Average Height and Weight of Hockey Forwards (NHL 2024)
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 positions in the pros. It gave many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level.
This is the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took the active rosters for the 2023-2024 NHL hockey season, almost 800 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the 459 forwards (centers, left wings and right wings) across the league. I also listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest forwards as well. Impress someone today with your newfound hockey knowledge.
Average Height of an NHL Forward
The average height of an NHL Forward in 2024 is 72.93 inches (just under 6’1″ tall)
Average Weight of an NHL Forward
The average weight of an NHL Forward in 2024 is 198.38 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Forwards in the NHL?
There are eight players all listed at 6’6″, the tallest of any forward in the league. Half are Centers and half are wings.
| Player | Hgt | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Bjugstad | 6’6″ | C | Coyotes |
| Tage Thompson | 6’6″ | C | Sabres |
| Michael Rasmussen | 6’6″ | C | Red Wings |
| Radim Zohorna | 6’6″ | LW | Penguins |
| Alexey Toropchenko | 6’6″ | RW | Blues |
| Aliaksei Protas | 6’6″ | C | Capitals |
| Jordan Greenway | 6’6″ | LW | Sabres |
| Michael McCarron | 6’6″ | RW | Predators |
Who are the Shortest Forwards in the NHL?
There are 8 guys listed at 5’8″, proving that height isn’t the end all be all when it comes to success in the NHL.
| Player | Hgt | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kailer Yamamoto | 5’8″ | RW | Kraken |
| Matthew Phillips | 5’8″ | RW | Capitals |
| Bobby Brink | 5’8″ | RW | Flyers |
| Cam Atkinson | 5’8″ | RW | Flyers |
| Cole Caufield | 5’8″ | RW | Canadiens |
| Conor Sheary | 5’8″ | LW | Lightning |
| Alex DeBrincat | 5’8″ | RW | Red Wings |
| Mats Zuccarello | 5’8″ | RW | Wild |
| Tyler Johnson | 5’8″ | C | Blackhawks |
| Justin Danforth | 5’8″ | RW | Blue Jackets |
Who are the Heaviest Forwards in the NHL?
There are 8 forwards in the NHL that weigh 234 pounds or more. They’re all wingers by the way, and 6 of the 8 are Left Wings.
(The heaviest Center in the league is Klim Kostin at 232 pounds)
| Player | Wgt | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack MacEwen | 240 | RW | Senators |
| Dmitri Voronkov | 240 | LW | Blue Jackets |
| Austin Watson | 238 | LW | Lightning |
| Alex Ovechkin | 238 | LW | Capitals |
| Milan Lucic | 236 | LW | Bruins |
| Pat Maroon | 234 | LW | Wild |
| Anthony Mantha | 234 | RW | Capitals |
| Ross Johnston | 234 | LW | Ducks |
Who are the Lightest Forwards in the NHL?
There are only 9 guys (out of 459) who weigh less than 170 pounds.
| Player | Wgt | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kailer Yamamoto | 153 | RW | Kraken |
| Matthew Phillips | 160 | RW | Capitals |
| Johnny Gaudreau | 163 | LW | Blue Jackets |
| Conor Garland | 165 | RW | Canucks |
| Cole Guttman | 167 | C | Blackhawks |
| Bobby Brink | 169 | RW | Flyers |
| Michael Carcone | 170 | LW | Coyotes |
| Zach Benson | 170 | LW | Sabres |
| Lukas Reichel | 170 | LW | Blackhawks |
Size of Forwards vs Defensemen
If you’re curious to know how forwards compare to Defensemen when it comes to size, you’re in luck, because I researched all 259 active defensemen as well.
On average, there isn’t much of a difference. There is less of an inch difference in average height (72.93 vs 73.91 for defensemen). And, the difference in weight is only about 5 pounds (198.38 vs 203.33 for defensemen).
While there are substantial differences in some individual players, when you take the average of any particular position on the ice (with the exception of goalies who are a little bit taller overall), they come out pretty close.
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
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 who are almost a foot different in height (from 6’6″ to 5’7″) and about 90 pounds in weight (153 to 240) are all playing the same position at the very highest level.
Other Positions
The Shortest Players in the NHL
