Shortest Players in the NHL

It seems that at almost every NHL Entry Draft there is a player or two who possess elite skills, strong work ethic and a great desire to play the game but due to their height are often drafted much lower than they would've had they been just a few inches taller.

Players like Brian Gionta (5' 7" - drafted 82nd), Theo Fleury (5' 6" - drafted 166th) and Martin St. Louis (5' 8") who went undrafted. 

As the game has shifted to more speed and skill after the 2004-2005 NHL lockout where the league clamped down on clutch and grab and other rules to open up the game - the knock against being short is less and less.

We decided to take a look at the shortest players in the NHL...

Shortest Player in NHL History

It figures that the shortest player in NHL history was known by the nickname "Shrimp" - goaltender Roy Woters is the shortest player in NHL history standing only 5 feet 3 inches tall.

Woters played for 12 seasons in the NHL (1925-37), playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Americans and Montreal Canadiens playing in 484 games, recording 171 wins, 66 shutouts and ending his career with a 2.27 GAA.

He may have been the shortest to play the game but had a big impact on the game including a Hart Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy, 2x All-star and an induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Shortest Player Currently in the NHL

Currently, the honor of shortest player in the NHL goes to Nathan Gerbe - drafted 142nd overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Modeling his game after the likes Martin St. Louis and Danny Briere, Gerbe hasn't let his height get in the way of him playing in the NHL, playing in over 150 games. Interestingly, he holds the Buffalo Sabres record of the fastest two goals scored when he scored two goals in 5 seconds against the New York Islanders (Jan. 21, 2011).

Here are some other short players in the NHL...

List of Shortest Players Currently in the NHL

Shortest Players Since 1990

1. Nathan Gerbe
2. Theo Fleury
3. Patrice Lafebvre
4. Steve Kariya
5. Jacques Cloutier
6. Corey Millen
7. Tommy Soderstrom
8. Fred Brathwaite
9. Mike O'Neill
10. Brian Gionta
11. Allan Bester
12. Chris Bourque
13. Brett Sterling
14. David Desharnais
15. Stephen Gionta

 
If you're wondering who the tallest players are check out - Tallest Players in the NHL