vsMoneyPuck Data vs NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) (2026)
Short answer: MoneyPuck Data scores slightly higher (54 vs 48). NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) is the better pick for Hobbyists and researchers who want a community guide to NHL stats and records endpoints that need no key.
From public data checked . How we know
Choose MoneyPuck Data if you…
Free / open data
Best for: Analysts, students and journalists who want free NHL shot-level and game-by-game CSV downloads with history from 2007.
- ✓ care most about what developers report in practice
Not ideal for: Commercial products, live data or API access: downloads are non-commercial, updated nightly and delivered as zip files.
What developers say
Free downloadable NHL shot-level and expected-goals data, widely used in hobbyist betting models, xG projects and MCP or Python helpers, usually alongside the NHL API. Praised for real xG and long history. One bettor found the files hard to download. Non-commercial terms apply, and there is no live API.
Choose NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) if you…
Free / open data
Best for: Hobbyists and researchers who want a community guide to NHL stats and records endpoints that need no key.
- ✓ need commercial use allowed in the public terms
- ✓ value a large open-source ecosystem of wrappers and examples
Not ideal for: Production products needing guaranteed stability, support or clear data rights: the endpoints belong to the NHL and may change.
What developers say
Community documentation of NHL's unofficial endpoints, listed in many public-API directories, including the very large public-apis list. This shows wide awareness and free, keyless access, but there is no discussion of stability, limits or data quality.
Side by side
| MoneyPuck Data | NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) | |
|---|---|---|
| SportDex Score | 54/100 (#34) | 48/100 (#68) |
| Popularity | 28 | 28 |
| Community & reliability | 69 | Not enough data |
| Transparency | 85 | 80 |
| Developer experience | 51 | 52 |
| Type | Free / open data | Free / open data |
| Starting price | Free tier | Free tier |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Sports | Ice hockey | Ice hockey |
| Data | Historical data, Player stats, Results, Team stats | Historical data, Player stats, Results, Standings, Team stats |
| Delivery | CSV download | Polling only (REST) |
| Protocols | CSV download | REST |
| Live / in-play | No | Not disclosed |
| Commercial use | Commercial: Licence required | Commercial: Allowed |
| Betting products | Betting: not disclosed | Betting: not disclosed |
| Documentation | Docs | Docs |
| Developer discussions | 3 | 0 |
| GitHub repos | 232 | 569 |
| Community tone | Mostly positive | Too little discussion |
Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that the feature is missing.
Quick answers
- Is MoneyPuck Data or NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) better?
- MoneyPuck Data scores slightly higher (54 vs 48). NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) is the better pick for Hobbyists and researchers who want a community guide to NHL stats and records endpoints that need no key.
- Which is cheaper, MoneyPuck Data or NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs)?
- MoneyPuck Data: Free tier. NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs): Free tier. Entry plans differ in limits and coverage, so compare what each plan includes.
- Do MoneyPuck Data and NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs) have a free tier?
- MoneyPuck Data: yes. NHL Records and Stats (nhlapi docs): yes.