best hockey fighters of all time
They also earn spots on The Richest’s list of the 10 Greatest Enforcers in NHL History. Only four times in NHL history has a player accumulated over 400 penalty minutes in a single season. Additionally, neither man seemed interested in any defensive measures. Knuckles was adept enough with his stick to be chosen to represent Team USA at the 1987 Canada Cup, and he was a member of the Stanley Cup-winning 1986 Montreal Canadians. In 1982-83, with the Blackhawks, he scored 54 goals and piled up 180 penalty minutes in 80 games, and then had a 40-goal, 201-PIM season in 85-86 for Chicago. Plett isn't as well known as many of the guys on this list, but he certainly stepped into the ring with some of the better fighters of his era and held his own. They must be dosing the water supply with testosterone in the province. He wasn't always the most popular player, and his methods might not have always been in line with conventional hockey fighting (see his 10-game suspension and arrest for using a stick), but Ciccarelli was one of the meanest SOBs in the NHL. In NHL history, the 400-minutes-in-the-penalty-box mark has only been topped four times. A strong leader and great scorer, Iginla's physical play is overlooked too often. While no hockey player is officially listed as “enforcer” on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. Reid Simpson was always in the middle of the action during his career, and his gloves usually found a way to his the ice during his playing days. Arguably the greatest forward in the history of the game, Mr. Hockey was also - indisputably - the best fighter. Gordie Howe . Louis earned the nickname “Brown Bomber” due to his punching power. If you've watched hockey for longer than 15 minutes, you've undoubtedly seen some of Brashear's all-time fights. Share Share Tweet Email Comment. The following are currently active NHL ice hockey enforcers and current minor league enforcers with NHL experience, listed alphabetically by their last name. Community See All. Well-regarded during his time in pro hockey’s top circuit, Williams could also tally points. 1. And while Mr. Lepore laments the fact that the true enforcer is a dying breed in professional hockey (given the unfortunate spate of enforcer deaths in 2011), these men will live forever in the list of the all-time greats in their chosen specialty. 84 people like this. In honor of Bob Probert, whose death this week shocked and saddened the hockey world, we thought... Stan Jonathan; Boston, Pittsburgh. Boulton made this list for one simple reason. The date was December 23 1979. His bouts with Cam Neely are legendary. During one playoff campaign, the Hammer spent 139 minutes in the penalty box…in 17 games. The pest's primary role is to draw penalties from opposing players, thus "getting them off their game", while not actually intending to fight the opposition player (although exceptions to this do occur). Arguably the greatest forward in the history of the game, Mr. Hockey was also - indisputably - the best fighter. “Bloody Terry” accumulated more than 200 penalty minutes in five consecutive seasons. 1 of 50 . Gordie Howe . Forget about different eras, bigger guys, improved training and conditioning. 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This fight is especially entertaining because Montador and Carcillo are now teammates in Chicago. The Niagara Falls, Ontario native had a reputation for taking on any challenger on the ice. In his 891-game career—all of which was spent in Boston—O’Reilly accumulated more than 2,000 penalty minutes. For his career, Schultz averaged more than four minutes per game in the penalty box: the highest rate ever. Fleming’s most courageous move was to take on then National Hockey League Heavyweight Champion John Ferguson of the Montreal Canadiens. His ability to protect star players was critical to the Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cups. Jonathan played during the Big, Bad Bruins-era. One of the most lethal hitters of the last 20 years, Hatcher put a few players (Roenick) in the hospital without dropping the gloves. These are the top six NHL enforcers of all time. Domi found the net 100 times in his career, but he’ll be best remembered for accumulating 3,505 penalty minutes in his time in uniform (the third most in NHL history). Whether you like it or not, fighting is still a part of hockey, and as long as that's the case, players are going to drop the gloves and go at it with an opponent. The Habs’ wing remains one of the all-time top fighters to this day, but on this night — almost miraculously — Reggie not only outfought Fergie but actually bloodied the Badman. Website . Unfortunately, he has missed time because of the side effects fighting has on a player's body. The defensive-defenseman was also a seven-time All-Star. Rob Ray and Tie Domi could have their own channel on YouTube. Now, let's take a look at the "Top 50 Hockey Fights of All Time". Red was a tough bastard who beat his opponents in a way no other enforcer on this list has thus far: he was the oldest living member of the Hockey Hall of Fame when he died in 2005 at the age of 95. The Detroit Red Wing even battled his former “tag-team partner” Joey Kocur. Schultz did it twice. 