GOAT Rank · 28

Greatest Ice Hockey Defence of all time

This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.

#AthleteGOAT Score

30

89.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1987–2006
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Brian Leetch

65

88.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1921–1937
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: King Clancy

69

Geraldine Heaney

88.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1988–2002
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Geraldine Heaney

73

87.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1978–1993
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Rod Langway

91

Sprague Cleghorn

87.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1918–1928
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Sprague Cleghorn

108

Lionel Conacher

87.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1925–1937
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Lionel Conacher

115

Émile Bouchard

87.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1941–1956
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Émile Bouchard

127

Jacques Laperrière

86.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1962–1974
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Jacques Laperrière

143

86.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1905–1922
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Moose Johnson

152

85.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1926–1938
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Ching Johnson

158

85.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1923–1937
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Sylvio Mantha

176

85.2

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1913–1923
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Eddie Gerard

180

85.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1931–1942
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Art Coulter

182

Georges Boucher

85.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1917–1932
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Georges Boucher

197

84.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1951–1970
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Leo Boivin

213

84.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1912–1926
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Harry Cameron

217

83.8

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1924–1938
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Hap Day

239

83.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1915–1932
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Moose Goheen

240

Jack Laviolette

83.0

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1904–1918
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Jack Laviolette

243

82.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1953–1971
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Al Arbour

249

82.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1909–1918
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Frank Patrick

266

81.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1905–1919
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Joe Hall

270

81.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1893–1902
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 72.0

Athlete: Mike Grant

274

81.2

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1928–1940
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Red Horner

276

81.1

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 2004–2019
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Emma Eliasson

282

George McNamara

80.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1907–1917
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: George McNamara

283

80.5

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1926–1936
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Red Dutton

290

79.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1897–1905
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 80.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 70.0

Athlete: Dickie Boon

#	Athlete	Sport	Country	Career	GOAT Score
30	Brian Leetch	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1987–2006	89.9
65	King Clancy	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1921–1937	88.3
69	Geraldine Heaney	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1988–2002	88
73	Rod Langway	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1978–1993	87.9
91	Sprague Cleghorn	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1918–1928	87.5
108	Lionel Conacher	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1925–1937	87.1
115	Émile Bouchard	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1941–1956	87
127	Jacques Laperrière	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1962–1974	86.7
143	Moose Johnson	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1905–1922	86.3
152	Ching Johnson	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1926–1938	85.9
158	Sylvio Mantha	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1923–1937	85.7
176	Eddie Gerard	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1913–1923	85.2
180	Art Coulter	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1931–1942	85.1
182	Georges Boucher	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1917–1932	85.1
197	Leo Boivin	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1951–1970	84.6
213	Harry Cameron	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1912–1926	84
217	Hap Day	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1924–1938	83.8
239	Moose Goheen	Ice Hockey	🇺🇸 United States	1915–1932	83
240	Jack Laviolette	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1904–1918	83
243	Al Arbour	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1953–1971	82.9
249	Frank Patrick	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1909–1918	82.6
266	Joe Hall	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1905–1919	81.9
270	Mike Grant	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1893–1902	81.4
274	Red Horner	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1928–1940	81.2
276	Emma Eliasson	Ice Hockey	🇸🇪 Sweden	2004–2019	81.1
282	George McNamara	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1907–1917	80.5
283	Red Dutton	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1926–1936	80.5
290	Dickie Boon	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1897–1905	79.9

Compare the leaders

Brian Leetch vs King Clancy

Read the full methodology

Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.

Read the full methodology

Frequently asked questions

How is this ranking calculated?

Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.

Who is included?

Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.

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