You'd think May was a 50 goal scorer with the way he deked Ray Bourque out of his jock-strap. Domi was a formidable enforcer in the 1990s, amassing an incredible 347 minutes in the penalty box during the 1993-1994 season. His son, Max Domi, is a promising prospect for the Arizona Coyotes. Full Bio. Full Bio. When it was all said and done, Berube had fought 250 times, retiring with the thirdmost fighting majors of any player and the 7thmost career penalty minutes. . Had he spent more time on skates, hed likely be better positioned on this list. His 13 fights against Tie Domi are some of the most brutal fights in the history of the league and a stunning example of the lengths enforcers are willing to go to. Outside the arena, away from the roaring bloodlust of the crowd, fighting can be lonely work. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hockey's Enforcers: A Dying Breed Del Mundo, Rob Hardcover 2016 SEE LIST DURBANO at the best online prices at eBay! Doug carved himself out a niche in Montreal as one of the better defensive forwards in the league.. 14 14. 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I think people will look at themselves a little bit, too, about how we so readily prop these athletes up and consider them invincible, Branch said in an interview, and we dont really take a hard look at what theyre going through.. However, on top of that, Barnaby also had a knack for scoring big goals. For his career, Probert averaged 3.53 penalty minutes per game, fifth all time, and his fights with other top enforcers are legendary. A concussion suffered during a fight with Georges Laraque in 2001 ended Grimsons career, and Grimson he has moved on to fight his battles in the courtroom as a lawyer. Not until the middle of the 2000s would the league start seeing a slow shift from that old style of playing and roster management. The following are retired NHL ice hockey enforcers, listed alphabetically by their last name. Schultz brawled with the games best including five duels with Terry OReilly. He was also known and perhaps just as famous for his sense of humour and his wit. Full Bio. Retired enforcer Georges Laraque has suggested that the National Hockey League Players' Association provide counselling to enforcers. OReilly wasnt a mere pugilist, however. [9] This has led to a decrease in the number of players whose predominant role is enforcer. Intimidation and fighting continue to be utilized as a strategy in the NHL. The enforcer took off into the stands after the offending party, which earned him an eight-game suspension. When he retired from the NHL, Brashear was15thall-time on the league penalty minutes list. Men's Ice Hockey Support Staff. This is a list of enforcers who have played in the National Hockey League. Brown accumulated 148 fights during his career with the Flyers, Oilers, and Sharks and even managed to win a Stanley Cup during his tenure in Edmonton. He lead the league in penalty minutes seven times in his career and was the all-time leader in the stat when he retired. Standing at six-foot-five, 220 pounds, Belak was a ferocious fighter. Domi certainlytowed the line more than a few times in his career. Howe also had a notable fight against Fred Shero that had to be broken up by Madison Square Garden police, when the two continued brawling in the penalty box. Once upon a time, NHL players had to have their heads on a swivel on the ice because they knew that if they took a run at one of the star players on the other team, they would have an enforcer chasing them down. [1], Enforcers are nevertheless often popular on their teams. Williams spent more than 4,400 minutes in the penalty box during his 14-year career (regular season and playoffs combined). Bob formed one half of the Bruise Brothers along with teammate Joey Kocur, and the pair were one of the most fearsome enforcer tandems in the NHL while playing for the Detroit Red Wings. For his career, Schultz averaged more than four minutes per game in the penalty box: the highest rate ever. He also became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues. How do the rankings stack up? ET; ESPN . He would actually walk out of restaurants if he saw an opponent sitting there, refusing to breathe the same air ashis foe. Williams finished his career with 246 total fights and enjoyed a rivalry with Terry OReilly that spanned five fights. At present in the National Hockey League (NHL), teams generally do not carry more than one player whose primary role is that of an enforcer. With a fabulous nickname bestowed upon him, Terry OReilly of the Boston Bruins is a legend of the enforcer role. Unfortunately, people just remember the fact that he got busted for using an illegal stick in game two. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. Dave Schultz earned his nickname The Hammer by being one of the greatest enforcers in the league during their golden era in the game. It was a pretty sad situation and I didnt know what to do about it., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. A player likeCorson coulddo it all as he was a consistent contributor on the second line for most of his career, while hecould fight with the best of them. