The decision to pull the goalie belongs to the coach, typically in the last minute or two of a game trailing by one or two goals. The math is simple: playing six skaters against five raises the odds of scoring, but leaves a completely open net if the opposing team intercepts the puck from its own zone, a scenario that happens regularly and turns a possible comeback into a wider loss.
In youth hockey the practice exists too but varies a lot by age and league culture; some associations discourage pulling the goalie early to protect a young goalie's experience, others encourage it as soon as the gap justifies it. The exact moment to pull the goalie depends on the score gap, time remaining and the team's ability to generate chances quickly: delaying that call by thirty seconds can be the difference between a real shot at tying and an empty-net goal that seals the game.
In the stats, an empty-net goal (ENG) counts as a normal goal on the scoreboard and in the scorer's total, but it is usually excluded from certain advanced analyses (like 5-on-5 xG) because it happens in a very different team situation. RinkLog logs the team situation for every goal at the moment it is recorded, which later makes it possible to separate 5-on-5, power-play and empty-net goals within season statistics.
A rare twist deserves mention: occasionally the OPPOSING goalie ends up scoring the empty-net goal, clearing the puck from their own end all the way into the empty net, a moment always met with an unusual burst of excitement. In youth hockey, several leagues also apply a courtesy rule limiting or banning pulling the goalie past a certain goal gap, to avoid piling empty-net goals onto an already lopsided win.
There is a second, less known situation where an empty-net goal can happen: during a delayed penalty. When the team without the puck is about to be penalized, the referee holds the whistle until the offending team touches the puck; the team already controlling it can then pull ITS OWN goalie to add an attacker, without waiting for the end of the game, because it knows it will get the power play the instant play stops. A goal scored in that window is also an empty-net goal, even if the score is not close or the game is nowhere near over.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a team pull its goalie late in a game?
To play with an extra attacker (six against five) and raise its odds of scoring before time runs out, at the cost of a completely empty net if the opponent recovers the puck.
Does an empty-net goal count in the scorer's stats?
Yes, it counts as an ordinary goal on the scoreboard and in the player's season total, even though it is sometimes excluded from certain 5-on-5 advanced statistics.
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