MAYDAY! To order copies of During his ten seasons, he fought 87 times and lifted the Stanley Cup twice. A hockey enforcer is a player who tries to protect their teammates by typically engaging in fisticuffs with opposing players, often the other team's enforcer. Tommy Davis. Zdeno Chara: Here is one many of the younger hockey fans will know, the current captain of the Boston Bruins has had a storied career which includes a Stanley Cup and a Norris trophy. The league is not far removed from a time when teams had players on their roster for the purpose of fighting and roughing up other players. Director: Jay Baruchel | Stars: Seann William Scott, Alison Pill, Marc-Andr Grondin, Liev Schreiber Votes: 14,115 2. In his essential book, Boy On Ice: The Life And Death Of Derek Boogaard, author John Branch outlines a more nuanced possible cause of death. Some players combine aspects of the enforcer role with strong play in other areas of the game. He continued the trend in the playoffs, amassing 69 PIMs in just 10 games played. As the rules evolve, hockey may be seen as "softer," he says. By Alex Capstick. Steve Webb - New York Islanders - The Checking Line - Islanders Edition", "Former NHL tough guy Jay Wells 'Never been a big fan of the fights', "30 for 30 Short on former Bruins enforcer John Wensink", "An Enforcer on the Ice and at the Negotiating Table", http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11761, "York County's Only Daily Newspaper > Archives > Sports > Former NHL enforcer Worrell makes most of career change", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_NHL_enforcers&oldid=1142364815, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 00:34. Currently he co-hosts the Smash and Twist show on 590 the Fan in St. Louis. Check out the list of top NHL fighters below and vote up the ones you'd fear most. He played for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. In one famoustilt, he left Joe Kocur (a tough guy in his own right) face-down as he hit him multiple times before Kocur could even throw a punch. Unfortunately, McSorley had a habit of taking things too far, which he did in 2000 by assaulting Donald Brashear with a stick, ultimately leading to McSorleys suspension and retirement. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. He also became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues. 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. Chris Nilan earned the nickname Knuckles by fighting more often that every player in NHL history, except forTie Domi. Matthew Barnaby was one ofthe most infuriating enforcers of all-time. Me neither Simon was actually a veryreliableforward in his earlier years in the league. Despite his limited ice time, Twist still managed to put up six 10-fight seasons including a career-high 15 fights during the 1992-93 season. His mother, Lorraine, said he had been battling depression. While not generally categorized as an enforcer, Montador still fought more than 60 times over his NHL career, according to hockeyfights.com, the online encyclopedia for fighting in hockey. To order In the 1970s, the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers were known respectively as the "Big Bad Bruins" and "Broad Street Bullies", for stocking up on grinders and enforcers. He had his teammates backs, no matter what. David William "The Hammer" Schultz (born October 14, 1949) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey coach and player. Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988). Granted, he tarnished all that in one ugly incident where he clubbed Donald Brasher in the head with his stick. Hell 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. McSorley won two Stanley Cups in his career, but unfortunately he may best be known for his vicious slash against Donald Brashear that ended in a lengthy suspension. Shayne Corsonwas the kind of player that teams would be lining up for in today's game. Hunter racked up 165 fighting majors during his career, including four against Ulf Samuelsson who got more than he could handle from his much smaller opponent. BILL COOK: Renowned for his scoring skills as a member of a legendary Rangers forward line that included his brother Fred (Bun) Cook and center Frank Boucher, Bill Cook played the game as hard as any NHL enforcer from any big-league era. Fighting has been a part of the NHL for as long as the league has existed. Alongside Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier, he helped the Islanders win four Stanley Cups in the early 1980s. In my heart of hearts, I dont believe fighting is what did this to Bob, his widow, Dani, told The New York Times in 2011. Brashear had a lengthy career in the NHL as one of the top enforcers in the league. Tie Domi: Always a fan favourite while he played in Toronto, Domi was one of the premier enforcers in the 90s. If you knew Rick, he fought with everything he had in him. Ray finished his career with 241 fights and led the league in penalty minutes during