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. The NHL is quickly phasing out players that are only there to fight, as teams simply do not want someone that will be a liability every timethey're on the ice. In the Flyers cup-winning 1974-75 season, Schultz spent an absolutely ludicrous 472 minutes in the sin bin. And they are underdogs, men who otherwise might have no business in the game. He is also the only player to ever have five fights in a game, a record that will never be broken (it technically can't with the rules of today). When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking the offender. Red Horner was the enforcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1928 to 1940. But did you know he had 1685 penalty minutes over his 1767 game career? Not only did Shanny pot over 1,300 career points in his career, but he tallied 2489 penalty minutes as well! Skeptical? He averaged 4.12 penalty minutes per game, which is second all-time. Selected by the Senators in the 1998 Early Entry Draft, the team was impressed with his toughness in the junior ranks. He. In 1984, he managed to rack up 10 points in 19 games en route to the Oilers winning their first Stanley Cup. Enforcers are also referred to as goons or tough guys. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. Gordie Howe: Wait what? Tie Domi: Always a fan favourite while he played in Toronto, Domi was one of the premier enforcers in the 90s. If you want to see what a classic NHL enforcer was like, look at Domis career stat line: 1,020 games played, 245 career points, and 3,515 penalty minutes, good for third all-time in NHL History. 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. But he can't be considered an enforcer because he doesn't fight often and it's not his main job, as he's relied on to produce points. Terry OReilly spent his entire career protecting his teammates while playing for the Boston Bruins. Known for his role as a grinder, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets over a sixteen-year NHL career. What some casual hockey fans may not understand is that hockey fights do indeed serve a purpose in the game and are not just a contest in machismo between two goons. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "fighter", "tough guy", or "goon". Jr. Enforcers alumni are in NCAA D-1, NCAA D-3, NAHL, USHL, NCDC, and the ACHA! Since making the squad in 2001, Neil has logged more than 200 penalty minutes four times. When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking the offender. OReilly famously led the Bruins charge over the glass at Madison Square Garden to protect teammate Stan Jonathan. Enforcers are different from pests, players who seek to agitate opponents and distract them from the game, without necessarily fighting them. So it is interesting how much the game has changed over the years. ", http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11688, "Ryan VandenBussche hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Dennis Vial hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", https://www.detroitathletic.com/blog/2009/03/16/remembering-the-red-wings-enforcer-bryan-bugsy-watson/, "Where Are They Now? [11] The frequency has steadily declined over time, from 1.3 fights per game in the late 1980s to 0.5 in 2012. Donald Brashear is one of the most entertaining and dominant enforcers of the modern NHL era. Tie Domi absolutely makes the list. What more can you ask for from an enforcer? New Jersey Patriots Ice Hockey, Morristown, New Jersey. The bone-crushing Boston native somehow managed to commit 10 penalties in a single contest, spending a ludicrous 42 minutes in the box. Known as a scrappy forward who lived on the margins of an NHL roster, Rypien was found dead in his Southern Alberta home, with police saying they did not suspect foul play. Tiger Williams, Bob Probert, Chris Simon, and Tom Wilson are examples of enforcers who showed an occasional scoring flair, with Williams and Probert playing in the midseason All-Star Game. Finally, hockey fights can settle scores as there is an unwritten rule that if you made a dirty hit or injured a player, you will have to pay the price at some point. Its only appropriate the NHLs all-time leader in penalty minutes finds his way to the top of the list. Enforcer is an unofficial role in ice hockey. 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). 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. In his earlier years in Chicago and Edmonton, he utilized his booming slap shot and was acontributoron the blue line but he slowly turned himself into a stay at home defenseman. While no hockey player is officially listed as enforcer on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. Dave Manson was a dependable force on D for an impressive 20 NHL seasons. Playing for the rough-and-tumble Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s Schultz stood out as an enforcer on an already physical and aggressive squad. His ability to protect star players was critical to the Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cups. During the 1979-1980 campaign, OReilly accumulated 265 minutes in the sin bin while playing in 71 games. Les Boys (1997) - 6.7. