Often deemed too small by NHL scouts and executives, undersized players frequently have a harder time breaking into the National Hockey League. Many are overlooked and go undrafted since they do not fit the traditional mould of a professional hockey player. However, smaller players have found their way into the NHL and made history. Smaller players like Martin St. Louis, Rod Gilbert, Marcel Dionne, Ted Lindsay, and Henri Richard were all of smaller stature, but pushed the boundaries and became essential to their teams and transformed NHL standards.
Below are ten of the smallest hockey players in the league today, all under 5-foot-10, who have proven to be successful in the NHL, despite the challenge of being undersized.
10. Yanni Gourde, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 173 pounds
Yet another diamond in the rough mined by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yanni Gourde had to wait a few years before he caught on in the NHL. After a prolific junior career in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he had an impressive 220 points (74 goals, 147 assists) in 199 games, he bounced around the AHL until the Lightning signed him in 2014.
After another three seasons flipping between the Syracuse Crunch and the Lightning, Gourde finally played his first full 82-game season in 2017-18, and what a season it was. He scored a career-high 25 goals and 64 points and has never seen the AHL since. Since that breakout year, he has recorded 102 goals and 271 points in 498 games.
Gourde also helped the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 where he joined Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow on arguably the best third line in the NHL. Through the two Cup runs, the trio scored 24 goals and 57 points, and were one of the biggest reasons why the Lightning became a mini-dynasty for a while.
Related: Gourde’s Legacy as the Lightning’s Determined, Underrated Star
Gourde was selected by the Kraken in the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft and was one of their top centers for three seasons before the Lightning reacquired him last season. He will likely retire as a Lightning after signing a six-year extension in the offseason and finish his career with the franchise he has had the most success with.
9. Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
Drafted all the way down in the fifth round by the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, Brendan Gallagher has silenced all his doubters and suited up for 834 games in the NHL. Not only that, but he’s become one of the Canadiens’ top scorers, eclipsing 20 goals or more five times in his career and failing to hit double digits only twice – during his injury-plagued seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He’s become a fan favourite in Montreal because of his work ethic, forechecking and overall fearlessness going up against opponents sometimes twice his size. He’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas either, and has made a living as one of the best netfront presences in the league, despite being 5-foot-9 and under 200 pounds.
Gallagher was an honourable mention for a couple of seasons, but the 33-year-old veteran gets back onto the list after Cam Atkinson struggled last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning and is now an unrestricted free agent. Gallagher burst back onto the scene in 2024-25 with the renewed vigor of a 21-year-old and hit the 20-goal mark for the first time since 2019-20. Most importantly, he stayed healthy for a full 82 games – something he’s done only twice in the last eight seasons. If he can do it again this season, he should become a part of the 500-point club, as he’s only 36 points away, sitting at 239 goals and 464 points. He would become the 25th player to do it in Canadiens history.
8. Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 168 pounds
Jared Spurgeon is one of the smallest defensemen in the NHL in terms of height and weight. Even without the size of the traditional defenseman, Spurgeon has found a place in the league thanks to his impressive skating and puck movement.
Drafted 156th overall in 2008 by the New York Islanders, Spurgeon signed with the Minnesota Wild in 2010 after the Islanders did not sign him. Since joining the Wild, Spurgeon has been a reliable defender who can be counted on to put up solid point totals.
Spurgeon hit career-highs in 2018-19 in goals (14), assists (29), and points (43). Since then he has continued to pile up the points to the tune of 40 goals and 136 points in 276 games. He’s consistently among the top-20 defensemen in the league in goals, power-play goals, blocked shots, and time on ice. He was also named captain of the Wild for the 2020-21 season, so leadership is a strength of his too.
Unfortunately, an injury cut Spurgeon’s 2023-24 season short and limited him to only 16 games. While he couldn’t avoid the injured reserve list last season either, he rebounded and played 66 games, recording seven goals and 32 points.
Despite being 5-foot-9, Spurgeon has built a mountain of a reputation in the State of Hockey, currently sitting second in all-time games played with 933, and first among defensemen in goals (117), assists (299), points (416), and power play goals (34). If he can stay relatively healthy this season, he could hit 1,000 games played in the NHL, joining only Mikko Koivu in Wild history.
7. Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes
Vital statistics: 5-foot-7, 170 pounds
I still can’t believe Logan Stankoven was not a first-round pick in 2021, because he seems to dominate every league he steps foot in. First, it was his hometown Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League where he finished with 115 goals and 260 points in 179 games, then the American Hockey League (AHL) with 24 goals and 57 points in 47 games, and finally the NHL regular season and playoffs where he combined for nine goals and 22 points in 43 games. Oh yes, he also scored the golden goal at the 2022 World Juniors and had 21 points over the 2022 and 2023 tournaments where Canada won gold.
While the sample size is small in the NHL, he quickly became a go-to forward for Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer as he averaged 16:01 of ice time in the playoffs – almost two minutes more than the regular season. His trademark motor, energy, and tenacity despite being 5-foot-7 (yes, he’s 5-foot-7), has quickly endeared him to many fans and coaches, prompting this from DeBoer after Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights:
“He’s strong, he’s fearless and he’s tenacious,” DeBoer said. “When you have that combination, you notice him on the ice. He’s on the puck or attacking the puck at all times, he’s attacking seams, he’s going to the tough areas of the rink. He’s battling with guys that are . . . well everybody on the ice is bigger than him . . . so it’s a mismatch. He’s got to make up for that with his will to win those and he does every time. It’s amazing how many pucks he comes out with against bigger guys.”
Fellow young star Wyatt Johnston also had similar things to say about the aptly nicknamed “Stank the Tank”:
“He’s not afraid to go in and win a battle,” Johnston said. “He goes in there and he leaves them no choice. It’s impressive how many puck battles he wins, especially when he’s outweighed by 40 or 50 pounds against some of these huge defensemen. That compete level he has, it’s kind of contagious.”
Stankoven is a star in the making, but that star will rise in another city now, as the Stars dealt him to the Carolina Hurricanes as the key return for acquiring Mikko Rantanen. He has since signed an eight-year extension that will keep him in Carolina until 2034, years that we will likely see him rise to the heights of a 30-goal scorer and possibly into the top three on this list.
6. Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild
Vital statistics: 5-foot-8, 179 pounds
Mats Zuccarello started his professional hockey career in his home country of Norway, with Frisk Asker. Next, he played in Sweden with MODO Hockey before signing with the New York Rangers as a free agent in 2010.
To adjust to the North American style, he originally played with the Rangers’ AHL club, the Connecticut Whale. In his NHL debut, he scored a shootout goal for the Rangers. He played 42 games with them that season, over multiple stints with the NHL club.
Zuccarello returned to the Rangers in March 2013, after joining the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) during the lockout. He finished the season with the Rangers and played through all of their postseason games. In 2013-14 he emerged as a top player for the team, earning 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 77 regular-season games and was a key part of their Stanley Cup run that season.
Since his breakout year, he maintained his level of play with the Rangers, earning 352 points in 509 games. He was then traded to the Dallas Stars, where he played just three regular-season games and 13 playoff games (three points and 13 points, respectfully). In July 2019, Zuccarello signed with the Minnesota Wild.
Since joining the Wild, he has continued to be a consistent source of offense. In six seasons, he has 103 goals and 352 points in 393 games. Like most of the players on this list, he had a resurgent 2021-22 season. Finishing with a career-high 79 points, he helped key the Wild attack along with Kevin Fiala, Kirill Kaprizov and the surprising duo of Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno. Without Fiala in 2022-23, he was expected to at the very least hit those same numbers again, but fell a little short with only 22 goals and 67 points in 78 games. The decrease in offense may be explained by his superstar linemate Kaprizov being injured for a large part of the season, though.
In 2023-24, Zuccarello fell further in the goal column, putting up only 12 goals compared to his 22 from 2022-23. Last season, he got closer to the 20-goal mark again with 19, but fell to 54 points, his worst total since 2020-21. He might be slowing down at 38 years old, but he should still be good for 50 points and double digits in goals. Regardless, he’s still one of the best undersized players in the game and of all time, as he’s closing in on 700 points and 1,000 games played.
