Does size matter in hockey?

[grcenter47]

When i was watching the draft, i felt bad for cole caufield have to wait to get picked. Also how the announcers kept mentioning his size.

Who are the most successful players who were considered undersized?

Also on average, what is the desired height that most scouts look for?

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[Sol]

Primarily in the playoffs where I think you see the importance of size

MSL was a really solid tiny player.

And I think the best height that they look for is 6 to 6'2 where you can have size and speed still.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

It’s a tool. You want players with as many tools as possible.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Theo Fleury
Martin St.Louis
Johnny Gaudreau

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

If they don't have good size then they need some exceptional attributes to make up for it. Hockey sense, speed, shiftiness. In Marty St. Louis's case legs the size of tree trunks didn't hurt either.

 

[Roboturner913]

I'll put it this way, I'd rather have a small player that understands leverage than a big player who doesn't.

 

[Nazzlind]

It’s a tool. You want players with as many tools as possible.

perfect answer

 

[SotasicA]

It's stupid to say it doesn't matter. A small guy needs to be more skilled than a big guy to be as effective.

Imagine you had two equally skilled goalies, but one was 5'7" and the other 6'7". They won't have equal stats.

 

[Knave]

It's not everything but yes it does matter.

 

[Machinehead]

It matters but certain executives and scouts are obsessed with it.

 

[SotasicA]

Also on average, what is the desired height that most scouts look for?

Huh? You can never be too tall. Imagine a 7'2" 280lbs Connor McDavid. The speed and skill would be enhanced by the size and reach. It'd be like a grown man playing against boys.

 

[Machinehead]

Huh? You can never be too tall. Imagine a 7'2" 280lbs Connor McDavid. The speed and skill would be enhanced by the size and reach. It'd be like a grown man playing against boys.

You can absolutely be too tall.

The taller you are, the harder it is to control and object along the ground. Anything over 6'7" is probably hurting more than it's helping.

 

[SotasicA]

You can absolutely be too tall.

The taller you are, the harder it is to control and object along the ground. Anything over 6'7" is probably hurting more than it's helping.

They used to say similar things about basketball players, too.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Yes, it matters. Bigger people tend to be stronger, and strength is a very important factor to consider. It's just not the only thing that matters remotely, or the most important thing, or without potential drawbacks like deductions in speed and wear and tear on the joints.

 

[CherryToke]

It matters on defence for sure.

 

[Jozay]

I'll put it this way, I'd rather have a small player that understands leverage than a big player who doesn't.

Its all about the motion of the ocean

 

[JackSlater]

It's a benefit. If two players are equally good in every aspect of hockey but one is Lindros sized and one is Gerbe sized, the big player would be significantly better. The problem is when people neglect to consider the other aspects, because just being big isn't enough.

 

[Machinehead]

They used to say similar things about basketball players, too.

Basketball is a sport where the ball is in the air a lot of the time. The goals are in the air all of the time.

Height doesn't offer any advantage in hockey. Strength and reach do. But you lose your reach advantage once your stick becomes extremely easy to tie up.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Yes. It does.

It matters in nearly every sport.

 

[Mr Positive]

it matters, but with how the league is going after hits to the head now, players can be very short and still be effective. The joke now is that sometimes players get penalties for being tall, because they tried to make a clean hit, but a normal hit will glance the head and neck. But, it keeps getting called and it's up to the tall players to make the extra effort to protect the player they are hitting.

 

[tsujimoto74]

You can absolutely be too tall.

The taller you are, the harder it is to control and object along the ground. Anything over 6'7" is probably hurting more than it's helping.

Plus, at that height, it's a miracle if you can move more gracefully on the ice than a semi truck. With the wingspan that comes with the height, sometimes you can get away with poor skating if you've got the hockey IQ (e.g., Chara), but big guys who can really skate and have real puck skill are a rare commodity.

Then, on the other side of the spectrum, with smaller guys, you have to worry about things like how easily they'll be muscled off pucks, whether they're elusive enough to hold onto pucks absent the reach/strength of a bigger player, if they can work their way into to or, for D, box guys out of the slot.

The peak of the NHL height bell curve probably sits around 6'0"-6'1" for a reason. There are outliers at both ends, but they're outliers.

 

[JianYang]

It all depends how the NHL wants to officiate their games.

My answer based on the 2018-2019 season: regular season : not so much. Playoffs: yes.

Of course, the NHL could change up the enforcement standards on us next year, and the opinion changes.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Yes, it always matters.

 

[McGarnagle]

Ask Chara's wife

 

[SotasicA]

Plus, at that height, it's a miracle if you can move more gracefully on the ice than a semi truck. With the wingspan that comes with the height, sometimes you can get away with poor skating if you've got the hockey IQ (e.g., Chara), but big guys who can really skate and have real puck skill are a rare commodity.

Then, on the other side of the spectrum, with smaller guys, you have to worry about things like how easily they'll be muscled off pucks, whether they're elusive enough to hold onto pucks absent the reach/strength of a bigger player, if they can work their way into to or, for D, box guys out of the slot.

The peak of the NHL height bell curve probably sits around 6'0"-6'1" for a reason. There are outliers at both ends, but they're outliers.

There just aren't enough 6'10" - 7'6" guys with equal skill and speed compared to the mass of more "normal" sized people. But if there were, you bet they would dominate the game.

Getzlaf is skilled and a big body (6'4"), but what if he played against a 7'0" version of himself? Or if there was a 7'1" behemoth with the hands of Johnny Gaudreau?

All other things being equal, the big guy wins.

How good would Chara be if he was 5'10"?