Counting stats
NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen
2021-22All situationsThrough 82 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 2021-22: Radko Gudas (FLA), 355 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 | Radko GudasDFLA | FLA | 355 | 77 | 4.61 | 25%▲22 |
| 2 | Luke SchennDVAN | VAN | 273 | 66 | 4.14 | 7.3%▲6.9 |
| 3 | Martin FehérváryDWSH | WSH | 251 | 79 | 3.18 | 27%▼7.7 |
| 4 | Jani HakanpääDDAL | DAL | 248 | 80 | 3.10 | — |
| 5 | Rasmus RistolainenDPHI | PHI | 230 | 66 | 3.48 | 8.3%▲7.7 |
| 6 | Alexander RomanovDMTL | MTL | 227 | 79 | 2.87 | 15%▲15 |
| 7 | Jeremy LauzonDNSH | NSH | 224 | 66 | 3.39 | 24%▲22 |
| 8 | Brenden DillonDWPG | WPG | 212 | 79 | 2.68 | 9.7%▲9.1 |
| 9 | Jacob TroubaDNYR | NYR | 207 | 81 | 2.56 | 76%▼11 |
| 10 | Darnell NurseDEDM | EDM | 196 | 71 | 2.76 | 69%▼13 |
| 11 | Mark BorowieckiDNSH | NSH | 196 | 57 | 3.44 | — |
| 12 | Andrew PeekeDCBJ | CBJ | 191 | 82 | 2.33 | 6.5%▲6.2 |
| 13 | Ilya LyubushkinDTOR | TOR | 187 | 77 | 2.43 | 0.1% |
| 14 | Neal PionkDWPG | WPG | 185 | 77 | 2.40 | 32%▲31 |
| 15 | Adam LarssonDSEA | SEA | 183 | 82 | 2.23 | 23%▼19 |
| 16 | Jamie OleksiakDSEA | SEA | 182 | 72 | 2.53 | 7.1%▲6.9 |
| 17 | Nikita ZadorovDCGY | CGY | 181 | 74 | 2.45 | 39%▲21 |
| 18 | MacKenzie WeegarDFLA | FLA | 179 | 80 | 2.24 | 93%▼7.2 |
| 19 | Josh MansonDCOL | COL | 179 | 67 | 2.67 | 32%▲16 |
| 20 | Kris LetangDPIT | PIT | 171 | 78 | 2.19 | 47%▼16 |
| 21 | Simon BenoitDANA | ANA | 168 | 53 | 3.17 | 4.9%▲4.4 |
| 22 | Jake McCabeDCHI | CHI | 166 | 75 | 2.21 | 34%▼15 |
| 23 | Erik JohnsonDCOL | COL | 165 | 77 | 2.14 | — |
| 24 | Erik CernakDTBL | TBL | 165 | 55 | 3.00 | 4.1%▲3.7 |
| 25 | Nicolas MelocheDSJS | SJS | 158 | 50 | 3.16 | — |
| 26 | Ben ChiarotDFLA | FLA | 157 | 74 | 2.12 | 13%▲11 |
| 27 | Connor CliftonDBOS | BOS | 156 | 60 | 2.60 | 7.4%▲6.7 |
| 28 | Artem ZubDOTT | OTT | 155 | 81 | 1.91 | 10%▲6.1 |
| 29 | Charlie McAvoyDBOS | BOS | 155 | 78 | 1.99 | 97%▲6.2 |
| 30 | Brayden McNabbDVGK | VGK | 154 | 69 | 2.23 | 24%▲21 |
| 31 | K'Andre MillerDNYR | NYR | 151 | 82 | 1.84 | 64%▲26 |
| 32 | Moritz SeiderDDET | DET | 151 | 82 | 1.84 | 100%▲0.6 |
| 33 | Josh MorrisseyDWPG | WPG | 150 | 79 | 1.90 | 99%▲3.2 |
| 34 | Chad RuhwedelDPIT | PIT | 149 | 78 | 1.91 | — |
| 35 | Justin FaulkDSTL | STL | 149 | 76 | 1.96 | 55%▼22 |
| 36 | Calvin de HaanDCHI | CHI | 146 | 69 | 2.12 | — |
| 37 | Tyler MyersDVAN | VAN | 145 | 82 | 1.77 | 4.1%▲3.7 |
| 38 | Erik GudbransonDCGY | CGY | 145 | 78 | 1.86 | 0.1% |
| 39 | Brandon CarloDBOS | BOS | 143 | 79 | 1.81 | 0.3% |
| 40 | Jeff PetryDMTL | MTL | 140 | 68 | 2.06 | 0.1% |
| 41 | Mario FerraroDSJS | SJS | 140 | 63 | 2.22 | 15%▼2.1 |
| 42 | Mikhail SergachevDTBL | TBL | 139 | 78 | 1.78 | 98%▲5.2 |
| 43 | Robert HaggDFLA | FLA | 138 | 64 | 2.16 | — |
| 44 | Nick JensenDWSH | WSH | 135 | 76 | 1.78 | 0.1% |
| 45 | Robert BortuzzoDSTL | STL | 135 | 73 | 1.85 | — |
| 46 | David SavardDMTL | MTL | 134 | 62 | 2.16 | — |
| 47 | Derek ForbortDBOS | BOS | 133 | 76 | 1.75 | 0.0% |
| 48 | Mikey AndersonDLAK | LAK | 133 | 57 | 2.33 | 7.3%▲6.9 |
