Counting stats

NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen

2018-19All situationsThrough 84 team games

This board ranks defensemen only by hits.

Hits are body checks credited by the off-ice scorer. Physical third-liners and stay-at-home defensemen lead the league, often while their team spends long stretches without the puck. In leagues that split positions, use it to fill your defense slots, and check the per-60 board for defensemen getting more out of fewer minutes.

Leader in 2018-19: Robert Hagg (PHI), 258 HIT.

Season2026-27 2025-26 2024-25 2023-24

2018-19

2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18

Legacy recording: before 2024-25 turnovers and hits were recorded arena by arena with large scorer bias. Compare players within this season only.

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NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen, 2018-19, All situations
#	Player	Team	HIT	GP	Per game
1	Robert HaggDPHI	PHI	258	82	3.15	16:57	—
2	Adam LarssonDEDM	EDM	256	82	3.12	21:37	23%▼19
3	Radko GudasDPHI	PHI	255	77	3.31	17:53	25%▲22
4	Rasmus RistolainenDBUF	BUF	235	78	3.01	24:38	8.3%▲7.7
5	Jack JohnsonDPIT	PIT	233	82	2.84	19:17	—
6	Nikita ZadorovDCOL	COL	228	70	3.26	17:12	39%▲21
7	Mark BorowieckiDOTT	OTT	212	53	4.00	15:34	—
8	Brenden DillonDSJS	SJS	202	82	2.46	17:45	9.7%▲9.1
9	Brayden McNabbDVGK	VGK	200	81	2.47	19:29	24%▲21
10	Erik CernakDTBL	TBL	198	58	3.41	19:15	4.1%▲3.7
11	Roman PolakDDAL	DAL	191	77	2.48	19:10	—
12	Jeff PetryDMTL	MTL	190	82	2.32	23:07	0.1%
13	Calvin de HaanDCAR	CAR	187	74	2.53	18:31	—
14	Erik GudbransonDPIT	PIT	184	76	2.42	18:14	0.1%
15	Josh MansonDANA	ANA	184	74	2.49	22:18	32%▲16
16	Brady SkjeiDNYR	NYR	178	78	2.28	21:14	18%▼31
17	Jake MuzzinDTOR	TOR	172	80	2.15	21:20	—
18	Ben ChiarotDWPG	WPG	171	78	2.19	18:37	13%▲11
19	Drew DoughtyDLAK	LAK	168	82	2.05	26:36	22%▲12
20	Matt NiskanenDWSH	WSH	167	80	2.09	21:56	—
21	Deryk EngellandDVGK	VGK	165	74	2.23	19:53	—
22	Darnell NurseDEDM	EDM	162	82	1.98	23:49	69%▼13
23	Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI	ARI	162	81	2.00	23:38	43%▲32
24	Dougie HamiltonDCAR	CAR	160	82	1.95	19:40	84%▲12
25	Justin FaulkDCAR	CAR	156	82	1.90	22:25	55%▼22
26	Dan GirardiDTBL	TBL	151	62	2.44	17:48	—
27	Ilya LyubushkinDARI	ARI	150	41	3.66	13:44	0.1%
28	Adam PelechDNYI	NYI	149	78	1.91	18:38	3.2%▲3
29	Greg PaterynDMIN	MIN	144	80	1.80	17:07	—
30	Johnny BoychukDNYI	NYI	144	74	1.95	18:50	—
31	Esa LindellDDAL	DAL	143	82	1.74	24:20	37%▼31
32	Ryan PulockDNYI	NYI	143	82	1.74	22:22	10%▼1.4
33	Brian DumoulinDPIT	PIT	141	76	1.86	21:02	0.4%
34	Nikita ZaitsevDTOR	TOR	139	81	1.72	20:28	—
35	Neal PionkDNYR	NYR	138	73	1.89	21:10	32%▲31
36	Dmitry OrlovDWSH	WSH	137	82	1.67	21:38	35%▲21
37	Patrik NemethDCOL	COL	137	74	1.85	16:29	—
38	Jamie OleksiakDDAL	DAL	135	57	2.37	14:44	7.1%▲6.9
39	Brandon CarloDBOS	BOS	134	72	1.86	20:55	0.3%
40	Mark PysykDFLA	FLA	133	70	1.90	18:16	—
41	Brooks OrpikDWSH	WSH	131	53	2.47	15:40	—
42	Shea WeberDMTL	MTL	129	58	2.22	23:29	—
