Brandon Hagel vs Anthony Cirelli: Who Wins on NHL Stats?

This is as close as it gets. Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli split the statistical categories evenly — 3 apiece — making this one of the most genuinely contested LW comparisons in NHL history. When the numbers are this balanced, the debate comes down to which statistics matter most to you.

Anthony Cirelli's Plus/Minus of 166 compared to Brandon Hagel's 68 represents a 144.1% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Anthony Cirelli's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Penalty Minutes, where Brandon Hagel posts 293 against Anthony Cirelli's 301 — a gap of just 2.7%. Anthony Cirelli can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 3-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Penalty Minutes is the statistical ammunition for the Anthony Cirelli side.

Hockey's greatest players accumulate points through both goal scoring and playmaking. The balance between goals and assists often reveals a player's style — pure scorer versus pass-first playmaker.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. Anthony Cirelli claims the tiebreaker through Plus/Minus advantage — a 144.1% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NHL debate.