Counting stats

NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen

2020-21All situationsThrough 57 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 2020-21: Radko Gudas (FLA), 250 HIT.

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

2020-21

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, 2020-21, All situations
#	Player	Team	HIT	GP	Per game
1	Radko GudasDFLA	FLA	250	54	4.63	17:34	25%▲22
2	Jani HakanpääDCAR	CAR	215	57	3.77	18:01	—
3	Rasmus RistolainenDBUF	BUF	193	49	3.94	22:17	8.3%▲7.7
4	Nikita ZadorovDCHI	CHI	190	55	3.45	19:12	39%▲21
5	Adam LarssonDEDM	EDM	166	56	2.96	19:39	23%▼19
6	Mario FerraroDSJS	SJS	155	56	2.77	22:26	15%▼2.1
7	Jamie OleksiakDDAL	DAL	148	56	2.64	20:29	7.1%▲6.9
8	Brenden DillonDWSH	WSH	143	56	2.55	18:57	9.7%▲9.1
9	Alexander RomanovDMTL	MTL	138	54	2.56	17:15	15%▲15
10	Neal PionkDWPG	WPG	137	54	2.54	21:58	32%▲31
11	David SavardDTBL	TBL	132	54	2.44	19:51	—
12	Justin FaulkDSTL	STL	127	56	2.27	24:16	55%▼22
13	Michael Del ZottoDCBJ	CBJ	125	53	2.36	17:53	—
14	MacKenzie WeegarDFLA	FLA	118	54	2.19	22:07	93%▼7.2
15	Darnell NurseDEDM	EDM	117	56	2.09	25:38	69%▼13
16	Esa LindellDDAL	DAL	114	56	2.04	23:11	37%▼31
17	Nikita ZaitsevDOTT	OTT	114	55	2.07	22:44	—
18	Erik GudbransonDNSH	NSH	111	45	2.47	17:55	0.1%
19	Jacob TroubaDNYR	NYR	111	38	2.92	21:29	76%▼11
20	Connor CliftonDBOS	BOS	108	44	2.45	18:13	7.4%▲6.7
21	Ilya LyubushkinDARI	ARI	103	42	2.45	15:42	0.1%
22	Seth JonesDCBJ	CBJ	102	56	1.82	25:14	80%▲32
23	Connor MurphyDCHI	CHI	102	50	2.04	22:09	6.0%▲5.1
24	Jake MuzzinDTOR	TOR	101	53	1.91	21:35	—
25	Robert HaggDPHI	PHI	100	34	2.94	15:40	—
26	Calvin de HaanDCHI	CHI	99	44	2.25	18:37	—
27	Luke SchennDTBL	TBL	99	38	2.61	10:45	7.3%▲6.9
28	Joel EdmundsonDMTL	MTL	98	55	1.78	20:03	4.0%▲3.9
29	Ryan LindgrenDNYR	NYR	98	51	1.92	20:00	0.1%
30	Erik CernakDTBL	TBL	98	46	2.13	19:47	4.1%▲3.7
31	Brayden McNabbDVGK	VGK	98	41	2.39	19:18	24%▲21
32	Jeremy LauzonDBOS	BOS	98	41	2.39	18:43	24%▲22
33	Ryan PulockDNYI	NYI	97	56	1.73	22:26	10%▼1.4
34	Jeff PetryDMTL	MTL	97	55	1.76	22:44	0.1%
35	Nicolas HagueDVGK	VGK	94	52	1.81	16:00	0.1%
36	K'Andre MillerDNYR	NYR	93	53	1.75	21:07	64%▲26
37	Dmitry KulikovDEDM	EDM	93	48	1.94	19:10	3.2%▲3.1
38	Kris LetangDPIT	PIT	92	55	1.67	24:39	47%▼16
39	Drew DoughtyDLAK	LAK	91	56	1.63	26:23	22%▲12
40	Colin MillerDBUF	BUF	91	48	1.90	18:00	0.0%
41	Artem ZubDOTT	OTT	89	47	1.89	18:23	10%▲6.1
42	Zdeno CharaDWSH	WSH	88	55	1.60	18:19	—
43	Patrik NemethDCOL	COL	87	52	1.67	18:01	—
44	Dmitry OrlovDWSH	WSH	87	51	1.71	19:49	35%▲21
45	Zach WhitecloudDVGK	VGK	85	51	1.67	17:49	7.3%▲6.7
46	Robert BortuzzoDSTL	STL	85	40	2.13	14:10	—
