NHL 21: Top Faceoff Centers

Faceoffs are an integral part of the sport of ice hockey, with possession-based strategies becoming fundamental to the top teams of the NHL.

In NHL 21, you’re given a diverse set of controls to win each faceoff. However, even if your technique isn’t the best in the circle, having one of the top faceoff centers in the game can help you to win more faceoffs.

Winning the puck regardless of which line you have on the ice is crucial to your success. So, here are the best faceoff centers in NHL 21, ranging from top-line forwards to reliable bottom-six pivots.

Contents hide

1. Choosing the best faceoff centers in NHL 21

2. Patrice Bergeron (Faceoff Score: 94.5)

3. Jonathan Toews (Faceoff Score: 94.0)

4. Sidney Crosby (Faceoff Score: 93.0)

5. Ryan O’Reilly (Faceoff Score: 92.5)

6. Anže Kopitar (Faceoff Score: 90.0)

7. All of the top faceoff centers in NHL 21

Choosing the best faceoff centers in NHL 21

In order to find the best faceoff centers in NHL 21, we narrowed down the search to forwards with attribute ratings of at least 85 faceoffs and 80 poise – calculating the average of the two to find each player’s faceoff score.

On this page, you can see each of the top-five faceoff centers featured, as well as a full list of all of the top faceoff centers in NHL 21 at the foot of the article.

Patrice Bergeron (Faceoff Score: 94.5)

Age: 35
Overall Rating: 91
Faceoffs/Poise: 94/95
Player Type: Two-Way Forward
Team: Boston Bruins
Shoots: Right
Best Attributes: 95 Poise, 95 Defensive Awareness, 95 Stick Checking

Now 35-years-old, Patrice Bergeron remains the prime example of a two-way center in the NHL. During the shortened 2019/20 campaign, the Canadian managed to score 31 goals to compliment his 15.27 shooting percentage and 57.9 faceoff percentage through 61 games.

During the Boston Bruins’ 13-game playoff run last season, the right-shot pivot won 56.1 per cent of his 321 faceoffs, and also laid down 15 hits, blocked 17 shots, and held a team-high +2 rating.

In NHL 21, Bergeron ranks as the top faceoff center in the game by a narrow margin. His 95 poise and 94 faceoffs, however, are just a glimpse of the workhorse’s best attributes.

Being the complete two-way forward, the veteran comes in with 94 offensive awareness, 95 defensive awareness, 95 stick checking, 92 passing, 92 puck control, and 88 strength.

Jonathan Toews (Faceoff Score: 94.0)

Age: 32
Overall Rating: 87
Faceoffs/Poise: 93/95
Player Type: Two-Way Forward
Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Shoots: Left
Best Attributes: 95 Poise, 93 Stick Checking, 93 Defensive Awareness

Jonathan Toews has already featured in over 900 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, with his 815 points, +193 career regular season rating, and 56.9 faceoff win percentage proving that he’s been world-class since entering the league in 2007.

Already a three-time Stanley Cup-winning captain, Toews has plenty more to give at 32-years-old, but is presently a central component of the Blackhawks’ big rebuild. Even so, the Winnipeg-native managed to amass 60 points in 70 games last season.

Toews’ overall rating has taken a hit in recent editions of the EA Sports franchise, now sitting with an 87 overall rating. Still, his faceoffs ability remains very strong, thanks to his 93 faceoffs and 95 poise.

The former third-overall selection is a great contender away from the puck drop, too, as demonstrated by Toews’ 93 stick checking, 93 defensive awareness, 90 endurance, 89 durability, 87 strength, and 88 hand-eye.

Sidney Crosby (Faceoff Score: 93.0)

Age: 33
Overall Rating: 93
Faceoffs/Poise: 91/95
Player Type: Playmaker
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Shoots: Left
Best Attributes: 95 Stick Checking, 95 Passing, 95 Offensive Awareness

For the fifth time in his storied career, Sidney Crosby was forced to work his way back from a long-term injury in 2019/20, but still managed to rank third in points for the seventh-placed Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite his injury troubles, Crosby continued to prove himself as one of the best centers in the NHL, scoring 47 points and holding a 55.6 faceoff win percentage through 41 games.

