If you grew up in the 80s, loved hockey, and were into video games, chances are you played NES Ice Hockey.
You know, the one with the not-so-creative title and the option to create a lineup featuring a skinny guy (speed, but lacked checking and shooting power), a medium guy (average everything), and a big guy (slow but great checking and a powerful shot).
As outdated as that game may be, it still has some relation to real-life hockey.
While today’s players tend to be in better shape physically than their predecessors, there are still a few who tip the scales toward the heavier side.
Here is the definitive list of the heaviest NHL players, now and throughout history – sourced from data at NHL.com and Hockey Reference.
Heaviest Players in NHL History
Derek Boogaard, LW – 300 pounds
Topping out at 300 pounds during his career, Derek Boogaard is the heaviest NHL player in history.
Whether you called him the “Boogeyman” or “the Mountie”, when you played against Derek Boogaard by the end of the night, you felt it.
Ranked as one of the most intimidating players in NHL history, Boogaard served more as an enforcer during his hockey career, which included six seasons in the NHL.
Racking up 589 penalty minutes in just 277 games, Boogaard had his career cut short due to concussion complications and tragically died at the age of 28 due to drug and alcohol overdose.
Dustin Byfuglien, D/RW – 260 pounds
A rare multi-position player during his 14-year NHL career, Dustin Byfuglien played both defense and right wing for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets.
Drafted by the Blackhawks with the 245th pick in 2003, Byfuglien made his debut with the team in 2005 and four years later helped the team to their fourth Stanley Cup, pocketing three goals in the final series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
While he found team success with the Blackhawks, he captured individual attention during his tenure with the Jets, being named to four All-Star games.
John Scott, LW – 260 pounds
Heading into the 2015-16 campaign, John Scott had amassed 5 goals and 5 assists in seven seasons. Clearly nowhere close to All-Star Game worthy. But yet thanks to the power of the people the beefy 6’8”, 260-pound enforcer was named the captain of the Pacific Division squad.
While there were several conspiracy theories and strategies that attempted to keep Scott out of the mid-season classic, and even a plea by Scott himself, the Edmonton-born forward earned the game’s MVP award after netting a pair of goals during the semi-final game.
After eight seasons and seven teams, Scott finished his career with 5 goals and 6 helpers.
Zdeno Chara, D – 256 pounds
Not only is Big Z among the heaviest players to ever pull on a pair of skates but he is also the tallest.
Standing 6’9”, the future Hall of Famer ranks as one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history. A seven-time All-NHL recipient, six-time All-Star, and 2011 Stanley Cup champion, Chara spent 14 of his 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins.
A five-time winner of the All-Star Game Hardest Shot, Chara’s record of 108.8mph stood for eight years until Martin Frk broke it in 2020.
Heaviest Active NHL Players
Jamie Oleksiak, D – 257 pounds
Officially listed at 257 pounds, Jamie Oleksiak is the heaviest active NHL player.
The Seattle Kraken’s defenseman puts his bulk to good use. Standing 6’7”, Oleksiak has dished out over 1200 hits during his dozen years in the NHL and blocked over 800 shots.
Carrying a little extra bulk helps one to absorb that kind of beating.
Drafted 14th overall in 2011 by the Dallas Stars, the Toronto native spent nine seasons in the Lone Star State (over the course of two stints) while adding a quick stop in Pittsburgh and now his current home in Seattle where he has played the last three seasons.
Not known as a goal scorer or even a point-getter, “Big Rig” knows that his bread is buttered on the defensive end of the ice, creating a giant barrier for opposing offenses.
Robin Lehner, G – 250 pounds
Considering his nickname is “Panda”, one would assume that the Swedish goaltender would find his way onto this list. A two-time William Jennings Trophy recipient, Lehner entered the NHL as a member of the Ottawa Senators after they selected him with the 46th pick in 2006.
