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Many towering skaters have played in the league, but who is the tallest NHL player ever?
Tallest NHL player ever
For a sport that requires quick movements up and down the ice, it may be surprising to find out that there have been a handful of tall players who have excelled in the NHL.
Although the 10 tallest players in NHL history will not be regarded as the greatest players ever, some were able to impact the game for many years.
10. Andrej Sustr – 6’7”
Andrej Sustr went undrafted in the 2013 NHL Draft before signing a professional contract with the Tampa Bay Lighting. Sustr has spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL, the majority of them with the Lightning. He has registered 69 points in 361 games played.
Sustr did not play in any NHL games during the 2022-23 season and was recently traded to the San Jose Sharks in the offseason. It is unclear whether the 32-year-old defenseman will stay in North America or head to Europe to finish his career.
9. Ben Bishop – 6’7”
Ben Bishop, the tallest goaltender to ever play in the league, played in over 400 games in the NHL during his 11-year career.
Bishop had three seasons where he collected at least 35 wins, all of which came while with the Tampa Bay Lighting. One of his best seasons came during the 2018-19 regular season, where he led the league in save percentage as a member of the Dallas Stars.
8. Jamie Oleksiak – 6’7”
A 30-year-old defenseman from Toronto, Ontario, Jamie Oleksiak is one of the tallest active players in the NHL. He had his best season, collecting 25 points in 75 games, for the Seattle Kraken this past year.
Prior to being selected in the 2021 expansion draft by the Kraken, Oleksiak played for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. The 14th overall pick in the 2011 draft has played over 500 games in his NHL career thus far.
7. Hal Gill – 6’7”
Hal Gill had one of the longest NHL careers for someone his size, playing 1,108 games across 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Boston Bruins but also played for the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Predators, and Flyers.
Gill played in over 100 postseason games, and in 2009 won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was also on the United States team that won the bronze medal in the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships. Gill finished his NHL career with 36 goals and 184 points.
6. Vladimir Mihalik – 6’8”
Vladimir Mihalik played the fewest NHL games of anyone on this list, appearing in just 15 games. Mihalik was drafted 30th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft but did not make his NHL debut until 2008.
During the 2008-09 season, he played just 11 games, finishing with three assists. He would go on to play four more games the following season before his NHL career came to an end. Mihalik currently plays in the highest-level hockey league in Slovakia at the age of 36.
5. Joe Finley – 6’8”
Joe Finley was another player who had a short stint in the NHL. Despite being drafted 27th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2007, Finley would play just 21 games. His first five games came as a member of the Sabres, while the final 16 came with the Islanders.
Finley spent the majority of his hockey career playing in the AHL for various teams. After his final AHL season in 2015-16, Finley went to Finland to finish his career and retired three seasons later.
4. Elmer Soderblom – 6’8”
Elmer Soderblom is a 6’8” winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings. The 22-year-old was drafted in the sixth round by the Red Wings in 2019.
Soderblom made his NHL debut at the start of the 2022-23 season and scored five goals in 21 games. He spent the season splitting time between Detroit and the team’s AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
3. John Scott – 6’8”
John Scott made huge headlines in 2016 when he was voted by the fans to be in the All-Star Game. Scott ended up scoring two goals to help his Pacific Division team win the championship and was chosen as the most valuable player of the event.
Although he did not have immense speed or skill, Scott’s strength and physicality kept him in the league for eight seasons. He finished his career with 11 points in 286 games.
2. Tyler Myers – 6’8”
Tyler Myers has played over 900 games so far in the NHL. He began his career with the Buffalo Sabres, where he was coached by one of the best hockey coaches ever, Lindy Ruff.
Myers currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is entering the final year of a five-year, $30 million contract he signed with the team in 2019.
1. Zdeno Chara – 6’9”
Zdeno Chara is the tallest NHL player ever, standing at 6’9”. Not only is Chara tall, but he was also a great player in the league for many years. He was the captain of the Boston Bruins for 14 seasons and went on to have a 24-year career in the NHL.
Chara won the James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league’s best defensemen, in 2009, and helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Chara was also the recipient of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award for the 2010-11 season. He would go on to play 1,680 games throughout his career before retiring in 2022 at the age of 44 years old.
