit — and PK% is the share of times that unit prevents the opponent from scoring.
PK meaning in hockey is straightforward: PK stands for penalty kill. When your team is down a skater (or two), the players on the ice form the penalty-kill unit. Coaches, scouts and analysts say “PK” the way they say “PP” for power play.
Penalty-kill percentage (PK%) is a results rate: of the times your team was shorthanded, how often did you prevent the opponent from scoring at least one power-play goal? A kill that ends without a goal against counts as successful; a power-play goal against counts as unsuccessful. Exact league reporting conventions can vary slightly (for example how coincidental minors or empty-net situations are treated), so always read the league or provider definition when you compare teams.
PK% is easy to quote and hard to trust alone. Over a short stretch it swings with sample size, goaltending variance and opponent power-play talent. Two teams with the same PK% can look very different if one clears the zone and limits slot chances while the other blocks shots after repeated entries.
Process views sit beside the percentage: shorthanded expected goals against, high-danger chances against, clearances, faceoff wins in the defensive zone, and whether the unit spends time structured or scrambling. Those signals help coaches decide if a cold stretch is variance or a system problem — and they help scouts separate “good PK numbers” from “good PK habits.”
If you are matching special-teams tables from a league feed, tracking provider and internal video tags, the same player or unit often appears under different IDs. That identity problem is separate from the definition of PK% — but it is why clubs that care about special teams usually want one owned table before they argue about the number.
Frequently asked questions
What does PK mean in hockey?
PK means penalty kill: the shorthanded situation and the unit that defends while your team is down a skater. People also say “PK meaning hockey” or “PK in hockey” when they want that plain definition.
What is PK% / penalty-kill percentage?
PK% is the share of shorthanded situations in which your team does not allow a power-play goal. It is a results rate, not a full description of how the kill played.
How is penalty-kill percentage calculated?
In plain terms: successful kills divided by penalty-kill opportunities (shorthanded situations). League and data-provider rulebooks define edge cases; compare teams only when the same definition applies.
Is a high PK% always a good penalty kill?
Not by itself. A high PK% can come from strong structure and clears — or from short samples and goaltending variance. Pair the percentage with chance quality against and video of how the unit exits the zone.
What is the difference between PK and power play?
The power play (PP) is the team with the extra skater trying to score. The penalty kill (PK) is the shorthanded team trying to prevent that goal and survive the penalty. See our power play vs penalty kill guide for how staff use both.
Related
Power play vs penalty kill explained
Side-by-side view of PP and PK for coaches, analysts and scouts.
Hockey analytics for coaches and scouts
What club staff actually get when sources sit in one owned database.
Power-play percentage (PP%)
The share of power plays on which a team scores at least one goal.
Expected goals (xG)
A shot-quality metric that estimates the probability each shot becomes a goal, based on factors like location and shot type.
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