According to a new study, twenty-five-year-old Max Pacioretty (left) and 27-year-old David Desharnais (right) are in the prime age range for NHL forwards. (Photo credit: Margaret, via Flickr)\
Hockey players reach their peak performance by age 29, according to a new mathematical analysis.
The study used regular-season NHL records from 1997 to 2012 and compared player age with points scored per game. The authors estimate scoring peak age is slightly earlier by about a year for forwards (between 27 and 28) than for defencemen (28 and 29). Goalies show the least variation over their careers.
Original research paper published in the the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports on March 18, 2014.
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