How Far Do NHL Skaters Really Skate Each Game? You Might Be Surprised
Ever wonder just how far an NHL player skates in a year? Not just a game or two, but over the entire season—including the playoffs. It’s the kind of stat that makes you pause and go, “Wow, no wonder they’re exhausted.” According to NHL.com’s Edge data, some of the league’s stars are covering serious ground.
Leading the pack is Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who logged a jaw-dropping 387.24 miles in 2025. That’s right—nearly 400 miles of skating in a single calendar year. To put it in perspective, that’s like skating from Toronto to Ottawa and back. McDavid’s mileage isn’t just about pure speed; it’s about endurance, positioning, and being involved in every key play his team makes.
The Oilers Skate Further than Most Other Teams
The Oilers dominate this category. Four of the top seven distance skaters play for Edmonton. Defenseman Evan Bouchard clocked in second at 369.75 miles, forward Leon Draisaitl came fourth with 328.84, and Darnell Nurse rounds out the top seven at 327.06. When your forwards and defensemen are all that mobile, it’s no surprise the Oilers can push tempo and keep pressure on opponents.
Power-play specialists also pile up serious miles. Florida’s Sam Reinhart led the league in power-play skating with 53.65 miles. Fun fact: the Oilers and Panthers only met for the second Stanley Cup Final rematch in 40 years—but both teams had players whose legs could have told stories of their own.
Individual games can be just as impressive. Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets set the single-game bar at 6.60 miles against the St. Louis Blues in a Game 7 playoff thriller. That wasn’t just a lot of skating—it was the most ice time in franchise playoff history at 46:15 miles over those games. Pionk finished with three assists, the Jets scored the latest tying goal ever in a Game 7 (59:57), and then completed the comeback in double overtime. If you were wondering whether players truly earn their paychecks, that game is Exhibit A.
Many NHL Players Are Skating Hundreds of Miles Each Season
The next time you’re watching a highlight reel or complaining about long shifts, remember this: these athletes aren’t just gliding around for 20 minutes a night. Some of them are covering hundreds of miles a year, grinding every shift, every game, every playoff moment. It’s the kind of endurance that doesn’t always make the box score—but it shows up in the plays that matter most.