Average Height and Weight of Hockey Centers (NHL 2023)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always felt was effective was showing guys the heights and weights of players at their position in the pros.
It helped give many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level.
So, this is essentially the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took the active rosters for the 2022-2023 NHL hockey season, over 800 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the 225 centers across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest centers as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random hockey knowledge.
Average Height of an NHL Hockey Center
The average height of an NHL Hockey Center is 72.99 inches (almost exactly 6’1″ tall)
Average Weight of an NHL Hockey Center
The average weight of an NHL Hockey Center is 196.90 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Centers in the NHL?
There are 4 centers listed at 6’6″, the tallest in the league.
| Tallest Centers in the NHL | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Tage Thompson | 6’6″ | Center | Buffalo Sabres |
| Michael Rasmussen | 6’6″ | Center | Detroit Red Wings |
| Nick Bjugstad | 6’6″ | Center | Arizona Coyotes |
| Logan Brown | 6’6″ | Center | St Louis Blues |
Who are the Shortest Centers in the NHL?
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum there are 6 players listed under 5’10” (but only one listed at 5’8″)
| Shortest Centers in the NHL | |||
| Player | Height | Position | Team |
| Tyler Johnson | 5’8″ | Center | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Colin Blackwell | 5’9″ | Center | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Denis Malgin | 5’9″ | Center | Colorado Avalanche |
| Blake Lizotte | 5’9″ | Center | Los Angeles Kings |
| Yanni Gourde | 5’9″ | Center | Seattle Kraken |
| Sheldon Dries | 5’9″ | Center | Vancouver Canucks |
Who are the Heaviest Centers in the NHL?
There are 5 centers in the NHL that weigh over 220 pounds.
| Heaviest Centers in the NHL | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Mark Kastelic | 233 | Center | Ottawa Senators |
| Anze Kopitar | 225 | Center | Los Angeles Kings |
| Radek Faksa | 225 | Center | Dallas Stars |
| John Hayden | 223 | Center | Seattle Kraken |
| Charlie Coyle | 223 | Center | Boston Bruins |
Who are the Lightest Centers in the NHL?
There are 4 guys who weigh less than 175 pounds.
| Lightest Centers in the NHL | |||
| Player | Weight | Position | Team |
| Blake Lizotte | 170 | Center | Los Angeles Kings |
| Morgan Frost | 170 | Center | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Jonathan Gruden | 172 | Center | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Yanni Gourde | 174 | Center | Seattle Kraken |
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
If you’re being told that you’re not big enough to play in the National Hockey League, then Tyler Johnson may just become your new role model.
At only 5’8″, Tyler is the shortest center in the league. That hasn’t stopped him from playing in the NHL for over a decade. He’s played in over 600 games and has over 150 goals and 200 assists.
I’m always fascinated by the range of body types that play the same positions. You find it in sports like football and basketball and you see it here in hockey as well. Guys that are almost a foot different in height and 50 pounds in weight are all playing the same position at the very highest level.