43	Michael Del ZottoDSTL	STL	129	42	3.07	17:02	—
44	Dion PhaneufDLAK	LAK	128	67	1.91	15:00	—
45	Joel EdmundsonDSTL	STL	128	64	2.00	19:23	4.0%▲3.9
46	Colton ParaykoDSTL	STL	127	80	1.59	22:47	37%▼42
47	MacKenzie WeegarDFLA	FLA	127	64	1.98	16:58	93%▼7.2
48	Alexander EdlerDVAN	VAN	127	56	2.27	24:34	—
49	Christian FolinDMTL	MTL	125	45	2.78	15:40	—
50	Jordie BennDMTL	MTL	124	81	1.53	18:12	—
51	Erik JohnsonDCOL	COL	124	80	1.55	21:49	—
52	Brent SeabrookDCHI	CHI	124	78	1.59	19:06	—
53	Ivan ProvorovDPHI	PHI	123	82	1.50	25:07	36%▼27
54	David SavardDCBJ	CBJ	122	82	1.49	19:45	—
55	Colin MillerDVGK	VGK	122	65	1.88	19:39	0.0%
56	Adam McQuaidDCBJ	CBJ	122	50	2.44	15:47	—
57	Justin BraunDSJS	SJS	121	78	1.55	20:18	—
58	Dylan DeMeloDOTT	OTT	121	77	1.57	19:17	5.7%▲5.5
59	Cody CeciDOTT	OTT	120	74	1.62	22:34	0.3%
60	Connor MurphyDCHI	CHI	119	52	2.29	19:29	6.0%▲5.1
61	Scott MayfieldDNYI	NYI	118	79	1.49	18:44	0.1%
62	Kris LetangDPIT	PIT	116	65	1.78	25:58	47%▼16
63	Alexander PetrovicDEDM	EDM	116	35	3.31	16:32	0.1%
64	Aaron EkbladDFLA	FLA	114	82	1.39	23:39	50%▲34
65	Jacob TroubaDWPG	WPG	112	82	1.37	22:53	76%▼11
66	Christian JarosDOTT	OTT	110	61	1.80	14:22	—
67	Matt BenningDEDM	EDM	109	70	1.56	14:57	—
68	Kevin ConnautonDARI	ARI	108	50	2.16	18:21	—
69	Ian ColeDCOL	COL	107	71	1.51	19:45	4.9%▲4.3
70	Brett KulakDMTL	MTL	107	57	1.88	17:51	0.3%
71	Seth JonesDCBJ	CBJ	106	75	1.41	25:49	80%▲32
72	Derek ForbortDLAK	LAK	105	81	1.30	20:45	0.0%
73	Luke SchennDVAN	VAN	105	26	4.04	13:54	7.3%▲6.9
74	Nick HoldenDVGK	VGK	104	61	1.70	18:18	—
75	Jake McCabeDBUF	BUF	103	59	1.75	18:57	34%▼15
76	Marcus PetterssonDPIT	PIT	101	84	1.20	16:41	6.6%▲6.2
77	Alex BiegaDVAN	VAN	101	41	2.46	17:40	—
78	Erik GustafssonDCHI	CHI	100	79	1.27	22:35	3.2%▲3.2
79	Travis DermottDTOR	TOR	100	64	1.56	17:18	—
80	Brendan SmithDNYR	NYR	100	63	1.59	15:18	—
81	Brandon MontourDBUF	BUF	99	82	1.21	22:27	83%▲10
82	Ryan McDonaghDTBL	TBL	98	82	1.20	22:05	7.3%▲6.8
83	Jonathan EricssonDDET	DET	98	52	1.88	17:13	—
84	Rasmus DahlinDBUF	BUF	97	82	1.18	21:09	100%▲1
85	Tyler MyersDWPG	WPG	97	80	1.21	20:21	4.1%▲3.7
86	Mikhail SergachevDTBL	TBL	97	75	1.29	17:55	98%▲5.2
87	Olli MaattaDPIT	PIT	97	60	1.62	18:35	0.2%
88	Braydon CoburnDTBL	TBL	96	74	1.30	16:07	—
89	Robert BortuzzoDSTL	STL	95	59	1.61	15:28	—
90	Marc StaalDNYR	NYR	94	79	1.19	19:25	—
91	Kris RussellDEDM	EDM	93	72	1.29	20:26	—
92	Charlie McAvoyDBOS	BOS	92	54	1.70	22:10	97%▲6.2
93	Jared SpurgeonDMIN	MIN	91	82	1.11	24:09	10%▲8.2
94	Ron HainseyDTOR	TOR	91	81	1.12	20:15	—
95	Troy StecherDVAN	VAN	91	78	1.17	19:55	0.2%
96	Oscar FantenbergDCGY	CGY	91	61	1.49	16:00	—
97	Brent BurnsDSJS	SJS	90	82	1.10	25:06	50%▼14
98	Ben HarpurDOTT	OTT	89	51	1.75	17:37	—
99	Dmitry KulikovDWPG	WPG	88	57	1.54	15:40	3.2%▲3.1
100	Noah HanifinDCGY	CGY	87	80	1.09	20:46	53%▼22

How to read it

Total hits this season, all situations.

How reliable is it?

Totals reward games and ice time. Hit counts also depend on the arena's scorer, so a home-heavy schedule can inflate them.

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