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How many NHL players are left-handed?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 23, 2026

In January 2018, the NHL website listed 803 players for the 2017-18 season. A quick check of the players' bios shows 306 are right-handers and 497 are lefties. That works out to 38.1 percent of players with a right-handed shot, and 61.9 who shoot left-handed. This year's NHL statistics are in line with the past decade.

What percentage of NHL players are lefties?

Some left-right stats: Roughly 60 to 70 percent of NHL players are left-handed shooters, depending on the season. Six of the NHL's top 10 current scorers are lefty shots, but three of the top five goals leaders shoot right-handed.

Are most NHL players left or right-handed?

In general, around 60-70% of NHL players are left-handed, while the remaining 30-40% shoot right-handed. Also, since curved blades have come around in the 1960s, many manufacturers sell almost double the number of left-handed sticks than those that are right-handed.

What percentage of hockey players are right-handed?

But historically, lefties have accounted for about 70 percent of the league's players. This season, the majority of the league's players shoot left. In October, a Boston Globe study revealed that 407 of the 648 active NHL players shoot lefty. Right-handed shooters made up only 37 percent.

Is Gretzky left-handed?

2: Wayne Gretzky. "The Great One" is actually right handed, but since he accomplished his NHL records using a lefty stick he makes the list.

32 related questions found

Why am I left-handed in hockey?

The number of left-handed sticks sold goes up in places where hockey is popular and trails off pretty sharply elsewhere. One theory is that many kids in the United States have already held a bat or other sports equipment and naturally defer to that inclination without being shown how to hold the hockey stick.

Is Crosby left-handed?

"Maybe you're a kid in Canada growing up now and you're emulating Sidney Crosby. He's left-handed," Cahill says.

Is there left-handed hockey sticks?

There are plenty of left-handed sticks available in the market for ice hockey players, but field hockey athletes are required to get used to playing with the traditional right-handed sticks. A typical hockey stick is between 36 to 38 inches long, with the blade touching the ground to the left side of the body.

Is Ovechkin left-handed?

He has moved Alex Ovechkin, a right-handed shot, exclusively to the right wing in part due to this preference. Oates has also made sure Ovechkin's linemates fit this criteria as often as possible. Yet throughout NHL history, there have been many successful wingers who thrived while playing on the off-wing.

Can a left-handed person play field hockey?

Unlike other sports with sticks, bats or clubs, field hockey requires players to use right-handed sticks - even those who are naturally left-handed. Every stick has a flat side and a rounded side. Only the flat side of the stick can be used, for both field players and goalies.

Why is field hockey only right-handed?

Why Field Hockey Sticks Are Right-Handed

Safety concerns and injury prevention were the primary reasons for banning left-handed sticks from IHF-sanctioned competitions. According to officials, left-handed sticks create too much danger on the field when used in competition against right-handed sticks.

What percentage of people are left-handed?

Research suggests that between ten and twelve percent of the world's population is left-handed and even though being left handed might mean struggling with right-handed scissors from time-to-time, there are plenty of reasons being a lefty is pretty cool.

Should a lefty play right or left wing?

Based on their answer, we decide if they should play on the left or right side. The general advice is that if you shoot left you play left, and vice-versa for the right. There are some clear advantages to this approach, but there are also good reasons—particularly for forwards—to try playing on the opposite side.

What hand should a right wing be?

This means that the Left Winger will typically be a right-handed player and the Right Winger will typically have a left-handed shot. The reason for this is to have an increased shot percentage due to being easier to cut to the middle of the zone.

How many right-handed hockey players shoot left?

Well, first we have to remember that 89 percent of the world is right-handed, and the ratio is probably similar among hockey players. If that's the case, 89 percent of them should be shooting left to optimize their skill development. But that's not the case. Only 64 percent of them shoot left.

Which sport Cannot be played left-handed?

Polo is another right-handed playing sport and the reason for this is because of safety. Playing left handed was banned In order to avoid the likelihood of a head-on collision between players.

What is the hardest position to play in hockey?

It is said that goalie is the most difficult position to play within Ice Hockey, and one of the hardest to play in any sport. The main objective for a goalie is to keep the puck out of the net, and with a great one, they can control the game and greatly influence their team's confidence.

How tall should a hockey stick be?

The butt of the handle should fall between your Adam's apple and your eyebrows. The general rule of thumb is to have a stick that reaches the tip of your nose — but the trend seems to be toward shorter sticks, reaching the chin or lower.

How do you hold a hockey stick properly?

The proper way to hold the stick is with your top hand in front of you, this allows you to move your stick (and the puck) all the way around your body. Practice moving the puck as far as you can to the right, and then bringing it back, and then moving it as far as you can to the left and then bringing it back.

How many hockey players are allowed on your team at the same time?

Each Club must have a roster of at least 20 players, composed of 18 skaters and two goaltenders. Players on Injured Reserve do not count in the 23-man limit.

Which country invented hockey?

The modern game of hockey emerged in England in the mid-18th century and is largely attributed to the growth of public schools, such as Eton. The first Hockey Association was formed in the UK in 1876 and drew up the first formal set of rules.

What handed hockey stick should I use?

The dominant hand should go at the top of the hockey stick. By far the most common opinion is that your dominant hand should be at the top of the stick. This means that a right-hand-dominant person should shoot left-handed in hockey.