5. Jonathan Marchessault, Nashville Predators
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 174 pounds
Jonathan Marchessault played in the QMJHL and CHL and impressed with his scoring abilities. However, he was overlooked and undrafted due to his smaller size. He skated with the Rangers’ 2011 Traverse City tournament but was only offered an AHL contract with the Whale.
After scoring 24 goals and a team-high 40 assists in his rookie pro season, Marchessault signed a three-year entry deal with the Blue Jackets. He scored 108 points in 130 games for their AHL affiliate, while only appearing in two NHL games with Columbus before being moved again.
The Tampa Bay Lightning finally gave Marchessault his first real NHL shot by playing him in 47 regular-season games and seven postseason games in two and half seasons. His play in the 2015-16 season earned him a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers.
His one season in Florida put him on the NHL map, scoring 30 goals and 51 points but wasn’t enough for him to be protected in the Expansion Draft. The Vegas Golden Knights were the beneficiaries as he scored a career-high 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) and was rewarded with a six-year, $5 million average annual value (AAV) contract.
Marchessault hasn’t matched the same point totals he put up in his first season with the Golden Knights, but he has continued to be a productive player. He had six 20-goal seasons and accumulated 150 goals and 348 points in 432 games before signing with the Nashville Predators in free agency. In fact, he recorded his first 30-goal season in Vegas in 2021-22 and his best overall point total (66) since 2017-18.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Marchessault’s tour-de-force performance came in 2022-23 when he not only led the Golden Knights in goals in the regular season but in the postseason as well. He finished with 13 goals and 25 points in his team’s march to the Stanley Cup Final and walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2023 Playoffs. He also became the first undrafted player to win the trophy in its history.
Marchessault used that Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup championship as fuel for the 2023-24 season. He put up a career-high 42 goals, further cementing his status as not only the best undersized forward but one of the top goalscorers in the NHL today. He struggled a bit in his first go-around in Music City in 2024-25, but still managed to record his ninth 20-goal season, scoring 21 goals and 56 points in 78 games. He will try to bounce back to his 40-goal form this season and bring the Predators back to a playoff team.
4. Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 162 pounds
Surprisingly selected 62nd overall in the 2022 Draft by the Canadiens, mostly because of his size, Lane Hutson has silenced every doubter – much like his teammates Gallagher and Cole Caufield – and become an elite player in the NHL at only 21 years old. Drafted out of the United States National Development Program (USNTDP), where he scored a combined 24 goals and 136 points between the USNTDP and United States Hockey League (USHL), a lot of experts praised his skating and offensive instincts, but always came back to his lack of size as something that could hold him back. Well, if his rookie season is any indication, it hasn’t done so one bit.
After dominating the NCAA with Boston University, scoring a staggering 30 goals and 97 points in only two seasons, Hutson debuted with the Canadiens in 2023-24 and promptly put up two points in two games. That turned out only to be a precursor to the greatness that was to come. Habs fans were treated to his smooth-skating, dynamic edgework and headfakes for a full 82 games, as he blossomed into their top defenceman. In addition to his blue line-leading 66 points (six goals, 60 assists), he averaged 22:44 of ice time, only behind veteran Mike Matheson’s 25:05, and took over as the team’s quarterback on the power play, finishing with 25 assists.
By the end of the season, Hutson had broken or tied multiple franchise and NHL records for rookie defencemen, including points (passing Chris Chelios) and assists (matching Larry Murphy’s 1980-81 mark). He was also the fastest to 50 points, doing so in 63 games, beating Chelios’ previous mark of 66 games. Not only that, but he tied an NHL record for the most assists and tied for fourth on the all-time list for points. Of course, those efforts got him the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, as he finished with 165 first-place votes.
3. Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings
Vital statistics: 5-foot-7, 165 pounds
The 39th-overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft impressed early in his career as a Chicago Blackhawk. Alex DeBrincat was a player who many said wouldn’t make it due to his height. It’s safe to say he’s proved them wrong.
He broke into the league for the 2017-18 season, scoring 28 goals, and adding 24 assists for 52 points. His sophomore campaign was even better, putting up 41 goals, 35 assists and 76 points. Then after a bit of a down season where he only recorded 18 goals, 27 assists, and 45 points, he put up his second 30-goal season in 2020-21 in only 52 games. If the season had been the normal 82 games, he probably would have hit 40 goals for the second time in his career. Continuing his dominance in 2021-22, he matched his career-high of 41 goals and finished with two more points than his career season back in 2018-19.