| 49 | Logan StanleyDWPG | WPG | 131 | 58 | 2.26 | 6.6%▲5.9 |
| 50 | Connor MurphyDCHI | CHI | 130 | 57 | 2.28 | 6.0%▲5.1 |
| 51 | Ryan LindgrenDNYR | NYR | 129 | 78 | 1.65 | 0.1% |
| 52 | Justin HollDTOR | TOR | 129 | 69 | 1.87 | — |
| 53 | Dysin MayoDARI | ARI | 129 | 67 | 1.93 | — |
| 54 | Nikita ZaitsevDOTT | OTT | 128 | 62 | 2.06 | — |
| 55 | Zdeno CharaDNYI | NYI | 125 | 72 | 1.74 | — |
| 56 | Vladislav GavrikovDCBJ | CBJ | 124 | 80 | 1.55 | 41%▼5.9 |
| 57 | Dmitry OrlovDWSH | WSH | 124 | 76 | 1.63 | 35%▲21 |
| 58 | Matt RoyDLAK | LAK | 124 | 67 | 1.85 | 9.0%▲8.3 |
| 59 | Marcus PetterssonDPIT | PIT | 122 | 72 | 1.69 | 6.6%▲6.2 |
| 60 | Riley StillmanDCHI | CHI | 122 | 52 | 2.35 | 0.0% |
| 61 | Kyle BurroughsDVAN | VAN | 122 | 42 | 2.90 | 0.0% |
| 62 | Rasmus DahlinDBUF | BUF | 121 | 80 | 1.51 | 100%▲1 |
| 63 | Jake MiddletonDMIN | MIN | 118 | 66 | 1.79 | 5.7%▲5.3 |
| 64 | Carson SoucyDSEA | SEA | 118 | 64 | 1.84 | 0.1% |
| 65 | Joshua BrownDBOS | BOS | 118 | 52 | 2.27 | 0.0% |
| 66 | Cody CeciDEDM | EDM | 117 | 78 | 1.50 | 0.3% |
| 67 | Nick HoldenDOTT | OTT | 115 | 76 | 1.51 | — |
| 68 | Patrik NemethDNYR | NYR | 115 | 63 | 1.83 | — |
| 69 | Mathew DumbaDMIN | MIN | 114 | 57 | 2.00 | 0.1% |
| 70 | Zach BogosianDTBL | TBL | 114 | 48 | 2.38 | 0.4% |
| 71 | Dylan DeMeloDWPG | WPG | 113 | 76 | 1.49 | 5.7%▲5.5 |
| 72 | Esa LindellDDAL | DAL | 111 | 76 | 1.46 | 37%▼31 |
| 73 | Ian ColeDCAR | CAR | 110 | 75 | 1.47 | 4.9%▲4.3 |
| 74 | Niko MikkolaDSTL | STL | 109 | 54 | 2.02 | 4.9%▲4.4 |
| 75 | Marco ScandellaDSTL | STL | 106 | 70 | 1.51 | — |
| 76 | Oliver Ekman-LarssonDVAN | VAN | 105 | 79 | 1.33 | 43%▲32 |
| 77 | Jake MuzzinDTOR | TOR | 105 | 47 | 2.23 | — |
| 78 | Brett KulakDEDM | EDM | 103 | 74 | 1.39 | 0.3% |
| 79 | Dmitry KulikovDMIN | MIN | 100 | 80 | 1.25 | 3.2%▲3.1 |
| 80 | Mattias SamuelssonDBUF | BUF | 100 | 42 | 2.38 | 79%▲9.3 |
| 81 | Adam PelechDNYI | NYI | 99 | 78 | 1.27 | 3.2%▲3 |
| 82 | Seth JonesDCHI | CHI | 99 | 78 | 1.27 | 80%▲32 |
| 83 | Anton StralmanDARI | ARI | 99 | 74 | 1.34 | — |
| 84 | Jonas SiegenthalerDNJD | NJD | 98 | 70 | 1.40 | 3.3%▲2.9 |
| 85 | Zach WhitecloudDVGK | VGK | 98 | 59 | 1.66 | 7.3%▲6.7 |
| 86 | Mike MathesonDPIT | PIT | 97 | 74 | 1.31 | 85%▼7.8 |
| 87 | Ryan McDonaghDTBL | TBL | 96 | 71 | 1.35 | 7.3%▲6.8 |
| 88 | Radim SimekDSJS | SJS | 96 | 36 | 2.67 | — |
| 89 | Brady SkjeiDCAR | CAR | 95 | 82 | 1.16 | 18%▼31 |
| 90 | Alexandre CarrierDNSH | NSH | 95 | 77 | 1.23 | 14%▲12 |
| 91 | Cale MakarDCOL | COL | 95 | 77 | 1.23 | 100%▲1 |
| 92 | Marc StaalDDET | DET | 94 | 71 | 1.32 | — |
| 93 | Mike ReillyDBOS | BOS | 94 | 70 | 1.34 | 0.1% |
| 94 | Victor HedmanDTBL | TBL | 93 | 82 | 1.13 | 93%▲11 |
| 95 | Jan RuttaDTBL | TBL | 93 | 76 | 1.22 | — |
| 96 | Morgan RiellyDTOR | TOR | 92 | 82 | 1.12 | 76%▼5.1 |
| 97 | Damon SeversonDNJD | NJD | 91 | 80 | 1.14 | 9.4%▲6.2 |
| 98 | Jack JohnsonDCOL | COL | 91 | 74 | 1.23 | — |
| 99 | Ryan GravesDNJD | NJD | 90 | 75 | 1.20 | 0.1% |
| 100 | Will BorgenDSEA | SEA | 89 | 36 | 2.47 | 4.1%▲3.8 |
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.