Physical play

Body checks that knock an opponent off the puck or separate them from it along the boards. How it’s counted varies a lot by scorer.

Note. Some arenas count hits far more aggressively than others, so individual hit totals require caution in cross-team comparisons.

Shots blocked by a skater before they reach the net. It is a legitimate defensive contribution signal, especially for penalty killers and shutdown defenders.

Note. High block totals are useful context, but they can also reflect a player spending too much time defending in their own zone.

Turnovers charged to a player. Like hits, it depends on the scorer, so treat it as a rough signal, not a precise count.

Note. Treat giveaways as a flag, not a verdict. Large samples and team context matter.

Pucks won back from the other team and credited to a player. Like giveaways, it’s noisy but still points the right way.

Note. TK/60 can work as a rough signal of defensive aggression, but it needs sample size before it becomes meaningful.

A net puck-battle differential. Positive values suggest a player wins more loose-puck or turnover battles than they lose.