Oh yeah, it's a huge deal. It's why they cry "Gimme ICE time, lemme PLAY," so they can pile up their pluses. No pluses while yer warming the bench, eh?

IMO it's a good thing. Take Jordan Stall last year, awful season as to goals. BIG socrer rookie year, where he showed them much of what he had the native raw talent to do. So they gave him a challenging assignment in his second year that did not lead to a lotta goals. But the pluses probably showed he did his assignment well. See?

It's a great thing too for the rock-solid D-man who keeps the puck outta his own net while forward the puck up-ice to the forwards. He has to beat the forecheckers to do it-- and it's not by luck   either that a Malkin gets a scoring chance that first cleared the neutral zone's roaming trappers.

Think of it like the skaters' equivalent of the goalies' goals-against average.

<> Are you a helper or are you mostly in the way-- your plus/minus rating is the first thing to check.

<> Did your AHL called-up guy help the team? His plus/minus better be at least even-steven if not actually on the plus side.

<> Did a different call-up guy fit better? His plus/minus will show that.

<> Somebuddy's hurt-- which AHL guy to call up? Check his plus/minus.

<> Draft which prospect? Check his plus/minus first and THEN send if yer gonna pay the freight for a scout to go see his talent.

<> Hockey scholarship to a MN college? Plus/minus.


The Players' Assn. I am sure has a say in all this.

~S~