He eventually retired with the thirdmost all-time. He averaged 4.12 penalty minutes per game, which is second all-time. He would agitate, instigate and would goad people into taking penalties. Semenko had notable feuds with Tim Hunter and Basil McRae, and also fought an exhibition bout with boxing legend Muhammad Ali. 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.. Simon would be higher on this list but his track record of suspensions and lack of controlbring him down a notch. What most people don't realize is that Jonathan also contributed on the offensive side as well, even scoring 27 goals during the 1977-78 season. Craig Berube entered the NHL with a chip on his shoulder. Twist was known to battle with the leagues biggest and baddest fighters, taking on fellow enforcers like Rob Ray, Bob Probert, and five fights against Bob McKenzie. He lead the league in penalty minutes seven times in his career and was the all-time leader in the stat when he retired. Gillies earned his bones protecting Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier during the Islanders' 1980 Stanley Cup run. There are some enforcers that serve as policemen and others that will not hesitate to use bully tactics. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "fighter", "tough guy", or "goon". Known as the Hammer, Dave Schultz is yet another punisher from Saskatchewan on our list. NHL Fighting Majors Leaders for the 2022-2023 Regular Season NHL Fighting Majors Leaders 2022-2023 Regular Season As of Feb 28, 2023 Player Away Fights Home Fights Total Fights Nicolas Deslauriers 7 4 11 Austin Watson 5 5 10 Jonah Gadjovich 7 2 9 Tanner Jeannot 6 3 9 Patrick Maroon 3 6 9 Mathieu Olivier 2 7 9 Arber Xhekaj 2 7 9 Sam Carrick 5 3 8 The 2022 NHL Draft Lottery will set the order for the first 16 picks of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft when it is held at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Only four NHL players accumulated more penalty minutes than Probert, who became one of the most feared enforcers in hockey history, with 3,300 PIMs and dozens of legendary fights on his resume. Derek Boogaard died at the age of 28 from an accidental mixture of painkillers and alcohol. He finished his career with 1,468 penalty minutes in 749 regular-season games. 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. He had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain-wasting disease believed to impact behaviour, emotion and cognitive ability. Team Physician. Ferguson had a short career, only playing eight NHL seasons, but he made his time count. Howes most famous fight came against Maurice Richard in a rare battle between superstars that is still widely talked about today. Full Bio. Nilan only suited up 688 times in his career. Williams spent more than 4,400 minutes in the penalty box during his 14-year career (regular season and playoffs combined). Marty McSorley: The personal bodyguard of Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles, McSorley was one of the grittiest and toughest defenseman ever to play the game. P.A.L. For his career, Probert averaged 3.53 penalty minutes per game, fifth all time, and his fights with other top enforcers are legendary. Howe was not the most frequent fighter, due to his immense skill at doing just about everything else on the ice, but Gordie was certainly not afraid to drop the gloves. 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. In the Flyers cup-winning 1974-75 season, Schultz spent an absolutely ludicrous 472 minutes in the sin bin. David William "The Hammer" Schultz (born October 14, 1949) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey coach and player. Standing at six-foot-five, 220 pounds, Belak was a ferocious fighter. This list features the best fighters in the history of the sport, many of whom had an impact and provoked changes to the rules of the game. At times, he would take heavy haymakers and stand there unfazed until he would throw one of his own and drop his opponent like a sack of bricks. 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. 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Who is the greatest enforcer of them all? Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988). Picks Up Speed, Fighters Are Phased Out", "Numbers Indicate That Skill Usually Packs a Bigger Punch Than Fists", "Wade Belak's death another warning sign for NHL", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Enforcer_(ice_hockey)&oldid=1140920502, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 12:39. In 1984, he managed to rack up 10 points in 19 games en route to the Oilers winning their first Stanley Cup. Anytime someone challenges Chara, it turns into him ragdolling the other player around the ice as if he were a toy. A couple of decades ago enforcers had one role on the team: fights. One of Gillies biggest achievements was his battle with Terry OReilly during the 1980 Playoffs. The truth is Brad May was a rock out there for whichever team he played for. MAYDAY! Semenko joined the Oilers before they joined the NHL and went on to serve as the enforcer on one of the most memorable teams in league history. 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. In 1987, he also did something unique to the enforcers on this list: released a cookbook entitled Done Like Dinner: Tiger in the Kitchen. The Role of the Modern NHL Enforcers Tale of NHL Enforcers Past. You can also add any that didn't make the list. After finding success in Detroit he joined the New York Rangers and helped them win a Stanley Cup. From Chris Neil to Chris Nilan. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. 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. The word "goon" is often tied in with the word "enforcer" in the NHL. 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. Fighting has been a part of the NHL for as long as the league has existed. Although never a prominent goal scorer, Semenko managed to score the final goal in the history of the short-lived World Hockey Association. Dave Tiger Williams is the career penalty minute leader with 3,966 and that is a number that will likely remain for the rest of time. Jr. Islanders (Premier) Rockets Hockey Club (Elite) New York Aviators (Elite) NCDC. During the 1977-1978 season, he led the Bruins in points (90) and penalty minutes (211). Unfortunately, people just remember the fact that he got busted for using an illegal stick in game two. An impressive amount of hardware for any enforcer. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. Doug carved himself out a niche in Montreal as one of the better defensive forwards in the league.. Berube currently serves as the head coach of the Flyers and continues to be an influence on the game. Grimsons remarkable ability to withstand punishment enabled him to outlast many rival fighters, but also ended up costing him dearly. He also became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Outside the arena, away from the roaring bloodlust of the crowd, fighting can be lonely work. Its only appropriate the NHLs all-time leader in penalty minutes finds his way to the top of the list. 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). The league further curtailed fighting before the 1992 season by implementing an instigator penalty for players that deliberately provoke opponents into a fight. However, he had to tone down his act after a fight with Montreal Canadiens forward Sergio Momesso. 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Clark Gillies was among the best fighters in the NHL during his prime, but over time he rarely had to fight because opponents respected and feared him enough that they would not go after his teammates. Domi finished his career with 274 fights, but his most memorable did not even count because it came against a Philadelphia Flyers fan that fell into the penalty box. He was also asturdydefenseman that could movethe puck and had a cannon of a shot from the point. Vincent Caligiuri. Domi was the epitome of the saying, its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog, as he tipped the scales at 213 lbs and was only 510. Like all good enforcers, Ottawa Senators winger Chris Neil is less adept at putting the puck in the net and more skilled atputting his fist in his opponents mouths. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. What about John Scott? Since entering the league in 2001, hes logged nearly 2,300 penalty minutes against just over 233 points. Twist recently penned a foreword to the Ross Bernstein book The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The NHL. Intimidation and fighting continue to be utilized as a strategy in the NHL. 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