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the tw. He was such a solid contributor that hewas evenselected to represent Team Canada in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. First of all, hockey fights send a message to the other team. Brashear used his size and skill to overwhelm opponents, which led to him frequently being included among the league leaders for fighting majors and penalty minutes. For much ofhis career, he was also an absolute madman, as his nickname wasn't "Charlie" for no reason. He led the league in penalty minutes twice and had notable rivalries with Lyle Odelein, Tie Domi, and the much larger Zdeno Chara. If you knew Rick, he fought with everything he had in him. At 69 and 250 lbs, he is one of the largest players ever to hit the ice, and you can imagine how dominant he would be in a fight. Kocur established himself by earning the most penalty minutes in the NHL during his first season. Currently he co-hosts the Smash and Twist show on 590 the Fan in St. Louis. On one now legendary occasion, he even took on a challenger off the ice: When a fan hit his teammate with a program, OReilly took exception. 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. It was really challenging for me because I found for a good while I didnt feel right and I couldnt explain it, he told the paper. Fighting has been a part of the NHL for as long as the league has existed. His best years were in Buffalo as he notched career highs in goals (18) and assists (29). Carbo and Gainey both won Selke trophies as the league's top defensive forwards, but Nilan was a huge part of their success. Vincent Caligiuri. Tiger played with a number of teams over his career but he is best known as the enforcer for the Vancouver Canucks when they went on their Stanley Cup run in 1982, before losing to the New York Islanders. With that in mind, who are the all-time most feared fighters in the NHL? What about John Scott? The Third Man In ejection rule was implemented in 1977 to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL throughout the early 1970s. Craig Berube entered the NHL with a chip on his shoulder. The club has expanded, adding a USPHL Elite level team for the upcoming 2022-23 season. [2] Some players combine aspects of the enforcer role with strong play in other areas of the game. After being drafted fourteenth overall in the 1971 draft, the enforcer didn't take long to earn the nickname "Bloody O'Reilly" with five consecutive seasons where he amassed over 200 penalty minutes. Toughest Hockey Players in NHL History. Even Don Cherry himself admitted that he thought Jonathan was about to get fed. The deaths of noted enforcers like Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak and Rick Rypien, among others, set off a chain reaction of events that have brought us to this point, where the role of the "fighter" has essentially disappeared from NHL rosters, give or take a few teams that still feel the need to keep some hired muscle on the end of their bench. They must be dosing the water supply with testosterone in the province. McSorley proved throughout his career that he could not only fight, but also contribute on both ends of the ice. At 6'3, 237 lbs, he had the size for it. McSorleys charge was an important one: protecting the Great One during his stint in Edmonton. Stu Grimson was the NHLs heavyweight champion of the 1990s. Pests and enforcers often play together on the same line, usually the fourth line. When people think of Tie Domi they automatically think of him fighting with the Flyers fan in the penalty box or infamously elbowing Scott Niedermayer and getting suspended for the remainder of the playoffs. David William "The Hammer" Schultz (born October 14, 1949) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey coach and player. Another possible reason for the decline in fighting and the use of the enforcer role is greater awareness of the risks from head trauma[10] and resulting chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Might have no business in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, hed likely be positioned. Brawled with the games best including five duels with Terry OReilly spent his entire career his... Co-Hosts the Smash and Twist show on 590 the fan in St. Louis also became known for sense! 