RetM

Returning Goaltender Minutes

This indicator, like the rest, is obviously blind to the injuries and suspensions that might cause talented players to lose playing time, but we don’t lose much sleep over it. For one thing, there’s nothing we can do about it. But for another, a history of injuries or academic eligibility problems may correlate with a likelihood of future problems, and this article is all about predicting what is likely to happen, not what should happen, in a perfect world.

RetM, the percentage of goaltender minutes played last season for returning goalies divided by those of all goalies, is about the best indicator you’re going to see for experience in net. Note that virtually every team in the ECAC returns its principal netminders: 


Team		 Ret	Lost	 All	  RetM
Brown		1884	   0	1884	 1.000
Clarkson	2218	   0	2218	 1.000
Colgate		2140	   3	2143	  .999
Cornell		1871	   0	1871	 1.000
Dartmouth	1755	   0	1755	 1.000
Harvard		1930	   0	1930	 1.000
Princeton	1399	 652	2051	  .682
RPI		2242	   0	2242	 1.000
St. Lawrence	 155	2206	2361	  .066
Union		1014	 917	1931	  .525
Vermont		1349	 640	1989	  .678
Yale		 245	1630	1875	  .131