Serving primarily as a backup throughout his NHL career, Lehner has proven to be a capable starter, evident by his 25-13-5 record during the 2018-19 season while playing with the New York Islanders.
Although officially still an active player with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Lehner has been sidelined with a hip injury since August 2022, which caused him to miss the team’s run to the 2023 Stanley Cup.
Still, Lehner is technically the heaviest active goaltender in the league.
Nikita Zadorov, D – 248 pounds
In just 54 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season, the burly 6’6” defender from Russia quickly became a fan favorite.
Unfortunately, money caused Zadorov to find his sixth team in 11 years, signing a 6-year, $30 million free agent deal with the Boston Bruins.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 16th pick in the 2013 Draft, Zadorov has shown he has the ability to fill the net and set up teammates and that he isn’t afraid to mix it up physically.
Now if he were just able to do it all in the same season he could be one of the top defensemen in the NHL.
Anthony Stolarz, G – 243 pounds
Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 45th pick in 2012, the New Jersey-born goaltender made his long-awaited debut with the team in 2016 following various injuries and multiple major-league call-ups that never amounted to ice time.
After claiming a victory in his first appearance, Stolarz finished the season playing just seven games with the team.
A career backup, Stolarz had his best season in 2023 with the Florida Panthers, his fourth NHL team. Starting 24 of 27 regular season games, Stolarz won 16 games including two shutouts, and made one playoff appearance during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup.
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW – 238 pounds
At just 19 years of age, the first overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft has quickly proven to be part of the Montreal Canadiens’ future.
Pocketing 20 goals and 50 points in his second season, Slafkovsky was the Habs’ third-leading scorer and fourth on the points list. Showing how much they believe in him, Montreal recently ponied up for an eight-year, $60.8 million contract extension.
Playing for a rebuilding team loaded with young talent, the 6’3” left winger out of Slovakia turned heads in 2022 when he helped the national team to a bronze medal in the Winter Olympics, scoring seven goals in seven games.
Alex Ovechkin, LW – 238 pounds
At 39 years old by the time the puck drops on the 2024-25 NHL season, Alex Ovechkin will be among the top ten oldest players in the league and closing in on a record that few, if any, thought would be broken.
Entering his 20th season, Ovechkin trails Wayne Gretzky’s 894 career goals by just 41. With a Stanley Cup and every individual award possible on his resume, surpassing the Great One would be the feather in the Great Eight’s cap.
Despite the grey hairs, the extra pounds, and seeing a decline in his point production for the second straight year after recording 90 in 2021-22, the Russian sniper is still considered one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the game.
More of the heaviest NHL players ever:
- Nikita Tryamkin, D – 265 pounds
- Georges Laraque, RW – 253 pounds
- Donald Brashear, LW – 237 pounds
- Anders Lee, LW – 235 pounds
- David Savard, D – 235 pounds
- Pat Maroon, LW – 234 pounds
- Vladimir Tarasenko, RW – 228 pounds
- Jack Johnson, D – 227 pounds
FAQs
While being on the heavier side may slow players down, being an effective NHL player comes down to how one can use their size to their advantage. If they can protect the puck, use their reach, cover angles, score, take up space, pass the puck, stop the puck, dish out, and take hits then they have a good chance at finding ice time.
In 2023, Matthew Phillips was officially listed as the lightest skater in the history of the NHL weighing in at 5’8”, 160lbs. Phillips was said to have started training camp nearly twenty pounds lighter and an inch shorter.
Although he could have been mistaken for a kid in grade 7 or 8, goaltender Roy “Shrimp” Worters earned himself a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame as well as a Hart Memorial Trophy and a Vezina Trophy. Standing 5’3”, 135lbs, Worters was not only the lightest player in NHL history but also the smallest.
Overall, there really isn’t much change in the physical size of today’s players compared to past years when it comes to height and weight. However, the major difference is the general fitness of the players and the equipment that they use, which has a significant impact on how the game is played.
More from this series:
Meet The Heaviest NFL Players Ever
