Hockey players' body weight

[Calderon]

Are hockey players' weights generally exaggerated similarly as NBA players' height? Typically pro hockey players aren't built like tanks and their body types are probably mostly mesomorph ie. not the most muscular type. Where they have a lot of muscle and weight compared to an average Joe is legs, as some players are often described to have thighs like tree trunks.

I'm 6'2 and weigh around 185-190 lbs. My body type is mesomorph as well and I'm toned. I recently filled in a web form for my ideal body weight and supposedly it's only 165-170 lbs. This is why looking at some players' weight my eyebrows raise up.

Then I see players like Kiril Kaprizov with claimed weight of 202 lbs at 5'10, Teuvo Teräväinen at 191/5'11 and Jeff Skinner at 200/5'11. None of these guys seem that big. I guess some examples to the contrary exist as well, such as Nikolai Ehlers at 172 lbs and 6'0.

Does the body weight get exaggerated or do big thigh muscles explain most of it? Other than the legs, how does a hockey player's body typically differ from the average joe who's reasonably fit and goes jogging and hits the gym twice a week?

(The quoted data is from NHL.com)

Click to read more...

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Yeah it’s really hard to believe the weights on some of these guys. But who knows, they all have powerful lower bodies so maybe that adds lbs but most hockey players are not very big, bulk wise. So I find it hard to believe that someone like Jack or Quinn Hughes is actually 190 lbs or whatever

 

[norrisnick]

There is a world of difference between regular people ideal weights and professional athlete ideal weight. In contact sports carrying around mass is useful, provided you can move the mass around effectively. And yes, hockey players have disproportionately dense legs compared to a lot of other sports. Which if not wearing shorts isn't very obvious.

Edit - For the Hughes reference

 

[Machinehead]

Mass and density is not something that's as apparent as height is.

I'm 256. Granted, I could eat less ice cream, but I'm far from obese. You wouldn't see me from a distance and say "holy shit that guy's fat." You would never think I'm 256. People have guessed as low as 205.

I'm just really, really dense. I would imagine a disproportionate amount of successful athletes (not me, I'm worthless!) are also really dense.

 

[Cup or Bust]

The hip, leg, butt area likely impacts it a lot. Most of these guys also do weight training as well so there is muscle mass there. I grew up playing hockey and pants have always been an issue for me. a lot of pants fit my waist but I can't even fit my legs in them so I think a lot of athletes can look lean but weigh more then what they might appear. It also might depend on when they get weighed as well, they might weigh more at the start of the season if they did lots of training in the summer and then lose some weight as the season goes on just simply due to constant games and practices all the time and less weight training. There could be a be a 10-15 pound swing for some guys.

 

[Bard Marchand]

Teams also pump height/weight up all the time. Give everyone like an extra inch and 10-15 pounds on paper.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Look at pics of Steen, Crosby, Matthews, etc that show their mid to upper thighs and it will be clear why those guys weigh more than most fit people of the same height. There is a lot of weight in dense muscle mass. NHL players many times have freakish looking thighs.

A lot of NCAA/NFL CBs, RBs and WRs also have hard to belief weight/height ratios. I knew a corner who played at an SEC school back in the day. He was 5'9" but weighed 200-205. Tiny waist with simply massive leg muscles. Ripped and super fast. Had a heck of a time trying to find jeans that fit properly back then. I totally believe the listed weights of NHL players.

 

[Score08]

Teams also pump height/weight up all the time. Give everyone like an extra inch and 10-15 pounds on paper.

No need to pump this guys stats

 

[Acallabeth]

Well, here is Kaprizov trying a tug of war against Kovalchuk (who is 6'2, 220-230 lbs). His size stats seem believable to me:



Remember that hypertrophy training isn't nearly as important for hockey players as it is for the gym bros. I still remember that guy from like 2012 who claimed that his cousin was in a better shape than Chara because of larger pecs

Teams also pump height/weight up all the time. Give everyone like an extra inch and 10-15 pounds on paper.

It may make some sense for prospects (I remember how concerned people were about Michkov's size before the draft, and the guy is pretty stocky), but I don't think pro teams pay much attention to height and weight of established players. We've discussed the other day that Malkin had been listed at the same height and weight for 15 years before growing taller and heavier at 38 lol.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Mass and density is not something that's as apparent as height is.

I'm 256. Granted, I could eat less ice cream, but I'm far from obese. You wouldn't see me from a distance and say "holy shit that guy's fat." You would never think I'm 256. People have guessed as low as 205.

I'm just really, really dense. I would imagine a disproportionate amount of successful athletes (not me, I'm worthless!) are also really dense.

Says he weighs 256 but is not obese.

Username is machinehead.

Is his head made of machines?

Is he an android?

