Grid Game Glossary: Awards, Stats, Eligibility Rules

Common Categories Explained

Grid games rotate through the same category types repeatedly. Understanding what each category actually tests helps you prepare mentally for what each new grid might throw at you.

Teams and Franchises

Cell like "Team A × Team B" means a player who appeared in at least one official game for both teams:

• Regular season games count
• Playoff games count
• Training camp appearances don't count
• Preseason games typically don't count
• Must have actually played, not just been on roster

The key distinction is official game action. Being signed to a team but never playing doesn't satisfy team requirements in most grids.

Award Categories

NHL awards appear most frequently:

• Hart Trophy: Regular-season MVP
• Norris Trophy: Top defenseman
• Vezina Trophy: Top goaltender
• Art Ross Trophy: Points leader (not an award vote, just statistical)
• Rocket Richard Trophy: Goal leader (statistical)
• Selke Trophy: Best defensive forward
• Calder Trophy: Rookie of the year
• Conn Smythe Trophy: Playoff MVP
• Lady Byng Trophy: Sportsmanship and skill

In NFL, NBA, and MLB grids, equivalent awards include MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Cy Young, Gold Glove, All-Star selections, All-NBA teams, and league-specific honors.

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Stat Milestones and Thresholds

Common statistical categories in grids:

• 500+ Goals: Career goal total
• 1,000+ Points: Career points (goals plus assists)
• 50+ Goal Season: At least one season with 50 or more goals
• 100+ Point Season: At least one season with 100 or more points
• 10+ Seasons Played: Longevity milestone
• 30+ Shutouts: Career shutouts for goalies
• 200+ Wins: Career wins for goalies

Unless specifically stated otherwise, stat thresholds typically refer to regular-season totals, not including playoffs.

Eligibility Rules (Typical Across Most Sites)

Understanding what counts and what doesn't prevents wasted guesses on technically incorrect answers that seem right.

Active vs. Retired Players

Most grids allow both as long as the player has actually appeared in official games:

• Current players obviously count
• Retired players from any era count
• Players must have played at least one official game
• Being drafted but never playing doesn't count
• Minor league only careers don't count

The key is NHL games specifically, not just being in the organization or playing in affiliated leagues.

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Franchise Lineage and Relocations

Relocated franchises create interesting eligibility situations:

• Hartford Whalers became Carolina Hurricanes (1997)
• Quebec Nordiques became Colorado Avalanche (1995)
• Original Winnipeg Jets became Arizona Coyotes (1996)
• Atlanta Thrashers became current Winnipeg Jets (2011)
• Minnesota North Stars became Dallas Stars (1993)
• California/Oakland Seals had complex history before folding

When a grid asks for "Hartford Whalers" players, anyone who played for the franchise in Hartford counts, even if they also played for Carolina after relocation. The franchise lineage continues even though the location changed.

Minimum Appearance Requirements

How much playing time qualifies as "playing for" a team:

• Most grids count a single regular-season appearance
• One game played officially makes you a member of that team
• Preseason and training camp don't count
• Being traded before playing doesn't count
• Playoff-only appearances typically count

Some stricter grids might require minimum games played (10+ games, one full season), but this is rare and usually specified if applied.

Read more: All 32 NHL Teams Ranked by Offense (2025-2026 Season)

Award and Stat Cell Rules

Awards refer to officially recognized league awards:

• Nominations don't count (must have actually won)
• Finalist status doesn't count
• Only official award winners satisfy award cells
• Multiple wins by the same player still count as winning it

Stat thresholds are usually career totals unless labeled "single-season":

• 500 goals means 500+ career goals
• 50-goal season means at least one season with 50+ goals
• Career and single-season thresholds are different
• Always check if the cell specifies "season" or just the number

Duplicate and Reuse Rules

The no-repeat constraint is fundamental to grid strategy.

How No-Repeat Works

Most grids prohibit using the same player more than once per board:

• Each player can only fill one cell
• Once you use someone, they're unavailable for remaining cells
• This creates strategic resource management
• Makes obvious stars less useful if overused early
• Forces knowledge of depth players and journeymen

This rule transforms grids from pure trivia into strategic puzzles where player allocation matters.

Rarity Scoring Explained

Many grids track how often each answer was selected by all players.

What Rarity Means

Rarity score is the percentage of players who picked the same answer:

• Lower percentages are "rarer" (fewer people picked it)
• 1% rarity means only 1 in 100 players chose that answer
• 50% rarity means half of all players chose it
• Rare answers score better in competitive contexts
• Obvious stars typically have high percentages (low rarity score)

The rarity system rewards obscure knowledge by giving better scores to answers few people thought of, even though they're equally correct as popular answers.

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Sport-Specific Quirks

Different sports have unique eligibility considerations.

NHL-Specific Rules

Hockey has particular considerations:

• International players count if they played NHL games
• WHA careers don't count for NHL grids (separate league)
• Goalie stats measured differently than skater stats
• Plus/minus and faceoff stats rarely used in grids
• Captain status sometimes appears as a category

NFL Differences

Football grids handle positions differently:

• Position changes during careers matter
• Offensive and defensive player categories
• Super Bowl appearances vs. wins distinction
• Pro Bowl vs. All-Pro selections (different honors)
• College information sometimes included

NBA Variations

Basketball grids feature unique categories:

• All-Star appearances vs. All-NBA teams (different things)
• Triple-double and double-double thresholds
• Finals MVP vs. regular season MVP
• Scoring titles and other statistical leaders
• Draft class and college sometimes factor in

MLB Considerations

Baseball has the most complex stats:

• Pitchers vs. position players separated
• American League vs. National League history
• Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and various awards
• 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, 300 wins clubs
• Hall of Fame status sometimes a category

Gray Areas and Common Confusions

Some situations create confusion about what counts.

Short Stints and Trades

Players who barely played for teams:

• One-game cameos count in most grids
• Deadline rentals for playoff runs count
• Injury call-ups who played one game count
• Being claimed off waivers then released still counts if games played

Award Timing vs. Team Timeline

Awards won with one team while playing for another:

• Grids typically accept if player ever played there AND ever won award
• Timing doesn't need to match
• Won Hart with Team A, played for Team B years later still counts
• Both conditions just need to be true at some point in career

Stat Accumulation Across Teams

Whether stats need to happen with specific team:

• Career totals count across all teams usually
• 500 goals means 500 total, not 500 with that specific team
• Single-season achievements must occur during time with that team
• Check cell wording carefully for "with team X" specifications

Read more: NHL Betting: The Ultimate Guide for the 2025/2026 Hockey Season

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