Corsi and Fenwick: Shot Attempts vs. Shots on Goal

What Corsi and Fenwick count

Corsi and Fenwick group shot attempts; they do not directly measure literal puck possession. In a standard hockey count, Corsi For includes goals, shots on goal, missed shots, and blocked attempts, while Corsi Against includes the opponent’s corresponding events. Fenwick includes goals, shots on goal, and misses but excludes blocked attempts. A table may filter for even-strength play or show all situations, so check the selected view.

Corsi is often used as a rough indicator of territorial pressure: a team with many attempts has more often finished an attack with a shot attempt. But changes of possession, puck recoveries, takeaways, and time on the puck are not counted directly. “Possession” is a loose label in this context, not a clock measuring control.

A counting example

In one chosen segment, a team records 20 Corsi attempts and its opponent 12. The team’s share is 20 / (20 + 12) = 62.5%. If five of its attempts and three of the opponent’s were blocked, Fenwick becomes 15 to 9, and the share is still 15 / 24 = 62.5%. This constructed example keeps the share unchanged; in a real game, removing blocks can shift it substantially.

For and against counts show which side created more attempts; the percentage turns the total into a share. Read both with time on ice and shift count: one team may have played more minutes in the offensive zone or spent more time shorthanded. Twenty attempts in eight minutes are not the same rate as twenty in eighteen minutes.

What these metrics cannot tell you

Corsi does not weight attempts by location, pass type, traffic in front, or goal probability. A low-threat shot from distance and a dangerous chance from close range each add one event. Shot quality requires different information. For the definitions used in official shot tracking, see our guide to what counts as a shot on goal in hockey.

Fenwick excludes blocks, so it can show a different slice of attacking pressure, but it also does not assess danger. Neither statistic guarantees a goal or a win. Goalie saves and shots on goal should not be substituted for Corsi; our guide to goalie saves and shots on goal explains that distinction.

Applying the metrics before assessing a market

When comparing team form, use the same manpower state, comparable minutes, and, where possible, similar lineups. A power play can create many attempts against a shorthanded team; an all-situations total may hide that difference.

For a goals total, attempts describe attacking volume, but the result also depends on chance quality, goaltending, finishing, penalties, and score effects. A player-shot market needs that player’s ice time, role, and individual attempts. Use Corsi and Fenwick to describe attempt flow, not as a standalone betting forecast or proof of an edge.

Before drawing a conclusion, check whether goals are included in the event sample, which period is shown, and what situations were filtered. If the source does not disclose that, the comparison has limited value.

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