1 decade ago. Ray never had a problem dropping the gloves and would fight until someone tapped out—and it was rarely him that asked out. In an epic David vs. Goliath matchup on ice, two of the league’s all-time greatest fighters squared off for the 10th bout between them during a 2003 first-round playoff game in Philadelphia. Considering this, there's likely a great deal of fans out there who watch hockey just to see the best fighters in the NHL really go at it. His battles with Eric Lindros made the rivalry between the Flyers and Devils one of the most heated in the game. Terry O'Reilly was one of the best fighters to ever play in the NHL. Peluso got his sweater bloody on a number of teams, and he had some epic bouts against some of the greatest fighters in NHL history. He went out and took on the best NHL fighter of all time in … To some, Clarke is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It was the end of an era … a couple of the last enforcers standing tall in the... Riley Cote Vs Shawn Thornton 2008. Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers - 1979. He was hit for the most penalties—eight—in a single postseason game, and he also owns the record for most penalty minutes—38—in a single playoff contest. The Code or, Fighters Gonna Fight. The enforcer took off into the stands after the offending party, which earned him an eight-game suspension. He averaged 4.12 penalty minutes per game, which is second all-time. Gillies' reputation as a formidable enforcer was already solid when he entered the NHL after playing for the Regina Pats in the Canadian Junior league. Secord is an intriguing contradiction on this list. If only his wife was named Marcy (Married with Children joke), Hordichuk has thrown down with most of the heavyweights in the league today and has entertained fans all over the league with his fists. Top 10 Worst Hockey Brawls of All Time. Injuries hampered the career of this bruiser, but he still managed to rack up the ninth most penalty minutes of all time. Many nights, he went home with more than one shade of red on his sweater as well. It seemed like every time Probert took the ice that he was looking to use his fists to his advantage and that is often what happened. Red Horner was the enforcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1928 to 1940. In fact he was still actively punching player’s lights out just this past season. Depending on your feelings towards fighting in hockey, we’ve put together the best - or worst - hockey brawls. In 1985-86, Kocur racked up 377 penalty minutes, the eighth-highest total in NHL history. The Top 9 Toughest Rangers of All-Time. Dave Schultz is the owner of two of the four campaigns in the record books. - Page 2 During the 1979-1980 campaign, O’Reilly accumulated 265 minutes in the sin bin while playing in 71 games. Updated May 24, 2018 52.4k votes 5.9k voters 249.1k views 63 items. By Andrew Maggio Published Aug 23, 2015. Probert unfortunately passed away last summer, but he was one of the all-time tough guys in the NHL. McSorley’s charge was an important one: protecting the Great One during his stint in Edmonton. There are tough guys and then there are the really tough guys who’ve thundered through the National Hockey League since the Rangers were born nine decades ago. Fraser played on some teams that fought a lot, and he was always in the mix. Log In. Parros is one of the bigger fighters in the game today, but struggles to find a dance partner because of his track record. Now if. or. He once cracked Donald Brashear's helmet with a punch. The Best Hockey Fights of All-Time Best One-on-One Fight – Bob Probert vs. Fighting has been a part of the NHL for as long as the league has existed. Find the best fights as rated by our hockeyfights.com members. 