Hits HIT

A body check that separates an opponent from the puck, as the arena’s off-ice statistician records it.

How HIT is calculated

Counted by the off-ice official in each arena, with no replay. ESPN’s figures begin in 2009-10.

Because every rink has its own scorer, hit counts run noticeably higher in some buildings than others; compare a player’s home and road totals before reading much into a small gap.

What counts as a good HIT?

Half of the 682 qualified NHL players in 2025-26 were at or below 57.5. Clearing 152 put a season in the top tenth of the league.

Median
57.5
Top 10%
152
Leader
412

By position, the median was 73 for LW, 59 for RW, 58 for C and 49 for D.

Qualified: 20+ games, non-zero, 2025-26 regular season.

Hits questions