Enforcers sometimes take boxing lessons to improve their fighting. He famously battered legendary Boston Bruins enforcer Terry OReillyand wonseveral times. Stu Grimson. When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking the offender. Since retiring, Domi has made headlines both for his philandering and placekicking for the Toronto Argonauts in the preseasona decidedly un-enforcer-like position on the gridiron. Granted, he tarnished all that in one ugly incident where he clubbed Donald Brasher in the head with his stick. He also managed to find the back of the net 21 times in the 1984-85 season. 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. He's built like a fridge and can fight with the best of them. 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. 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. OReilly was fiercely protective of his teammates, but also had a scoring touch that he used to net 204 goals and 402 assists during his career. 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: While he does not have the penalty minute totals or as long of a career as some of the others on this list, the Grim Reaper was one of the most feared hockey fighters throughout his career. Sure, he finished his career with an astounding 3,043 penalty minutes in 688 games, but he was also part of one of the best "shut down" lines of all-time whenhe was paired up with Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey. Retired enforcer Georges Laraque has suggested that the National Hockey League Players' Association provide counselling to enforcers. 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. Jethro Gillies was part of a long line of enforcers from Saskatchewan. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. 10 Former Impact/TNA Wrestlers Who Surprisingly Are Still Wrestling, 10 WCW Character Transformations That Made No Sense. In his 891-game careerall of which was spent in BostonOReilly accumulated more than 2,000 penalty minutes. I'm sure. Tahir Tie Domi looks like a guy ready to punch your face in, doesnt he? With a fabulous nickname bestowed upon him, Terry OReilly of the Boston Bruins is a legend of the enforcer role. Major penalties for fighting declined by 25% annually in the first half of the 20112012 season.[10]. The New Jersey Patriots are a youth ice hockey travel program based in Northern New Jersey. 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. Shayne Corsonwas the kind of player that teams would be lining up for in today's game. Probert finished fifth all-time in career penalty minutes with 3300 in 935 games played. As a matter of fact, he didn'teven wait for his first regular season game. He finished his career with 300 points and a staggering 2,562 penalty minutes. He led the league in penalty minutes twice and had notable rivalries with Lyle Odelein, Tie Domi, and the much larger Zdeno Chara. 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 eventually retired with the thirdmost all-time. Names like Fetisov, Sergei Federov, Igor Larionov, and Vladislav Tretiak were part of the machine that was Soviet ice hockey. 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. MAYDAY! Men's Ice Hockey Coaching Staff. During his final full season of play, the Kings 1986-1987 campaign, Williams netted 16 goals and tallied 358 penalty minutes. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about [13], Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 12:39, 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game, National Hockey League Players' Association, "Three hockey enforcers die young in four months, raising questions", "The Ivy Leaguer who fought his way to the NHL", "John Scott, an enforcer with five career goals and a sense of humour, might be just what the NHL All-Star Game needs", "If fans vote enforcer John Scott into all-star game, NHL says he's going", "John Scott wasn't a NHL All-Star MVP finalist, but still won with overwhelming fan support", After The Whistle: Al Secord - Points 'n Punches, "The mystique of the Gordie Howe hat trick", "As N.H.L. With that in mind, who are the all-time most feared fighters in the NHL? 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. 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. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. Still, hes never bested the 231 minutes he spent in the box in first year in the league. 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. 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. Berube had 16 seasons of 100 or more penalty minutes, including 15 straight seasons at one point in his career. He also owned a chain of bars named Twister's Iron Bar Saloon, with locations in St. Charles and Imperial Missouri. 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. 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. In the age of NHL Disciplinary Committee reviews and video replay, this role has been diminished, but fighting can still serve as a valuable tool for players to use to motivate their teammates and get the crowd back into a game. Second, it is either a momentum stopper or a momentum starter. Men's Ice Hockey Support Staff. During the summer of 2011, three NHL enforcers died. One of Gillies biggest achievements was his battle with Terry OReilly during the 1980 Playoffs. Hunter was incredibly skilled with the puck and earned 1,020 points during his career. Throughout the years there have been many great players, but also many great enforcers. Let us take a look at some of the best enforcers the game has ever seen. Probert finished his career with 239 total fights and many of them were epic brawls with fellow legendary enforcers like Wendel Clark, Tie Domi, and even Joey Kocur. This incensed Probert and he beat the heck out ofDomi in their next tilt. Full Bio. 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. Brashear has also participated in boxing and MMA matches, utilizing his considerable hand skills off of the ice. [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. . He racked up an impressive 570 penalty minutes in 201 games during his time with the Pats. Their circumstances vary, but in the wake of Todd Ewens death, attention is again being focused on similarities found among NHL enforcers who have died in an era of increasing concern regarding repeated head trauma in sports. Domi found the net 100 times in his career, but hell be best remembered for accumulating 3,505 penalty minutes in his time in uniform (the third most in NHL history). Jr. Islanders (NCDC) P.A.L. I love to shoot the breeze on sports and appreciate any type of feedback (even you haters!). It wasa costly penalty that shifted the momentum in the series. He was so successful at his role and served as an enforcer for so longthat he had a target on his back as he was billed as "the champ." Enforcer is an unofficial role in ice hockey. 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. Hockey is often considered one of the toughest sports to play, but these five players were a cut above in the toughness department. 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. Full Bio. 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. Nilan only suited up 688 times in his career. Referees are limited in their powers to punish players for illegal or dangerous behavior and fighting was used by players to police these offenses themselves. I helped out in whichever way I could, he said in a 2001 interview. While a successful player by some measures, including being voted to the 198788 Campbell Conference all-star team, Probert was best known for his activities as a fighter and enforcer, as well as being one half of the "Bruise Brothers" with then-Red Wing teammate Joey Kocur, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The most up-to-date breaking news for the New Jersey Devils including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. Most people know Howe as one of the greatest offensive players of all time as he is currently fourth all-time in NHL career points scored. In one scrap in 1976, O'Reilly took on Dave "The Hammer" Schultz. Rob Ray created the fighting technique where players would remove their jersey and shoulder pads to prevent their opponents from grabbing ahold of them. This is not entirely accurateas there have been many players in the past and present that can drops the mitts and play the game extremelywell. He was also a solid contributor, as he chipped in 303 points in 500 games. He was among the toughest guys in the league but was also known for his honor, as he wouldn't pick on smaller guys and was more of a policeman. The Hamilton, Ontario native accumulated fourth-most penalty minutes in NHL history. 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. 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. Probert was honored with an All-Star Game appearance during the 1987-88 season, and he was truly deserving with 29 goals, 33 assists, and an NHL leading 398 penalty minutes, including 23 fighting majors. Me neither Simon was actually a veryreliableforward in his earlier years in the league. Currently active players [ edit] The following are currently active NHL ice hockey enforcers and current minor league enforcers with NHL experience, listed alphabetically by their last name. Williams led the NHL in PIMs three times during his career, always eager to prove his toughness, often against much larger opponents. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. 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