DeBrincat sported a new jersey in 2022-23 as the Blackhawks traded him to the Ottawa Senators in the offseason for a package of draft picks. He had a bit of a down year with only 27 goals and 66 points, but when you’ve already put up two 40-goal seasons in your career, more is expected. Now entering his third season with the Detroit Red Wings after being acquired after that short stint in Ottawa, he will look to remain the elite goalscorer he was last season, when he put up 39 goals and 70 points, the best he’s looked in the NHL since scoring 41 goals in his final season in Chicago.
2. Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers
Vital statistics: 5-foot-9, 181 pounds
Brad Marchand was drafted 71st overall by the Boston Bruins in 2006 and joined the team in 2008. He played a significant part in the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup win, as he scored 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 25 playoff games during those playoffs.
Marchand seems to get better every season, with 2018-19 setting career highs in points, with 100. He collected 36 goals and 64 assists to hit the century mark for the first time in his career. He was a big part of the Bruins’ playoff run again in that campaign, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final and leading the playoffs in points (23) before the team fell to the St. Louis Blues. Since then, he has put up five more 20-goal seasons and eclipsed the 60-point plateau four more times as well. In fact, he recorded his fifth 30-goal and 80-point season in 2021-22 when he finished with 32 goals and 80 points in 70 games.
Even though he missed the beginning of the 2022-23 season due to offseason hip surgery, Marchand still put up 21 goals and 67 points in 73 games and helped the Bruins set a new regular-season record for wins and points. He was also given the ‘C’ after Patrice Bergeron retired in the offseason. That didn’t stop him from being traded, though, as he was dealt to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 Deadline. Despite entering a new city for the first time in his career, Marchand fit seamlessly into the Panthers’ lineup and became one of their best players. He was a big reason why they won their second Stanley Cup in as many years, finishing with 10 goals and 20 points in 23 games, the most he’s had in a playoff run since the Bruins last won the Cup in 2011.
Marchand will be in Florida until he retires, having signed a six-year extension in the offseason, but will go down as one of the Bruins’ greats. He will also go down as one of, if not the best, undersized scorers and agitators in the NHL.
1. Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
Vital statistics: 5-foot-7, 166 pounds
Selected 15th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Draft, Cole Caufield has quickly become one of the best undersized players in the NHL. Bursting onto the scene as a 20-year-old during the 2020-21 season, he scored four goals and five points in 10 games and then was a key forward in the Canadiens’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final scoring four goals and 12 points in 20 games.
Going into the 2021-22 season, Caufield was almost unanimously predicted to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie based on his performance in the 2021 Playoffs and late in the 2020-21 regular season. Unfortunately, he got off to a horrid start and was eventually sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket to gain confidence and hone his game. The Canadiens were also off to a bad start, so bad in fact that head coach Dominique Ducharme was fired and replaced by Hall-of-Famer Martin St. Louis.
St. Louis getting hired behind the Canadiens’ bench was the best thing that could have happened to Caufield. Under St. Louis’ direction and leadership, he exploded to finish the season with 23 goals and 43 points in 67 games. His performance was so electric that he got back into the conversation for the Calder Trophy, which eventually went to Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings.
Going into the 2022-23 season, Habs fans hoped that Caufield could continue where he left off and become the 50-goal scorer a lot of people envisioned for him after he was drafted. While he didn’t reach that mark, he did have another strong season with a career-high 26 goals in 46 games. He was lost to injury in late January, or he might have actually hit that 50-goal plateau if he had played a full season.
Last season Caufield stayed healthy for the second season in a row and made significant strides toward hitting that 50-goal plateau. He led the Canadiens with a career-high 37 goals and finished second only to captain Nick Suzuki in points with 70. Blessed with a goalscorer’s mentality and a pin-point accurate shot, the dynamic forward from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, should lead the Canadiens in goals and possibly this list for many seasons to come.
Honourable mentions: Viktor Arvidsson, Conor Sheary.
