Counting stats

NHL Hits Leaders: Defensemen

2023-24All situationsThrough 83 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 2023-24: Jeremy Lauzon (NSH), 383 HIT.

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

Older seasons

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, 2023-24, All situations
#	Player	Team	HIT	GP	Per game
1	Jeremy LauzonDNSH	NSH	383	79	4.85	18:37	24%▲22
2	Simon BenoitDTOR	TOR	246	64	3.84	17:14	4.9%▲4.4
3	Brenden DillonDWPG	WPG	241	77	3.13	18:44	9.7%▲9.1
4	Kyle BurroughsDSJS	SJS	233	73	3.19	19:09	0.0%
5	Radko GudasDANA	ANA	232	66	3.52	19:30	25%▲22
6	Neal PionkDWPG	WPG	221	82	2.70	20:50	32%▲31
7	Jake McCabeDTOR	TOR	219	73	3.00	20:39	34%▼15
8	Moritz SeiderDDET	DET	211	82	2.57	22:22	100%▲0.6
9	Josh MansonDCOL	COL	211	76	2.78	17:47	32%▲16
10	Connor CliftonDBUF	BUF	204	79	2.58	16:33	7.4%▲6.7
11	Mathew DumbaDTBL	TBL	202	76	2.66	19:44	0.1%
12	Luke SchennDNSH	NSH	202	63	3.21	15:11	7.3%▲6.9
13	Niko MikkolaDFLA	FLA	198	82	2.41	20:02	4.9%▲4.4
14	Erik CernakDTBL	TBL	198	69	2.87	19:11	4.1%▲3.7
15	Jani HakanpääDDAL	DAL	196	64	3.06	18:39	—
16	Will BorgenDSEA	SEA	195	82	2.38	17:35	4.1%▲3.8
17	Rasmus DahlinDBUF	BUF	195	81	2.41	25:25	100%▲1
18	MacKenzie WeegarDCGY	CGY	194	82	2.37	22:56	93%▼7.2
19	Jacob TroubaDNYR	NYR	191	69	2.77	21:15	76%▼11
20	Andreas EnglundDLAK	LAK	189	82	2.30	13:13	0.0%
21	Martin FehérváryDWSH	WSH	188	66	2.85	19:38	27%▼7.7
22	Nikita ZadorovDVAN	VAN	177	75	2.36	17:26	39%▲21
23	Ilya LyubushkinDTOR	TOR	176	74	2.38	17:07	0.1%
24	Jarred TinordiDCHI	CHI	171	52	3.29	15:39	—
25	Darnell NurseDEDM	EDM	168	81	2.07	21:54	69%▼13
26	Dylan DeMeloDWPG	WPG	167	82	2.04	21:44	5.7%▲5.5
27	Braden SchneiderDNYR	NYR	167	82	2.04	15:54	20%▲18
28	Ben ChiarotDDET	DET	163	77	2.12	19:47	13%▲11
29	Noah JuulsenDVAN	VAN	163	54	3.02	14:54	0.1%
30	Adam LarssonDSEA	SEA	162	81	2.00	22:57	23%▼19
31	Charlie McAvoyDBOS	BOS	159	74	2.15	24:51	97%▲6.2
32	Alexander RomanovDNYI	NYI	157	81	1.94	20:50	15%▲15
33	Nicolas HagueDVGK	VGK	153	73	2.10	18:33	0.1%
34	Matt RoyDLAK	LAK	152	81	1.88	20:54	9.0%▲8.3
35	Kevin BahlDNJD	NJD	151	82	1.84	17:24	4.8%▲4.6
36	Jeff PetryDDET	DET	150	73	2.05	18:48	0.1%
37	Brayden McNabbDVGK	VGK	149	82	1.82	19:21	24%▲21
38	Jake MiddletonDMIN	MIN	148	80	1.85	19:49	5.7%▲5.3
39	K'Andre MillerDNYR	NYR	148	80	1.85	21:34	64%▲26
40	Nikita OkhotiukDCGY	CGY	147	52	2.83	15:55	—
41	Dmitry KulikovDFLA	FLA	145	76	1.91	16:31	3.2%▲3.1
42	Erik JohnsonDPHI	PHI	143	67	2.13	14:28	—
43	Brandon CarloDBOS	BOS	140	76	1.84	19:54	0.3%
44	Artem ZubDOTT	OTT	139	69	2.01	21:01	10%▲6.1
45	Kris LetangDPIT	PIT	137	82	1.67	24:41	47%▼16
46	Mattias EkholmDEDM	EDM	136	79	1.72	21:03	77%▲9.5
47	Vincent DesharnaisDEDM	EDM	135	78	1.73	15:44	0.3%
48	Nick SeelerDPHI	PHI	132	71	1.86	16:57	8.1%▲7.6