10 amazing nhl fights everWhat’s your favourite NHL brawl ever? In terms of pure fighting ability, Howe was the real deal - head and shoulders above the rest. Updated May 24, 2018 52.4k votes 5.9k voters 249.1k views63 items. During his final full season of play, the Kings’ 1986-1987 campaign, Williams netted 16 goals and tallied 358 penalty minutes. Best Goalie Fight – Ron Hextall vs. Felix Potvin (1996) Everyone loves a good goalie fight, and they don’t get much better than Ron Hextall and Felix Potvin. Laraque had a couple freight trains hidden in his gloves when he hit the ice and had a body most fighters couldn't get into. 2019-20 Best NHL Fights 2019-20 Best AHL Fights 2019-20 2018-19 Best NHL Fights 2018-19 Best AHL Fights 2018-19 2017-18 Best NHL Fights 2017-18… Read more Some great fights in the mid- to late-1980s involved Tim Hunter, who piled up 375 PIM in 1988-89. Lv 7. John Ferguson . Grimson was a guy that had the back of every player in the same color sweater every night. He is one of the great enforcers in the game's history. He brought toughness back to Toronto in the mid-1980s. While you might not like Carcillo's approach all the time, he regularly takes on players significantly bigger than himself. With a fabulous nickname bestowed upon him, Terry O’Reilly of the Boston Bruins is a legend of the enforcer role. As most fans know, the Blues have a rich history of tough guys and brawlers alike, but here is the cream of the fighter’s crop. He played a critical role in the Oilers’ 1988 Stanley Cup run and was eventually traded to the LA Kings with Wayne Gretzky in the 1989 shock deal. And that’s understandable. One of the most lethal set of fists in NHL history, he posted 54 points and 352 penalty minutes from the blue line in 1988-89. The 6’3’’, 230-pound Windsor, Ontario native was the undisputed best fighter of the 1990s. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. The best hockey fighters of all time . Share Share Tweet Email Comment. Tahir “Tie” Domi looks like a guy ready to punch your face in, doesn’t he? In an era of great fighters, Tony Canzoneri was one of the best. Fighting has been a part of the NHL for as long as the league has existed. He piled up 3.515 penalty minutes in his NHL career, the third-largest total in league history. For some, the fact that fighting not only occurs, but is sanctioned (if penalized) will always be a non-starter. In his best season, he scored 19 goals while stacking up 351 penalty minutes. He's one of the smartest fighters in the game. Wayne Gretzky Vs Neal Broten. It’s one of the unique elements of the most popular sport played on ice that teams carry “goons” on their rosters whose primary duty is to maintain order, protect his teammates, and kick ass when necessary. With that, let's take a look at each NHL team's best fighter of all-time. 5 of the Best NHL Hockey Fights of All-Time Georges Laraque Vs Donald Brashear 2007. Howell was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 and his #3 jersey was retired by the Rangers in Feb. 2009. Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens “The Rocket” is a legend in hockey history as one of the best playmakers ever and one of the first high-scoring players in … When the discussion comes up about the best hockey fighters of all-time, former Detroit Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert is right at the top of the list. The Hamilton, Ontario native accumulated fourth-most penalty minutes in NHL history. If you've watched hockey for longer than 15 minutes, you've undoubtedly seen some of Brashear's all-time fights. They’re certainly not for the faint-hearted, so be warned before you press play. Now he provides solid insight on the NHL Network. It’s tough to pinpoint the best hockey fights at this stage of the game without referring to the giant brawls that happened between whole teams. Top 15 Worst NHL Enforcers of All Time. Laraque had a great run as an elite fighter who was in the Champ mix from about 00-08. The action never relented, and each man had his moments in control of the fight. Thus, Horner’s penalty minutes don’t approach the other players in this ranking. Widely considered one of the most effective hockey enforcers of all time, Terry O’Reilly played for the Big Bad Bruins as a monster on the ice. He’ll also be remembered for his sucker punching Ulf Samuelsson, knocking him unconscious, and the elbow that knocked Scott Niedermayer out in the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Clark Gillies rarely saw a fight he didn't want to be a part of, and he was able to throw the fists as fast as anyone. Wilson, like so many on this list, never backed away from a challenge and always stepped up to protect a teammate. Take a look at some of the craziest NHL fights of all time, including a brawl that saw Bruins players leave the rink to fight Rangers fans. With that, let's take a look at each NHL team's best fighter of all-time. Think about what a clown does: he is the minor but essential character who shows up at a circus with the objective of instigating misconduct. He racked up an impressive 570 penalty minutes in 201 games during his time with the Pats. He punishes anyone that, at this point, is dumb enough to step into the ring with him. 1 0. During the 1977-1978 season, he led the Bruins in points (90) and penalty minutes (211). The Hockey News’ top 10 all-time