Counting stats
NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen
2019-20All situationsThrough 71 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 2019-20: Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF), 203 HIT.
- Legacy recording: before 2024-25 turnovers and hits were recorded arena by arena with large scorer bias. Compare players within this season only.
Hits: defense leaderboard
Show
| # | Player | Team | HIT | GP | Per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rasmus RistolainenDBUF | BUF | 203 | 69 | 2.94 | 8.3%▲7.7 |
| 2 | Brayden McNabbDVGK | VGK | 201 | 71 | 2.83 | 24%▲21 |
| 3 | Mark BorowieckiDOTT | OTT | 199 | 53 | 3.75 | — |
| 4 | Brenden DillonDWSH | WSH | 194 | 69 | 2.81 | 9.7%▲9.1 |
| 5 | Jack JohnsonDPIT | PIT | 183 | 67 | 2.73 | — |
| 6 | Jeff PetryDMTL | MTL | 177 | 71 | 2.49 | 0.1% |
| 7 | Nikita ZadorovDCOL | COL | 175 | 64 | 2.73 | 39%▲21 |
| 8 | Jacob TroubaDNYR | NYR | 173 | 70 | 2.47 | 76%▼11 |
| 9 | Darnell NurseDEDM | EDM | 172 | 71 | 2.42 | 69%▼13 |
| 10 | Erik CernakDTBL | TBL | 172 | 67 | 2.57 | 4.1%▲3.7 |
| 11 | Neal PionkDWPG | WPG | 165 | 71 | 2.32 | 32%▲31 |
| 12 | Radko GudasDWSH | WSH | 164 | 63 | 2.60 | 25%▲22 |
| 13 | Jamie OleksiakDDAL | DAL | 153 | 69 | 2.22 | 7.1%▲6.9 |
| 14 | Ben ChiarotDMTL | MTL | 152 | 69 | 2.20 | 13%▲11 |
| 15 | Ilya LyubushkinDARI | ARI | 151 | 51 | 2.96 | 0.1% |
| 16 | Anthony BitettoDWPG | WPG | 145 | 51 | 2.84 | — |
| 17 | Robert HaggDPHI | PHI | 136 | 49 | 2.78 | — |
| 18 | Johnny BoychukDNYI | NYI | 135 | 64 | 2.11 | — |
| 19 | Matt RoyDLAK | LAK | 132 | 70 | 1.89 | 9.0%▲8.3 |
| 20 | Charlie McAvoyDBOS | BOS | 131 | 67 | 1.96 | 97%▲6.2 |
| 21 | David SavardDCBJ | CBJ | 129 | 68 | 1.90 | — |
| 22 | Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI | ARI | 129 | 66 | 1.95 | 43%▲32 |
| 23 | Nick HoldenDVGK | VGK | 129 | 61 | 2.11 | — |
| 24 | Connor MurphyDCHI | CHI | 128 | 58 | 2.21 | 6.0%▲5.1 |
| 25 | Brandon CarloDBOS | BOS | 126 | 67 | 1.88 | 0.3% |
| 26 | Matt NiskanenDPHI | PHI | 124 | 68 | 1.82 | — |
| 27 | Mario FerraroDSJS | SJS | 120 | 61 | 1.97 | 15%▼2.1 |
| 28 | Olli MaattaDCHI | CHI | 119 | 65 | 1.83 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Joel EdmundsonDCAR | CAR | 118 | 68 | 1.74 | 4.0%▲3.9 |
| 30 | Alex BiegaDDET | DET | 115 | 49 | 2.35 | — |
| 31 | Deryk EngellandDVGK | VGK | 114 | 49 | 2.33 | — |
| 32 | Josh MansonDANA | ANA | 113 | 50 | 2.26 | 32%▲16 |
| 33 | Ryan GravesDCOL | COL | 112 | 69 | 1.62 | 0.1% |
| 34 | Shea WeberDMTL | MTL | 112 | 65 | 1.72 | — |
| 35 | Adam LarssonDEDM | EDM | 112 | 49 | 2.29 | 23%▼19 |
| 36 | Ryan PulockDNYI | NYI | 110 | 68 | 1.62 | 10%▼1.4 |
| 37 | Jake MuzzinDTOR | TOR | 109 | 53 | 2.06 | — |
| 38 | Alexander EdlerDVAN | VAN | 108 | 59 | 1.83 | — |
| 39 | Nikita ZaitsevDOTT | OTT | 108 | 58 | 1.86 | — |
| 40 | Mikhail SergachevDTBL | TBL | 106 | 70 | 1.51 | 98%▲5.2 |
| 41 | Dmitry OrlovDWSH | WSH | 106 | 69 | 1.54 | 35%▲21 |
| 42 | Marcus PetterssonDPIT | PIT | 106 | 69 | 1.54 | 6.6%▲6.2 |
| 43 | Drew DoughtyDLAK | LAK | 106 | 67 | 1.58 | 22%▲12 |
| 44 | Filip HronekDDET | DET | 105 | 65 | 1.62 | 91%▲14 |
| 45 | Dylan DeMeloDWPG | WPG | 105 | 59 | 1.78 | 5.7%▲5.5 |
| 46 | Dmitry KulikovDWPG | WPG | 104 | 51 | 2.04 | 3.2%▲3.1 |