47	Nikolai KnyzhovDSJS	SJS	84	56	1.50	16:44	—
48	Brendan SmithDNYR	NYR	84	48	1.75	16:26	—
49	Justin HollDTOR	TOR	82	55	1.49	21:04	—
50	Derek ForbortDWPG	WPG	80	56	1.43	20:45	0.0%
51	Rasmus DahlinDBUF	BUF	80	56	1.43	21:36	100%▲1
52	Alexander EdlerDVAN	VAN	80	52	1.54	20:54	—
53	Josh MorrisseyDWPG	WPG	78	56	1.39	23:33	99%▲3.2
54	Justin BraunDPHI	PHI	78	53	1.47	18:32	—
55	Ryan GravesDCOL	COL	77	54	1.43	19:03	0.1%
56	Ben ChiarotDMTL	MTL	77	41	1.88	21:47	13%▲11
57	Alex GoligoskiDARI	ARI	76	56	1.36	23:00	—
58	Scott MayfieldDNYI	NYI	76	56	1.36	19:29	0.1%
59	Dylan DeMeloDWPG	WPG	76	52	1.46	16:58	5.7%▲5.5
60	Radim SimekDSJS	SJS	76	40	1.90	14:13	—
61	Cody CeciDPIT	PIT	74	53	1.40	18:31	0.3%
62	Mathew DumbaDMIN	MIN	74	51	1.45	22:17	0.1%
63	Oliver Ekman-LarssonDARI	ARI	72	46	1.57	20:58	43%▲32
64	Joshua BrownDOTT	OTT	71	26	2.73	14:08	0.0%
65	Mike ReillyDBOS	BOS	70	55	1.27	19:17	0.1%
66	Shea WeberDMTL	MTL	70	48	1.46	22:42	—
67	Vladislav GavrikovDCBJ	CBJ	69	55	1.25	19:24	41%▼5.9
68	Ryan McDonaghDTBL	TBL	69	50	1.38	21:54	7.3%▲6.8
69	Philippe MyersDPHI	PHI	69	44	1.57	18:52	0.1%
70	Jason DemersDARI	ARI	69	41	1.68	17:14	—
71	Tucker PoolmanDWPG	WPG	69	39	1.77	18:18	—
72	Thomas ChabotDOTT	OTT	68	49	1.39	26:17	83%▼12
73	Filip HronekDDET	DET	67	56	1.20	23:23	91%▲14
74	Zach BogosianDTOR	TOR	67	45	1.49	14:32	0.4%
75	Adam PelechDNYI	NYI	66	56	1.18	21:03	3.2%▲3
76	Mikhail SergachevDTBL	TBL	66	56	1.18	21:58	98%▲5.2
77	Mikey AndersonDLAK	LAK	66	54	1.22	21:11	7.3%▲6.9
78	Brady SkjeiDCAR	CAR	66	52	1.27	20:44	18%▼31
79	Charlie McAvoyDBOS	BOS	65	51	1.27	24:00	97%▲6.2
80	Kevan MillerDBOS	BOS	64	28	2.29	19:04	—
81	Morgan RiellyDTOR	TOR	63	55	1.15	23:37	76%▼5.1
82	Haydn FleuryDANA	ANA	63	47	1.34	15:24	0.1%
83	Jakub ZborilDBOS	BOS	63	42	1.50	17:03	—
84	Brian DumoulinDPIT	PIT	63	41	1.54	22:21	0.4%
85	Carson SoucyDMIN	MIN	62	50	1.24	15:17	0.1%
86	Tyler MyersDVAN	VAN	61	55	1.11	22:05	4.1%▲3.7
87	Matt RoyDLAK	LAK	61	44	1.39	19:15	9.0%▲8.3
88	Josh MansonDANA	ANA	61	23	2.65	17:59	32%▲16
89	Marco ScandellaDSTL	STL	60	49	1.22	19:57	—
90	Jakob ChychrunDARI	ARI	59	56	1.05	23:23	99%
91	Marc StaalDDET	DET	58	56	1.04	18:25	—
92	Nick LeddyDNYI	NYI	58	56	1.04	21:35	0.0%
93	Damon SeversonDNJD	NJD	57	56	1.02	22:29	9.4%▲6.2
94	Kevin ShattenkirkDANA	ANA	57	55	1.04	21:12	—
95	Ivan ProvorovDPHI	PHI	56	56	1.00	25:00	36%▼27
96	Nick JensenDWSH	WSH	56	53	1.06	17:18	0.1%
97	Matt IrwinDBUF	BUF	56	24	2.33	16:15	—
98	Jarred TinordiDBOS	BOS	56	21	2.67	17:06	—
99	Matt BenningDNSH	NSH	55	53	1.04	16:20	—
100	Brandon MontourDFLA	FLA	54	50	1.08	20:29	83%▲10

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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