Hockey Player Rating Rubric: How to Grade Prospects 1–10

Player Rating Rubric

Rate against the level you recruit for, not the league the player is in. A 6 means "would be an average player at this skill on our team."

9–10

Impact

Would be one of the best players on your team at this skill right away.

7–8

Strong

Clearly above your roster average. A strength you would build around.

5–6

Solid

At your level. Won't hurt you, won't separate him.

3–4

Developing

Below your level today. Needs real growth to contribute.

1–2

Not there

A clear weakness that would keep him out of your lineup.

Skating

Stride, speed, edges, pivots, balance through contact.

9: Pulls away in open ice, changes direction without losing speed, never gets caught flat-footed.

6: Keeps up with the play. Some wasted motion in turns or first steps.

3: Gets beat wide or left behind on transitions. Heavy or upright stride.

Hockey IQ

Reads, positioning, decisions with and without the puck.

9: Always in the right spot. Sees plays before they happen and makes the next play quickly.

6: Makes the safe, correct play most of the time. Occasionally a step late on reads.

3: Chases the puck, loses his check, forces plays that aren't there.

Puck skills

Handling, passing, receiving, protecting the puck in traffic.

9: Handles at full speed, finds seams, puts passes on the tape through pressure.

6: Handles cleanly with time and space. Simplifies under pressure.

3: Bobbles passes, loses the puck on contact, looks down to handle.

Shot

Release, accuracy, power, shooting in stride.

9: Quick, deceptive release. Scores from distance and in tight.

6: Hits the net reliably. Needs time to get it off.

3: Shots miss the net or lack pace. Rarely a threat to score.

Defense

Gaps, stick, angling, D-zone coverage, blocking lanes.

9: Kills plays early with gap and stick. Trusted against top lines.

6: Responsible in his own end. Handles average opponents.

3: Gets beat one-on-one, loses coverage, a liability late in games.

Physicality

Strength on the puck, battles, finishing checks, size for the level.

9: Wins almost every battle along the wall and in front. Hard to play against.

6: Holds his own. Competes physically without controlling games.

3: Pushed off pucks, avoids contact, overmatched in the corners.

Compete

Work rate, backchecking, response to adversity, consistency shift to shift.

9: Relentless every shift. Raises his game when it matters.

6: Works hard most shifts. Occasionally coasts.

3: Effort comes and goes. Disappears when the game gets hard.

Category	A 9 looks like	A 6 looks like	A 3 looks like
Skating Stride, speed, edges, pivots, balance through contact.	Pulls away in open ice, changes direction without losing speed, never gets caught flat-footed.	Keeps up with the play. Some wasted motion in turns or first steps.	Gets beat wide or left behind on transitions. Heavy or upright stride.
Hockey IQ Reads, positioning, decisions with and without the puck.	Always in the right spot. Sees plays before they happen and makes the next play quickly.	Makes the safe, correct play most of the time. Occasionally a step late on reads.	Chases the puck, loses his check, forces plays that aren't there.
Puck skills Handling, passing, receiving, protecting the puck in traffic.	Handles at full speed, finds seams, puts passes on the tape through pressure.	Handles cleanly with time and space. Simplifies under pressure.	Bobbles passes, loses the puck on contact, looks down to handle.
Shot Release, accuracy, power, shooting in stride.	Quick, deceptive release. Scores from distance and in tight.	Hits the net reliably. Needs time to get it off.	Shots miss the net or lack pace. Rarely a threat to score.
Defense Gaps, stick, angling, D-zone coverage, blocking lanes.	Kills plays early with gap and stick. Trusted against top lines.	Responsible in his own end. Handles average opponents.	Gets beat one-on-one, loses coverage, a liability late in games.
Physicality Strength on the puck, battles, finishing checks, size for the level.	Wins almost every battle along the wall and in front. Hard to play against.	Holds his own. Competes physically without controlling games.	Pushed off pucks, avoids contact, overmatched in the corners.
Compete Work rate, backchecking, response to adversity, consistency shift to shift.	Relentless every shift. Raises his game when it matters.	Works hard most shifts. Occasionally coasts.	Effort comes and goes. Disappears when the game gets hard.

Overall isn't an average of the other scores. It's your projection: how much this player helps your team, weighing the strengths he'd bring against the weaknesses you'd have to live with. Goalies: use skating for movement and edges, hockey IQ for reads and rebound control, and puck skills for puckhandling.

Free rubric from Blueline · bluelinescout.com

Getting your staff on the same scale

Calibrate once, together. Watch the same period of video as a staff, rate two or three players independently, then compare. Talk through any category where your scores are more than two points apart.

Use the whole scale. If every prospect lands between 6 and 8, the ratings stop separating anyone. Save 9s and 10s for players who would truly stand out on your team.

Rate what you saw, not what you heard. Reputation, stats, and another coach's opinion belong in your notes. The number should come from your own viewing.

Watch the trend. One rating is a snapshot. Several ratings across viewings show whether a player's stock is rising or falling, and that tells you more than any single game.

The same seven categories, in one app

Blueline uses these exact categories on the same 1–10 scale. Every coach's ratings roll up into your rankings, and each player's stock moves as new ratings come in.

Hockey Player Rating Rubric

Getting your staff on the same scale

Done with paper and spreadsheets?