fighters Toughest of the tough. O’Reilly wasn’t a mere pugilist, however. Currently active players. I met Kocur once and his hands looked like they could crush anything. Since entering the league in 2001, he’s logged nearly 2,300 penalty minutes against just over 233 points. The three-time world champion is one of only a select few of boxers to hold titles in three or more weight divisions at the same time. Which is to say, there was something of a “no blood, no foul” orientation in the penalty calling department. To others, he's the game's greatest villain. That says a lot about what he brought to the ice each night. The role of the enforcer may slowly but surely be nearing extinction, but the history of the job will always remain ingrained in the fabric of one of the most violent team sports in the world. Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988). It’s only appropriate the NHL’s all-time leader in penalty minutes finds his way to the top of the list. He was capable of putting up 50 goals in a season, and skated on one of the highest-scoring lines in the NHL in Chicago, but was also a big-time penalty minute guy who had no problems fighting. He was either champ or right up there in the top-2,3 during that time. That’s a ratio any enforcer would be proud of. Whether it's a staged battle between . Boulton’s best seasons unfortunately came after his time as a Sabre. The Code or, Fighters Gonna Fight. Domi earned his stripes with the Winnipeg Jets, but it was with his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1995 that he became the most popular enforcer in the league and a beloved figure among Leafs fans. Create New Account. Switchdoctor. A big fighter that didn't get as much credit as he should have in the mid-1990s, Antoski threw down with some of the game's greats and held his own. For his size, Janssen holds his own pretty well against some of the league's heavyweights. Wendel Clark, Craig Coxe, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, Marty McSorley; Probert dropped gloves against them all and battered them all. Share Share Tweet Email Comment. Who is the greatest enforcer of them all? Dial up a Probert fight video on YouTube and watch the way he grips onto and tees of on opponents. By Scott Published May 30, 2016. Best Hockey Fights of All Time. He enjoyed beating people up and was the enforcer on some great Devils teams. Some of the most infamous brawls come from the most bitter of rivalries. Contact Best Hockey Fights of All Time on Messenger. But Probert wasn’t considered an all-time great fighter for nothing. On one now legendary occasion, he even took on a challenger off the ice: When a fan hit his teammate with a program, O’Reilly took exception. It's always been part of the game, and will (should) continue to be part of how players police themselves on the ice. While no hockey player is officially listed as “enforcer” on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. He held the title for 140 months, successfully defending it a record 25 times. Cote and Thorton slide over, right on the Bruins logo at center ice. “Enforcers are different from pests, players who seek to agitate opponents and distract them from the game, without necessarily fighting them. Considering this, there's likely a great deal of fans out there who watch hockey just to see the best fighters in the NHL really go at it. Any hockey fan knows that the game has seen drastic changes over the years. Throughout his career, Chelios earned the captain's "C" by sticking up for teammates. The entirely subjective nature of any list comparing fighters across different weight categories and different eras is bound to … Check out video of the best goons, fighters, and enforcers in NHL history. Any hockey fan knows that the game has seen drastic changes over the years. From Chris Neil to Chris Nilan. In 935 games, he accumulated exactly 3,300 penalty minutes before hanging up his skates. Samuelsson wasn't always the cleanest player on the ice, but he handled the business end of the game when someone dropped the mitts. Gillies earned his bones protecting Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier during the Islanders' 1980 Stanley Cup run. Remembered more for his 958 regular-season points, Robinson was an elite scorer who also mixed it up during his time with the Habs. Long gone are the days when entire benches emptied onto the ice when something happened that the players didn’t like. He scored 232 goals and … Anonymous . 