 

[JKG33]

It's all about build. Most athletes obviously have more muscle than your average person. As a washed up hockey player turned gym rat, I'm 5'10 215ish, and there's dudes of similar height yet 30lbs lighter who look fatter than I am.

In the case of hockey players specifically, our legs are massive from a lifetime of training. It makes sense that to be much heavier than your average person.

 

[I am Bettman]

Yeah everybody usually gets a 10-15 lbs bump, and players usually lose 5-10 lbs throughout the season. The bump is much higher for smaller players. Bedard weighed in at 185 at the combine and looks much beefier than others listed as 185.

 

[Machinehead]

Says he weighs 256 but is not obese.

Username is machinehead.

Is his head made of machines?

Is he an android?

As far as they know, I'm human.

My legs are like friggin redwoods, so yeah, people are right about the legs thing.

I actually got blessed with a great hockey body and absolutely not one squirt of talent.

And I'm not saying I don't have some extra going on in the belly. Picture Chris Kreider but in dad shape.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Mass and density is not something that's as apparent as height is.

I'm 256. Granted, I could eat less ice cream, but I'm far from obese. You wouldn't see me from a distance and say "holy shit that guy's fat." You would never think I'm 256. People have guessed as low as 205.

I'm just really, really dense. I would imagine a disproportionate amount of successful athletes (not me, I'm worthless!) are also really dense.

True enough. I have a friend who is a big guy, around 6'3" and played defensive tackle in football. Based on my being 180, i guessed he was about 275. He was actually 320 (though has since dropped down to 300!)

 

[Breakers]

Multiple players have talked about losing around 20 lbs during the season

Subban had a good video on this

Lack of gym time, and eating habits that you have in the offseason.

 

[KaN19]

Mass and density is not something that's as apparent as height is.

I'm 256. Granted, I could eat less ice cream, but I'm far from obese. You wouldn't see me from a distance and say "holy shit that guy's fat." You would never think I'm 256. People have guessed as low as 205.

I'm just really, really dense. I would imagine a disproportionate amount of successful athletes (not me, I'm worthless!) are also really dense.

Yeah man, whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Mass and density is not something that's as apparent as height is.

I'm 256. Granted, I could eat less ice cream, but I'm far from obese. You wouldn't see me from a distance and say "holy shit that guy's fat." You would never think I'm 256. People have guessed as low as 205.

I'm just really, really dense. I would imagine a disproportionate amount of successful athletes (not me, I'm worthless!) are also really dense.

I am 6-2 and 250 and unless you see up close and personal I do not look that fat

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah man, whatever helps you sleep at night.

I'm in my 30's and I have anxiety. Xanax helps me sleep at night.

I am 6-2 and 250 and unless you see up close and personal I do not look that fat

He knows!

 

[Machinehead]

True enough. I have a friend who is a big guy, around 6'3" and played defensive tackle in football. Based on my being 180, i guessed he was about 275. He was actually 320 (though has since dropped down to 300!)

Good for him! I need to lose 20 pounds too. But I would probably be a lean 230.

 

[StreetHawk]

Does the body weight get exaggerated or do big thigh muscles explain most of it? Other than the legs, how does a hockey player's body typically differ from the average joe who's reasonably fit and goes jogging and hits the gym twice a week?

NHLers have very thick lower bodies. So, the weight probably isn't going to be that odd. If you only see from the mid section up after a game, you probably won't see it. Unlike with football players where non Linemen look massive with their upper body muscles (closer to NHL size).

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I was a lean 5'10 190 in college. I used to have people guess my weight, I don't think anyone ever guessed over 175.

Most people couldn't tell that I had massive quads. It was fun trying to find pants.

Anecdote: I had a wrestler friend who had a 28" waist. He used to get drunk and show girls how his belt could barely fit around one of my legs. It was kind of odd, but in retrospect, there are worse ways to get girls to grab your thighs.

 

[eXile3]

I think it’s both. Weights are exaggerated but also legs have some of the biggest muscles in the body and probably contribute to it.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Bobrovsky lost up to 10 pounds in one game during the playoffs last season (might've been 2023).

Hockey players don't need to "look" big. They're not gym bros training for aesthetics. They have to play high level, physical work with a lot of cardio/endurance.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Good for him! I need to lose 20 pounds too. But I would probably be a lean 230.

Yeah I'm proud of the guy. After he stopped playing he became pretty self conscious about his weight. A LOT of it is muscle, but he is so hyper-focused on the number on the scale, so he's been working super hard to shed some pounds. Admirable stuff

 

[bossram]

I don't really think the player weight numbers are inflated much. As someone who weight trains (competitive powerlifter), they seem pretty believable for guys who weight train a lot - particularly in the offseason. As others said, there's a lot of mass in your legs, and hockey players would mostly focus their weight training on their lower body.

The heights, yeah, we know every player gets an inch or two tacked on.