As a matter of fact, he didn'teven wait for his first regular season game. McSorley would go on to lead the NHL in penalty minutes during the 1992-93 season, where he had 15 fighting majors. [9] This has led to a decrease in the number of players whose predominant role is enforcer. Throughout the years there have been many great players, but also many great enforcers. The following are currently active NHL ice hockey enforcers and current minor league enforcers with NHL experience, listed alphabetically by their last name. The most up-to-date breaking news for the New Jersey Devils including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. Wendel Clark, Craig Coxe, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, Marty McSorley; Probert dropped gloves against them all and battered them all. His son, Max Domi, is a promising prospect for the Arizona Coyotes. 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. How do the rankings stack up? He has more penalty minutes than any other player in the history of the Maple Leafs (see Maple Leafs records) and third overall in penalty minutes in NHL history. Ray had 15 straight seasons of 90 or more penalty minutes, including back to back 350 penalty minute seasons from 1990-1992. The bone-crushing Boston native somehow managed to commit 10 penalties in a single contest, spending a ludicrous 42 minutes in the box. He was found dead in his suburban Toronto home, and police quickly ruled out foul play. Not bad for a "goon.". There is a number of subplots involving the players and their childish antics. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. The Saskatchewan native scored 241 goals in his career. The aging players are often incredibly immature, which is part of what contributes to the comedy of this film. Craig Berube entered the NHL with a chip on his shoulder. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. Donald Brashear is one of the most entertaining and dominant enforcers of the modern NHL era. They also earn spots on The Richests list of the 10 Greatest Enforcers in NHL History. His most famous tilt was against Pierre Bouchard where the much bigger Bouchard grabbed him in a scrum and left him no choice. Bob Probert: One of the most imposing enforcers of all-time, Probert weighed in at 63 and 225 lbs of pure muscle. Over the course of his career, Probert dropped gloves 283 times (in 935 games). P.A.L. Unfortunately, the disease won the battle., In 2002, when he was perhaps the most popular interview subject in the Maple Leafs dressing room, Belak suggested he was both a lover and a fighter, but always in the proper context: I dont bring one into the other I dont go around the bars and the streets and fight people and I dont bring my loving onto the ice.. 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. Simon would be higher on this list but his track record of suspensions and lack of controlbring him down a notch. Larry Goodenough Don Grosso Dale Hawerchuk Shane Hnidy Craig Coxe Kris King Keith Tkachuk Jim Morrison Bob Sauve Jonathan Cheechoo Darius Kasparaitis Bill Kitchen Uwe Krupp Dickie Moore Rory Fitzpatrick Dino Ciccarelli Joe Reekie Roman Hamrlik Colby Armstrong Brandon Yip And now, the 50 greatest Hockey Enforcer names: 50. OReilly famously led the Bruins charge over the glass at Madison Square Garden to protect teammate Stan Jonathan. I helped out in whichever way I could, he said in a 2001 interview. Wade Belak was found dead at the age of 35 in his Toronto hotel room in circumstances that caused a newspaper's police source to categorize his death as a suicide. After their first bout ended in an OReilly victory, Gillies recovered to wreck OReilly in the second bout, which sparked the Islanders to victory. 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. An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition. 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. 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. He died of heart failure and was later found, like Fleming, to have been living with CTE. 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. 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. Barnaby oftentimes ended up on the receiving end of a beat-down, but he did not take a step backwards from anyone as he fought the league's toughest, including his buddy Rob Ray and even Zdeno Chara. 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. Referees are limited in their p. The sport of hockey may now be at odds with the ongoing role of the enforcer in the modern game, but throughout the games history fighting has played an integral role. Stu Grimson was the NHLs heavyweight champion of the 1990s. Enforcers are seen as working-class superheroesunderstated types with an alter ego willing to do the sport's most dangerous work to protect others. Still, hes never bested the 231 minutes he spent in the box in first year in the league. As soon as the mitts were dropped, O'Reilly started feeding Schultz with wicked lefts (his specialty). Throughout his career, Clark Gillies may not have been the most frequent fighter, but he made a tremendous impact for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres. For example, Jarome Iginla is an example of an exceptional hockey player that can take care of himself and his teammates. He remains the Flyers all-time leader in Gordie Howe hat tricks and holds the league record for them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The New Jersey Patriots are a youth ice hockey travel program based in Northern New Jersey. A Wikipedia entry on the enforcer role states: An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. 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. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. A "Gordie Howe hat trick" is a player scoring a goal, assisting on a goal, and being involved in a fight during a single game.[8]. This is a list of enforcers who have played in the National Hockey League. Sadly, the fearsome winger dropped dead on a boat on Lake St. Clair of a heart attack in 2010. Who else? Ray used this practice to enormous success during his career until the practice was banned. King (b.1984) hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "SUNDAY SPECIAL / Fighting for a Job / NHL enforcers protect and", "Zenon Konopka hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "The 100 Toughest Players in NHL History", "Dan Kordic hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Retro Rangers: Reminiscing with Orland Kurtenbach", "Nick Kypreos hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Jim Kyte hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Dan LaCouture hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "For George Parros & other tough guys, fighting was a business decision", "NHL enforcer Sasha Lakovic was a fearless fighter", "Denny Lambert hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "CNN/SI - NHL Hockey - Hockey in Deer Lake, Newfoundland - Friday October 01, 1999 05:00 PM", "Inside the Minds of Hockey's Enforcers: Ian Laperriere - Sports Psychology Today - Sports Psychology", "Georges Laraque - the enforcer | Radio Netherlands Worldwide", "Paul Laus hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Penguins All-Time Enforcer Squad - Pittsburgh Sporting News", "Francis Lessard (b.1979) hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Tough guy winger Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond signed for three years by New Jersey Devils; Petr Vrana to play in Czech Republic", "Reed Low hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Former Blackhawk player, coach Magnuson dies", "Kevin Maguire hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "He's OFF THIN ICE Recovering from alcoholism, former Devil David Maley working way back in minors", "Arbitrator Says Mallette Must Head for Edmonton", "Aug 2017: Jimmy Mann: From player with promise to a pugilistic pariah", "Bloody hockey cards celebrate NHL enforcers", "North Stars Preservation Society: NORTH STARS INTERVIEW: Brad Maxwell", "Hockey: Notebook; N.H.L. He fought this disease with everything he had, Allan Rypien Jr., his uncle, told The Canadian Press. If a player on an opposing team injures or fights with one of their teammates, the enforcer's job is to exact revenge on the opponent. He famously battered legendary Boston Bruins enforcer Terry OReillyand wonseveral times. 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). 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. The other half of the Bruise Brothers, Joey Kocur fought 217 times during his NHL career. 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. With Jay Baruchel, Gino Odjick, Wendel Clark, Chris Chelios. 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. 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. Director: Jay Baruchel | Stars: Seann William Scott, Alison Pill, Marc-Andr Grondin, Liev Schreiber Votes: 14,115 2. First of all, hockey fights send a message to the other team. Names like Fetisov, Sergei Federov, Igor Larionov, and Vladislav Tretiak were part of the machine that was Soviet ice hockey. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. He would contribute goals to help the Red Wings win two Stanley Cups over a decade later in his second stint with the team and add another as a coach. A rugged defenceman who began his NHL career in the pre-expansion era, Fleming was an early prototype of what would later become known as the enforcer. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. However, he had to tone down his act after a fight with Montreal Canadiens forward Sergio Momesso. 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. Outside the arena, away from the roaring bloodlust of the crowd, fighting can be lonely work. Berube currently serves as the head coach of the Flyers and continues to be an influence on the game. Thats a ratio any enforcer would be proud of. O'Reilly set the blue print forthe prototypical Bruins type player and Ex Bruin Milan Lucic has gone on record saying that he's modeled his game after O'Reilly. Since entering the league in 2001, hes logged nearly 2,300 penalty minutes against just over 233 points. Full Bio. Men's Ice Hockey Support Staff. 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 Kocur established himself by earning the most penalty minutes in the NHL during his first season. During one playoff campaign, the Hammer spent 139 minutes in the penalty boxin 17 games. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are "what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. 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. Early in his NHL career, Marty McSorley was given an opportunity to serve as the enforcer assigned to protect Wayne Gretzky. Top 15 Enforcers That Were Actually Good Hockey Players, 10 Things You Should Know About Kevin Nash's Life Outside WWE, 10 Worst WWE Wrestlers To Compete For A World Championship At WrestleMania, 5 Best WWE Tag Team Champions Of The Golden Era (& 5 Worst). 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. Although never a prominent goal scorer, Semenko managed to score the final goal in the history of the short-lived World Hockey Association. Tommy Davis. 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. April 25, 2019. Here are the top five enforcers in NHL history. But did you know he had 1685 penalty minutes over his 1767 game career? Dave Semenko was entrusted with protecting Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, and, most importantly, Wayne Gretzky during his time with the Edmonton Oilers. Brendan Shanahan: Yes another current hockey executive, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was one of the greatest power forwards in NHL history. Injuries hampered the career of this bruiser, but he still managed to rack up the ninth most penalty minutes of all time. He was also a solid contributor, as he chipped in 303 points in 500 games. At 6'3, 237 lbs, he had the size for it. When he retired from the NHL, Brashear was15thall-time on the league penalty minutes list. The league further curtailed fighting before the 1992 season by implementing an instigator penalty for players that deliberately provoke opponents into a fight. In the 1998 playoffs, he notched a hat-trick against the Habs in game 2 of the quarter-finals en route a sweep. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. Enforcers are different from pests, players who seek to agitate opponents and distract them from the game, without necessarily fighting them. Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988). Brashear had a lengthy career in the NHL as one of the top enforcers in the league. The Third Man In ejection rule was implemented in 1977 to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL throughout the early 1970s. Hunter also finished with 3,565 penalty minutes, the 2nd most of any player and if that is not enough to certify his villain status, just look to the cheap shot he delivered to Pierre Turgeon, which earned him a 21 game suspension. Terry O'Reilly once scored 90 points in a season, being the first player to finish in the top ten regular season scorers while amassing at least 200 penalty minutes, and later became captain of the Boston Bruins. Retired enforcer Georges Laraque has suggested that the National Hockey League Players' Association provide counselling to enforcers. Playing for the rough-and-tumble Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s Schultz stood out as an enforcer on an already physical and aggressive squad. Later tests indicated brain damage and CTE from his years of fighting. [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. While other enforcers may have accumulated more penalty minutes or gotten in more fights, no one else was moreefficient in carrying out his goon duties than Dave Schultz. Assistant Coach. However, on top of that, Barnaby also had a knack for scoring big goals. Tocchet then developed into one of the games premier power forwards, with five30 goal seasons. 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