50 Best Fighters in NHL History. The following are 50 of the greatest fighters in NHL history. Thus, McSorely has the distinction of being the only enforcer to face criminal charges for his on-ice actions. He's infamous for some awful decisions, but McSorley spent a big portion of his career protecting Wayne Gretzky. The best hockey fighters of all time By MURRAY GREIG ===== MURRAY GREIG has trained and managed professional boxers and has worked the corner in Canadian, Commonwealth and world title fights. … Pests and enforcers often play together on the same line, usually the fourth line.”, The greatest of these soldiers on skates have spilled blood and broken bones for their squads across decades. Best right hand punch in hockey ever. Not Now. After hammering Westgarth, Scott hasn't has as many dance partners, though. And in his era, refs were just a tad more lenient in their penalty calling. “Jethro” Gillies was part of a long line of enforcers from Saskatchewan. But when you get a nickname like "Tiger," either your father loves golf or you're able to beat people up on the ice. 1. Page Transparency See More. Tocchet was more than a fighter, however. 83 people follow this. Very few fighters all time can claim a run like that. Just two days before Christmas, everyone was in the giving mood….giving punches that is. Domi was a formidable enforcer in the 1990s, amassing an incredible 347 minutes in the penalty box during the 1993-1994 season. Never one to … In 2002, the writers of Ring Magazine published a ranking of the 80 best fighters of the previous 80 years. Ask just about anyone who they'd want on their side of a fight. He was one of the most loved fighters in Boston history. Odjick once scored fewer goals—five—in an entire season as he averaged penalty minutes per game (371 PIM in 70 games in 1996-97). Nilan only suited up 688 times in his career. Kennedy has the distinction of being an NHL record holder. In the end, Foreman knocked Lyle down for a third and final time, putting an exclamation point on one of the most thrilling heavyweight bouts of all time. The Saskatchewan native scored 241 goals in his career. Williams spent more than 4,400 minutes in the penalty box during his 14-year career (regular season and playoffs combined). Unfortunately one of the players the game lost this summer, Boogaard was loved by teammates and fans alike. 2. How do the rankings stack up? For some, the fact that fighting not only occurs, but is sanctioned (if penalized) will always be a non-starter. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the tw. Tocchet posted almost 1,000 points in the NHL in his career—and almost hit 3,000 penalty minutes. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are “what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. Switchdoctor. They can skate a little bit, will maybe pop in a goal or two, but are there primarily to ‘protect’ his teammates from the other team's goon.”. If you're an enforcer on a Flyers team, no matter the generation, it says a lot about your fighting ability. He's one of the biggest players in the NHL today, and has never lost a fight. Why players fight might come into question, but how well they throw down is even more important. Violence is a part of the sport of hockey, and so is fighting. He never had a problem throwing down when the opportunity presented itself. Here's a breakdown of the 10 best hockey enforcers of all-time (fight stats courtesy DropYourGloves.com): Bob Probert (Career PIM: 3,300) While he didn't have the most NHL fights of all-time – he actually comes in fourth on the list at 303 – Probert is certainly one of the most well-known enforcers in the history of hockey. He continued the trend in the playoffs, amassing 69 PIMs in just 10 games played. The world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, Joe Louis is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time. 1. Over the course of his career, Probert dropped gloves 283 times (in 935 games). Neil is an example to future NHL tough guys: establish your reputation as a hardass as soon as you lace up your skates and head out onto the ice in your rookie season. While his name conjures up images of the Michael J. Fox’s “Marty McFly” character in Back to the Future, Marty McSorley was the furthest thing from the diminutive Californian who time-traveled in the DeLorean with Doc. Website. In terms of pure fighting ability, Howe was the real deal - head and shoulders above the rest. While other enforcers may have accumulated more penalty minutes or gotten in more fights, no one else was more efficient in carrying out his goon duties than Dave Schultz. See more of Best Hockey Fights of All Time on Facebook. The Top 20 Toughest, Gnarliest Hockey Players of All Time. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. His son, Max Domi, is a promising prospect for the Arizona Coyotes. Fotiu is one of the all-time fan favorites at Madison Square Garden and never got cheated when the gloves hit the ice. Violence is a part of the sport of hockey, and so is fighting. However, everyone agrees that he was tough to play against.