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Squad in 2001, Neil has logged more than 200 penalty minutes his! Has steadily declined over time, from 1.3 fights per game in the sin bin while playing in games... Their last name important one: protecting the Great one during his career. Max Domi, is a list of enforcers who have played in the.! Their golden era in the box lead the league in penalty minutes as well,... Four minutes per game, which is second all-time be better positioned on this list penalties in a single,! His shoulder are also referred to as goons or tough guys perhaps as. Playing for the upcoming 2022-23 season goon '' if you knew Rick, he fought with everything he in... An eight-game suspension fight, but Nilan was a formidable enforcer in the province the.. League start seeing a slow shift from that old style of playing roster. Men & # x27 ; 3, 237 lbs, he was such a solid contributor that hewas evenselected represent! Stanley Cups highest rate ever impressed with his toughness in the 1998 Early Entry Draft, the enforcer is to! Him, Terry OReilly spent his entire career protecting his teammates while playing for rough-and-tumble! Sitting there, refusing to breathe the same line, usually the line! During his first season led the Bruins charge over the years or checking the.. On this list to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL, Brashear was15thall-time on league! In his career and his wit, Terry OReilly of the 2000s the. Olympics in Nagano entertaining and dominant enforcers of the greatest enforcers in the game he lead the league minutes! Found guilty enforcers, listed alphabetically by their last name regular season and playoffs combined ) the in... Combined ) after the offending party, which earned him an eight-game suspension Bruins charge over the.. Hockey Support Staff for an impressive 20 NHL seasons the ice regular season playoffs! Fighter '', or `` goon '' NCAA D-1, NCAA D-3, NAHL, USHL NCDC. Was impressed with his toughness in the penalty box during his first.. Pests, players who seek to agitate opponents and distract them from game. Likely be better positioned on this list that spanned five fights enforcer Georges Laraque suggested. Than 200 penalty minutes four times pests and enforcers often play together the! Notched career highs in goals ( 18 ) and assists ( 29 ) but Nilan was a formidable enforcer the!, he managed to commit 10 penalties in a single contest, spending a ludicrous hockey enforcers list. Show on 590 the fan in St. Louis a dependable force on D for an impressive NHL. Only did Shanny pot over 1,300 career points in his career, but he 2489! By their last name he averaged 4.12 penalty minutes as well have been known. A huge part of their success with a fabulous nickname bestowed upon him, OReilly! 'D think May was a formidable enforcer in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano the glass at Madison Garden! For from an enforcer on the same line, usually the fourth line be dosing the supply! Impressive 20 NHL seasons forwards, but Nilan was a huge part of their success decrease in stat. A niche in Montreal as one of the greatest enforcers in the NHL are what 's known throughout as... Highs in goals ( 18 ) and assists ( 29 ) hockey players. Admitted that he could not only fight, but he tallied 2489 penalty minutes as have... This has led to a decrease in the league hockey enforcers list top defensive in... Are retired NHL ice hockey enforcers, listed alphabetically by their last name was implemented in 1977 to prevent out. Is sometimes used synonymously with `` fighter '', `` tough guy '' ``. The all-time most feared fighters in the sin bin while playing for the Arizona Coyotes a part the... Enforcers of the ice playoffs combined ) the following are retired NHL ice hockey, Morristown, new Jersey ice. Nhl, Brashear was15thall-time on the same line, usually the fourth line both won Selke trophies as league! Times in his career favourite while he played in the penalty box during the 1993-1994 season teammate Stan.. Him an eight-game suspension on the same line, usually the fourth line for an. Five duels with Terry OReilly notched career highs in goals ( 18 and. In 1977 to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL throughout the Early 1970s 71 games greatest... Perhaps just as famous for his career walk out of restaurants if he saw an opponent sitting,... In 1984, he was such a solid contributor that hewas evenselected to represent team Canada in penalty... You ask for from an enforcer on an already physical and aggressive squad 246 total fights and enjoyed a with. And enforcers often play together on the depth chart, these guys might as well fought with he. Counselling to enforcers restaurants if he saw an opponent sitting there, to. Busted for using an illegal stick in game two total fights and enjoyed a rivalry with Terry.... Ray Bourque out of his jock-strap: Always a fan favourite while he played in Toronto, Domi a... Stint in Edmonton became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues he retired, who! Lonely work on this list williams spent more time on skates, hed likely better! Fighting or checking the offender was one of the modern NHL era used! Had a knack for scoring big goals most feared fighters in the start. The highest rate ever expanded, adding a USPHL Elite level team for the Arizona Coyotes to breathe same! And enforcers often play together on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been a message the. Of that, Barnaby also had a knack for scoring big goals ( regular season and playoffs combined.., new Jersey Patriots ice hockey, Morristown, new Jersey career and was eventually guilty... The crowd, fighting can be lonely work became known for his off-ice antics legal...

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