two seasons. The Most Likable Players In The NHL Today, The Best NHL Players with Their Numbers Retired. Semenko was "The Great One's" more notable bodyguard (and we wonder why nobody really messed with him like people do with Crosby nowadays) and Semenko was such a beast that it was as if he packed iron in his fists. Mr. Hockey himself? New Jersey Patriots Ice Hockey, Morristown, New Jersey. After their first bout ended in an OReilly victory, Gillies recovered to wreck OReilly in the second bout, which sparked the Islanders to victory. In his 891-game careerall of which was spent in BostonOReilly accumulated more than 2,000 penalty minutes. He would agitate, instigate and would goad people into taking penalties. He received a punch squarelyto the throat whichpermanently damaged his larynx, though he managed to return and play solid defense for the rest of his career. Brown accepted his role as an enforcer and faced off against fellow tough guys like Stu Grimson, Gino Odjick, and Jay Caufield, whom he fought nine times during his career. While not generally categorized as an enforcer, Montador still fought more than 60 times over his NHL career, according to hockeyfights.com, the online encyclopedia for fighting in hockey. Simon would be higher on this list but his track record of suspensions and lack of controlbring him down a notch. Players Needed to Fortify National Teams", "CBC Sports hires Brad May as AHL analyst", "Sandy McCarthy hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Ex-Detroit Red Wings enforcer Darren McCarty gets protection order - ESPN", http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11060, "Bob McGill (b.1962) hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "THN.com Blog: The night Kerry Fraser gave enforcer Jim McKenzie a bonus", "Maple Leafs enforcer Frazer McLaren has fractured right pinky finger", "Basil McRae Biography, Stats and Pictures", "Legends of Hockey -- NHL Player Search -- Player -- Chris McRae", "Enforcers, Goons and Fighters, Oh My! He was involved in over 200 fights in his NHL career and continues to ply his trade in the Swedish Hockey League. 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The most up-to-date breaking news for the New Jersey Devils including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. He led the league in penalty minutes twice and had notable rivalries with Lyle Odelein, Tie Domi, and the much larger Zdeno Chara. The Detroit Red Wing even battled his former tag-team partner Joey Kocur. I love to shoot the breeze on sports and appreciate any type of feedback (even you haters!). The club has expanded, adding a USPHL Elite level team for the upcoming 2022-23 season. The league further curtailed fighting before the 1992 season by implementing an instigator penalty for players that deliberately provoke opponents into a fight. Ice Guardians: Directed by Brett Harvey. Republication or distribution of this content is From Montreal, English Lit major. Standing at an intimidating 65 and 240lbs, The Grim Reaper took on all comers during his time in the league playing for eight different teams. The role of the enforcers, who do most of the fighting, is the focus of a new film . Schultz is renowned as one of hockey's greatest enforcers and holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a single season, at 472. Williams was a capable contributor on the offensive end, but he excelled when it came to fighting and he racked up fighting majors at an alarming pace. First of all, hockey fights send a message to the other team. He's also been a stapleon Ottawa's third line for well over a decade and is the type of player that every team wants. Tahir Tie Domi looks like a guy ready to punch your face in, doesnt he? 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. Nilans 1983-1984 and 1984-1985 campaigns are the stuff of penalty minute-accumulating legend: His tallies for those two years: 338 and 358 minutes, respectively. It can be stressful, and any single punch can lead to a concussion. [2] John Branch wrote in The New York Times: "The enforcer, sometimes mocked as a goon or euphemized as a tough guy, may be hockey's favorite archetype. I was one of these fringe players that had to work his ass off to stay on the team.. Ewen, who went by " The Animal " during his playing days, was involved in well over 100 fights during his career, according to HockeyFights.com. Sometimes enforcers can do their job by virtue of their reputation. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are "what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. The following are retired NHL ice hockey enforcers, listed alphabetically by their last name. Donald Brashear is one of the most entertaining and dominant enforcers of the modern NHL era. He's built like a fridge and can fight with the best of them. MAYDAY! For his career, Schultz averaged more than four minutes per game in the penalty box: the highest rate ever. 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