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NHL Defense Rankings: Team Stats by Season

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NHL Defense Rankings by Team

The table above ranks every team in the National Hockey League by defensive results. These NHL defense rankings cover goals against, shots on goal against, penalty minutes, power play goals against, shorthanded ice time and a few physical stats. Defense is the active view, and you can switch to the Offense tab or open our NHL offense rankings page to see how teams compare in goals, shots and other offensive categories.

Click any column header to sort the league by that stat, and use the Colors toggle to spot strong, average and weak teams at a glance.

What Each Defensive Stat Tells You

  • GA/G: goals against per game, the most direct measure of how often a team gets scored on.
  • SA/G: shots on goal against per game. This measures the volume of shots reaching the net, but does not show how dangerous those shots are.
  • PIM/G: penalty minutes assessed per game. This provides context on discipline, although not every penalty results in an opposing power play.
  • PP GA/G: power play goals against per game. This reflects both penalty-killing performance and how often a team faces opposing power plays.
  • SH TOI/G and SH GF: shorthanded time on ice per game and shorthanded goals for, which show how often a team is killing penalties and whether it can score while doing it.
  • BkS/G, Hits/60 and TkA/60: blocked shots per game, hits per 60 minutes and takeaways per 60 minutes. These describe a team's defensive style more than its results.

For goals against and shots against, a lower number is better. Penalty minutes and power play goals against add context on discipline and special teams, but they are not a direct grade of defensive quality. The physical stats are different again: a high hit or block total can reflect a team that spends a lot of time defending, so read them as context rather than as a grade.

How to Use the Defense Table

Switch between Ranks and Stats PG to view each team's league position in individual categories or its statistical values. Check the column labels for units: the table includes per-game figures, per-60-minute rates and shorthanded goals. Filter by East or West, choose regular-season or playoff data, and select an available season. Select two to five teams to compare them side by side.

Early in the season, the best defensive teams can change from one night to the next because each club has played only a few games. Look for trends across a larger sample of games before reading too much into a single strong or weak start, especially if you are weighing defensive numbers against the current NHL odds.

Team Defense vs. Defensemen Rankings

This page ranks team defense, not individual players. A team's results against shots and goals depend on its whole system: its defensemen, its forwards backchecking, its goaltending and its penalty kill. If you are looking for a list of the top individual defensemen, you will need a player ranking, since the numbers here describe the club as a unit.

To see how defensive results translate into points and playoff position, check the latest NHL standings.

Using the Rankings as Context

Rankings describe what has happened, not what will happen, so treat them as context rather than a prediction. Goaltending, injuries, offense and schedule all shape results too. When you are ready to bet, our guide to NHL betting sites covers where you can wager, and you should always check that betting is legal where you live.

NHL Defense Rankings FAQ

It depends on the measure and the selected season. Goals against per game shows which team allows the fewest goals, while shots on goal against per game shows which team allows the fewest shots. Power play goals against per game adds special-teams context, but it also depends on how often a team is shorthanded.

Each statistical category has its own team ranking. Use Ranks to view a team’s position within a category, or Stats PG to view the corresponding values. Column labels identify per-game figures and per-60-minute rates.

For goals against and shots against, yes. Lower means the team allows fewer. Penalty minutes and power play goals against add context on discipline and special teams. Stats like hits, blocked shots and takeaways describe how a team plays defense, so a higher number is not always better.

They are team rankings. Each row shows how a whole club performs defensively, including its goaltending, system and penalty kill, not how a single defenseman plays.

Not on their own. Defense matters, but scoring, goaltending, special teams and schedule also shape results. Defensive numbers are best used alongside offensive stats and the standings.

Rankings become more meaningful as teams play more games. Early in the season a small sample can make an average team look elite or a strong team look weak, so look for trends across a larger sample of games.

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