While ‘The Next One’ takes the crown, Crosby is one of the highest-rated centers in NHL 21: it just so happens that his strongest attribute ratings include his 91 faceoffs and 95 poise.

Unlike most of the top faceoff centers, the Penguins captain is a playmaker. So, along with his superb defensive ratings, Crosby is also an excellent player to have around the goal, as shown by his 95 passing, 94 puck control, 94 deking, 94 hand-eye, 93 wrist shot accuracy, and 91 slap shot accuracy.

Ryan O’Reilly (Faceoff Score: 92.5)

Age: 29
Overall Rating: 89
Faceoffs/Poise: 95/90
Player Type: Two-Way Forward
Team: St. Louis Blues
Shoots: Left
Best Attributes: 95 Discipline, 95 Faceoffs, 93 Defensive Awareness

Ryan O’Reilly has firmly established himself as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, while also having a knack for making goal-scoring plays. Last season, he led the St. Louis Blues with 61 points in 71 games.

Where the Stanley Cup winner is at his most dominant, however, is in the faceoff circle. Still only 29-years-old, O’Reilly won 56.6 per cent of his 1,556 faceoffs in the regular season and held a 62.7 faceoff win percentage in the playoffs.

Of the top faceoff centers in NHL 21, the Clinton-born forward boasts the highest pure faceoffs rating at 95, which is joined by his lofty 90 poise.

In defence is where O’Reilly shines, with his 93 defensive awareness, 89 shot blocking, 93 stick checking, 89 strength, 86 body checking, and 95 discipline putting him up there with some of the game’s best blueliners.

Anže Kopitar (Faceoff Score: 90.0)

Age: 33
Overall Rating: 90
Faceoffs/Poise: 90/90
Player Type: Two-Way Forward
Team: Los Angeles Kings
Shoots: Left
Best Attributes: 93 Stick Checking, 92 Defensive Awareness, 92 Slap Shot Power

With two Stanley Cup trophies to his name already, Anže Kopitar is presently in the middle of a rebuild with the Los Angeles Kings.

Now, the veteran’s focus will turn to helping nurture the already-mighty Quinton Byfield, leading by example if he emulates his team-best effort of last season – which included 62 points, a 15.56 shooting percentage, 56 blocked shots, and a 55.2 faceoff win percentage.

Tied with Claude Giroux for his 90.0 faceoff score, Kopitar ranks higher as a top faceoff center thanks to his 90 overall rating to Giroux’s 88 overall rating.

Despite being one of the best faceoff centers in NHL 21, the Slovenian’s 90 faceoffs and 90 poise aren’t his highest-rated attributes. Instead, it’s his 91 passing, 91 puck control, 92 defensive awareness, 93 stick checking, 92 slap shot power, and 92 wrist shot power that show Kopitar’s strengths.

All of the top faceoff centers in NHL 21

In the table below, you can see all of the best faceoff centers in NHL 21, sorted by their faceoff score. Each forward classed as a top faceoff center has attribute ratings of at least 80 poise and 85 faceoffs.