| 47 | Roman PolakDDAL | DAL | 104 | 41 | 2.54 | — |
| 48 | Brady SkjeiDCAR | CAR | 103 | 67 | 1.54 | 18%▼31 |
| 49 | Cale FleuryDMTL | MTL | 102 | 41 | 2.49 | 4.0%▲3.8 |
| 50 | Kris LetangDPIT | PIT | 101 | 61 | 1.66 | 47%▼16 |
| 51 | Michael Del ZottoDANA | ANA | 101 | 49 | 2.06 | — |
| 52 | Tyler MyersDVAN | VAN | 99 | 68 | 1.46 | 4.1%▲3.7 |
| 53 | Mathew DumbaDMIN | MIN | 98 | 69 | 1.42 | 0.1% |
| 54 | Erik JohnsonDCOL | COL | 97 | 59 | 1.64 | — |
| 55 | Korbinian HolzerDNSH | NSH | 97 | 49 | 1.98 | — |
| 56 | Ryan LindgrenDNYR | NYR | 94 | 60 | 1.57 | 0.1% |
| 57 | Scott MayfieldDNYI | NYI | 93 | 67 | 1.39 | 0.1% |
| 58 | Calvin de HaanDCHI | CHI | 93 | 29 | 3.21 | — |
| 59 | Cody CeciDTOR | TOR | 92 | 56 | 1.64 | 0.3% |
| 60 | Alex GoligoskiDARI | ARI | 91 | 70 | 1.30 | — |
| 61 | Jake McCabeDBUF | BUF | 91 | 66 | 1.38 | 34%▼15 |
| 62 | Justin BraunDPHI | PHI | 91 | 62 | 1.47 | — |
| 63 | Radim SimekDSJS | SJS | 91 | 48 | 1.90 | — |
| 64 | Luca SbisaDWPG | WPG | 91 | 44 | 2.07 | — |
| 65 | Brendan SmithDNYR | NYR | 90 | 62 | 1.45 | — |
| 66 | Connor CliftonDBOS | BOS | 90 | 31 | 2.90 | 7.4%▲6.7 |
| 67 | Esa LindellDDAL | DAL | 89 | 69 | 1.29 | 37%▼31 |
| 68 | Justin HollDTOR | TOR | 89 | 68 | 1.31 | — |
| 69 | Erik GudbransonDANA | ANA | 89 | 51 | 1.75 | 0.1% |
| 70 | P.K. SubbanDNJD | NJD | 88 | 68 | 1.29 | — |
| 71 | Colton ParaykoDSTL | STL | 87 | 64 | 1.36 | 37%▼42 |
| 72 | Colin MillerDBUF | BUF | 87 | 51 | 1.71 | 0.0% |
| 73 | Erik GustafssonDCGY | CGY | 86 | 66 | 1.30 | 3.2%▲3.2 |
| 74 | Ivan ProvorovDPHI | PHI | 84 | 69 | 1.22 | 36%▼27 |
| 75 | Ian ColeDCOL | COL | 83 | 65 | 1.28 | 4.9%▲4.3 |
| 76 | Luke SchennDTBL | TBL | 83 | 25 | 3.32 | 7.3%▲6.9 |
| 77 | Noah HanifinDCGY | CGY | 82 | 70 | 1.17 | 53%▼22 |
| 78 | Justin FaulkDSTL | STL | 82 | 69 | 1.19 | 55%▼22 |
| 79 | Sean WalkerDLAK | LAK | 81 | 70 | 1.16 | 61%▼11 |
| 80 | Damon SeversonDNJD | NJD | 81 | 69 | 1.17 | 9.4%▲6.2 |
| 81 | Adam PelechDNYI | NYI | 81 | 38 | 2.13 | 3.2%▲3 |
| 82 | Patrik NemethDDET | DET | 80 | 64 | 1.25 | — |
| 83 | Philippe MyersDPHI | PHI | 80 | 50 | 1.60 | 0.1% |
| 84 | Matt IrwinDANA | ANA | 80 | 36 | 2.22 | — |
| 85 | Thomas ChabotDOTT | OTT | 79 | 71 | 1.11 | 83%▼12 |
| 86 | Vladislav GavrikovDCBJ | CBJ | 79 | 69 | 1.14 | 41%▼5.9 |
| 87 | Zdeno CharaDBOS | BOS | 78 | 68 | 1.15 | — |
| 88 | Marco ScandellaDSTL | STL | 78 | 62 | 1.26 | — |
| 89 | Matt BenningDEDM | EDM | 78 | 43 | 1.81 | — |
| 90 | Joshua BrownDFLA | FLA | 77 | 56 | 1.38 | 0.0% |
| 91 | Travis DermottDTOR | TOR | 76 | 56 | 1.36 | — |
| 92 | Jason DemersDARI | ARI | 76 | 50 | 1.52 | — |
| 93 | MacKenzie WeegarDFLA | FLA | 76 | 45 | 1.69 | 93%▼7.2 |
| 94 | Jakob ChychrunDARI | ARI | 75 | 63 | 1.19 | 99% |
| 95 | Henri JokiharjuDBUF | BUF | 74 | 69 | 1.07 | 0.1% |
| 96 | Chad RuhwedelDPIT | PIT | 74 | 41 | 1.80 | — |
| 97 | Juuso RiikolaDPIT | PIT | 74 | 36 | 2.06 | — |
| 98 | Dennis GilbertDCHI | CHI | 74 | 21 | 3.52 | 0.0% |
| 99 | Victor HedmanDTBL | TBL | 73 | 66 | 1.11 | 93%▲11 |
| 100 | Brent BurnsDSJS | SJS | 72 | 70 | 1.03 | 50%▼14 |
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.
About our data sources →Projected next
Our fantasy projections for hits: who should lead the coming games.