Credit given to a hockey player who passes the puck to a teammate, making it possible for the teammate to score a goal. A maximum of two players are credited with assists on each goal. Assists are not usually granted if there was intervening puck possession by the opposing team. Many great playmakers such as Wayne Gretzky accumulate many more assists than goals, by setting up plays for teammates.
Each assist counts as one point on a player's scoring totals.