Name	Faceoff Score	Overall	Shoots	Player Type	Age	Team	Best Attributes
Patrice Bergeron	94.5	91	Right	Two-Way Forward	35	Boston Bruins	95 Defensive Awareness, 95 Poise, 95 Stick Checking
Jonathan Toews	94.0	87	Left	Two-Way Forward	32	Chicago Blackhawks	95 Poise, 93 Faceoffs, 93 Stick Checking
Sidney Crosby	93.0	93	Left	Playmaker	33	Pittsburgh Penguins	95 Poise, 95 Passing, 95 Stick Checking
Ryan O’Reilly	92.5	89	Left	Two-Way Forward	29	St. Louis Blues	95 Faceoffs, 95 Discipline, 93 Stick Checking
Anže Kopitar	90.0	90	Left	Two-Way Forward	33	Los Angeles Kings	93 Stick Checking, 92 Defensive Awareness, 92 Slap Shot Power
Claude Giroux	90.0	88	Right	Playmaker	32	Philadelphia Flyers	94 Passing, 94 Puck Control, 93 Deking
Aleksander Barkov	88.5	90	Left	Two-Way Forward	25	Florida Panthers	94 Puck Control, 93 Passing, 93 Offensive Awareness
Jordan Staal	88.0	83	Left	Two-Way Forward	32	Carolina Hurricanes	91 Faceoffs, 90 Defensive Awareness, 90 Balance
Sean Couturier	87.5	88	Left	Two-Way Forward	27	Philadelphia Flyers	92 Defensive Awareness, 91 Stick Checking, 91 Endurance
Bo Horvat	87.5	86	Left	Two-Way Forward	25	Vancouver Canucks	91 Stick Checking, 90 Faceoffs, 89 Endurance
Ryan Getzlaf	87.5	85	Right	Power Forward	35	Anaheim Ducks	92 Strength, 92 Balance, 90 Poise
Travis Zajac	87.0	80	Right	Two-Way Forward	35	New Jersey Devils	94 Faceoffs, 89 Endurance, 86 Agility
Dylan Larkin	86.5	88	Left	Playmaker	24	Detroit Red Wings	94 Acceleration, 93 Speed, 92 Offensive Awareness
Nazem Kadri	86.5	85	Left	Two-Way Forward	29	Colorado Avalanche	90 Aggressiveness, 88 Deking, 88 Speed
John Tavares	86.0	89	Left	Sniper	29	Toronto Maple Leafs	93 Deking, 93 Passing, 93 Puck Control
Matt Duchene	86.0	87	Left	Playmaker	29	Nashville Predators	94 Speed, 93 Acceleration, 93 Agility
Mikko Koivu	86.0	83	Left	Two-Way Forward	37	Columbus Blue Jackets	89 Balance, 89 Strength, 88 Endurance
Tyler Seguin	85.5	89	Right	Playmaker	28	Dallas Stars	94 Passing, 93 Deking, 93 Puck Control
Paul Stastny	85.5	83	Left	Playmaker	34	Winnipeg Jets	90 Discipline, 89 Stick Checking, 88 Passing
J.T. Miller	85.0	86	Left	Two-Way Forward	27	Vancouver Canucks	89 Stick Checking, 89 Offensive Awareness, 88 Passing
Phillip Danault	85.0	84	Left	Two-Way Forward	27	Montreal Canadiens	90 Faceoffs, 89 Defensive Awareness, 88 Stick Checking
Adam Lowry	85.0	80	Left	Two-Way Forward	27	Winnipeg Jets	90 Faceoffs, 89 Body Checking, 89 Strength
Jason Spezza	83.5	80	Right	Playmaker	37	Toronto Maple Leafs	88 Durability, 87 Faceoffs, 87 Strength
Luke Glendening	83.5	79	Right	Two-Way Forward	31	Detroit Red Wings	88 Speed, 87 Stick Checking, 87 Faceoffs
Brad Richardson	83.5	78	Left	Two-Way Forward	35	Nashville Predators	88 Stick Checking, 87 Faceoffs, 86 Endurance
Derek Ryan	83.0	80	Right	Playmaker	33	Calgary Flames	89 Durability, 88 Deking, 87 Speed
Jay Beagle	83.0	79	Right	Two-Way Forward	34	Vancouver Canucks	90 Discipline, 87 Stick Checking, 87 Strength
Brandon Dubinsky	82.5	79	Left	Two-Way Forward	34	Columbus Blue Jackets	88 Aggressiveness, 88 Body Checking, 87 Balance