49	Brayden PachalDCGY	CGY	130	50	2.60	14:41	0.0%
50	Zach WhitecloudDVGK	VGK	129	61	2.11	17:35	7.3%▲6.7
51	Mikey AndersonDLAK	LAK	128	74	1.73	20:38	7.3%▲6.9
52	Arber XhekajDMTL	MTL	125	44	2.84	15:56	10%▲6.3
53	Mario FerraroDSJS	SJS	124	78	1.59	22:52	15%▼2.1
54	Marcus PetterssonDPIT	PIT	121	82	1.48	22:40	6.6%▲6.2
55	Jayden StrubleDMTL	MTL	121	56	2.16	16:07	3.3%▲2.9
56	Sean WalkerDCOL	COL	118	81	1.46	19:14	61%▼11
57	Brendan SmithDNJD	NJD	117	63	1.86	16:06	—
58	Dmitry OrlovDCAR	CAR	116	82	1.41	17:19	35%▲21
59	Kaiden GuhleDMTL	MTL	116	70	1.66	20:51	19%▲18
60	Connor MurphyDCHI	CHI	116	46	2.52	19:50	6.0%▲5.1
61	Ryan LindgrenDNYR	NYR	114	76	1.50	19:21	0.1%
62	Colton ParaykoDSTL	STL	113	82	1.38	23:52	37%▼42
63	Joshua BrownDARI	ARI	112	51	2.20	14:45	0.0%
64	Gustav ForslingDFLA	FLA	111	79	1.41	22:09	42%▲18
65	Jamie OleksiakDSEA	SEA	110	82	1.34	19:39	7.1%▲6.9
66	Tyler MyersDVAN	VAN	110	77	1.43	18:57	4.1%▲3.7
67	Drew DoughtyDLAK	LAK	109	82	1.33	25:48	22%▲12
68	Zach BogosianDMIN	MIN	109	65	1.68	17:53	0.4%
69	Michael KesselringDARI	ARI	106	65	1.63	15:48	8.9%▲8.3
70	Mattias SamuelssonDBUF	BUF	106	41	2.59	20:30	79%▲9.3
71	Oliver Ekman-LarssonDFLA	FLA	105	80	1.31	18:24	43%▲32
72	Emil LillebergDTBL	TBL	105	37	2.84	16:12	4.8%▲4.7
73	Filip HronekDVAN	VAN	104	81	1.28	23:26	91%▲14
74	Brandon MontourDFLA	FLA	104	66	1.58	23:27	83%▲10
75	J.J. MoserDARI	ARI	99	80	1.24	20:34	22%▲19
76	Ryan PulockDNYI	NYI	99	58	1.71	22:33	10%▼1.4
77	Morgan RiellyDTOR	TOR	98	72	1.36	23:44	76%▼5.1
78	Calvin de HaanDTBL	TBL	96	59	1.63	16:38	—
79	Travis SanheimDPHI	PHI	94	81	1.16	23:48	67%▼7.1
80	Bowen ByramDBUF	BUF	94	73	1.29	20:21	96%▲6.5
81	Ty EmbersonDSJS	SJS	94	30	3.13	18:33	0.1%
82	Erik GudbransonDCBJ	CBJ	92	78	1.18	19:40	0.1%
83	Henri JokiharjuDBUF	BUF	92	74	1.24	18:59	0.1%
84	Timothy LiljegrenDTOR	TOR	92	55	1.67	19:40	4.8%▲4.7
85	Cody CeciDEDM	EDM	91	79	1.15	20:01	0.3%
86	Colin MillerDWPG	WPG	91	46	1.98	15:42	0.0%
87	Josh MorrisseyDWPG	WPG	90	81	1.11	24:11	99%▲3.2
88	Chad RuhwedelDNYR	NYR	90	52	1.73	12:42	—
89	Andrew PeekeDBOS	BOS	88	38	2.32	16:24	6.5%▲6.2
90	Jonas SiegenthalerDNJD	NJD	87	57	1.53	19:20	3.3%▲2.9
91	Ryan SuterDDAL	DAL	86	82	1.05	18:56	—
92	Pavel MintyukovDANA	ANA	85	63	1.35	18:51	31%▲29
93	Aaron EkbladDFLA	FLA	85	51	1.67	20:52	50%▲34
94	Noah DobsonDNYI	NYI	84	79	1.06	24:31	98%▼1.2
95	Parker WotherspoonDBOS	BOS	84	41	2.05	17:43	20%▲19
96	Ian ColeDVAN	VAN	83	78	1.06	18:41	4.9%▲4.3
97	Justin FaulkDSTL	STL	83	60	1.38	21:58	55%▼22
98	Nick PerbixDTBL	TBL	80	77	1.04	17:05	0.1%
99	Joel EdmundsonDTOR	TOR	80	53	1.51	16:40	4.0%▲3.9
100	Jack JohnsonDCOL	COL	78	80	0.97	14:56	—

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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