Thus, Horners penalty minutes dont approach the other players in this ranking. 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. 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. He. A fearedplayer like Dale Hunter also cannot be considered because amidst all his penalty minutes and dirty plays, he barely fought. 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. Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. [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. 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.. Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. While no hockey player is officially listed as enforcer on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. 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. These men have had a lasting legacy on the sport of hockey and sacrificed immensely to defend their teammates. Full Bio. 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. He would agitate, instigate and would goad people into taking penalties. Thus, hes accumulating nearly ten minutes in timeout for every point he tallies. In 958 career games, Gillies recorded 319 goals, 378 assists, and 1,023 penalty minutes. 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. This is a list of enforcers who have played in the National Hockey League. During one playoff campaign, the Hammer spent 139 minutes in the penalty boxin 17 games. They must be dosing the water supply with testosterone in the province. In the 1998 playoffs, he notched a hat-trick against the Habs in game 2 of the quarter-finals en route a sweep. 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. Not until the middle of the 2000s would the league start seeing a slow shift from that old style of playing and roster management. Clark Gillies (April 7, 1954 January 21, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Red Horner was the enforcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1928 to 1940. The feat has never been equaled. Shane Talarico. 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. Tiger Williams: The all-time leader in career penalty minutes, Tiger Williams had nearly 4000 penalty minutes in only 962 career games. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. Assistant Coach. Best known for playing with the Detroit Red Wings, Kocur was an intimidating figure with a devastating right hand that he used with great frequency. 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. Shayne Corsonwas the kind of player that teams would be lining up for in today's game. Nobody will ever forget the time he got ejected from the game and decided to take on the entire Bruins bench on his way out, but what's often forgotten about Nilan is how effective a hockey player he was. He also became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues. An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition. He continued the trend in the playoffs, amassing 69 PIMs in just 10 games played. 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. Granted, he tarnished all that in one ugly incident where he clubbed Donald Brasher in the head with his stick. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. He racked up an impressive 570 penalty minutes in 201 games during his time with the Pats. Sports journalist and writer Roy Macgregor opines that in light of recent tragic events there should be more done about it, including eliminating the role altogether. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. 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. His NHL career was ended when he broke his pelvis in a motorcycle accident, but during his time in the league, few were as feared as Tony Twist. 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. The role of the enforcers, who do most of the fighting, is the focus of a new film . To order copies of Despite all of this, his most significant contribution to the game came with his invention of the riding the stick celebration. Sadly, the fearsome winger dropped dead on a boat on Lake St. Clair of a heart attack in 2010. Who else? 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. The Hamilton, Ontario native accumulated fourth-most penalty minutes in NHL history. When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking the offender. "[3], John Scott's reputation as an enforcer and fan favorite helped him earn enough fan votes to secure a spot in the 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game, despite having been demoted out of the league at the time of his election. Here's my list of the five greatest fighters 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. Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988). 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. It can be stressful, and any single punch can lead to a concussion. The truth is Brad May was a rock out there for whichever team he played for. 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. Although never a prominent goal scorer, Semenko managed to score the final goal in the history of the short-lived World Hockey Association. 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. Gillies had remarkable goal scoring ability in addition to his fighting skill and toughness, netting 304 goals during his time in the NHL. Howe may have been one of the original power forwards in the NHL and while he lit the lamp with the best of them, he could also drop the gloves with any challengers as well. While no hockey player is officially listed as "enforcer" on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. 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.. Later tests indicated brain damage and CTE from his years of fighting. 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. These days, his son Max Domi plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he definitely carries himself in the same way that his father did, except that Max already has more points than Tie in only 375 career games. Even Don Cherry himself admitted that he thought Jonathan was about to get fed. Its only appropriate the NHLs all-time leader in penalty minutes finds his way to the top of the list. 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 enforcer has diminished since rule enforcement changed following the 200405 NHL lockout to increase game speed and scoring. Top 5 Biggest Enforcers to Ever Don the Note. Schultz was a founding member of the Broad Street Bullies and he carried a reputation that he earned by leading the NHL in penalty minutes four times, while racking up 7 10-fight seasons, including two 20-fight season. Thugs, Goons, Enforcers. His real name was Dave. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. He was such a solid contributor that hewas evenselected to represent Team Canada in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Names like Fetisov, Sergei Federov, Igor Larionov, and Vladislav Tretiak were part of the machine that was Soviet ice hockey. Shanahan won three Stanley Cups in his career and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. 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. He played left wing in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques, and was a feared enforcer. Copyright 2023 HockeySkillsTraining.com, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window). During that time, he watched the back of legends like Phil Esposito, Ray Bourque, and Bobby Orr. 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). Wendel Clark, Craig Coxe, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, Marty McSorley; Probert dropped gloves against them all and battered them all. For his career, Schultz averaged more than four minutes per game in the penalty box: the highest rate ever. 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. 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. His son, Max Domi, is a promising prospect for the Arizona Coyotes. Alongside Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier, he helped the Islanders win four Stanley Cups in the early 1980s. Standing at six-foot-five, 220 pounds, Belak was a ferocious fighter. You can imagine what his role was on the team. When he was done, he'd stick out that stupid tongue and frustrateeveryone even more. 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. As a matter of fact, he didn'teven wait for his first regular season game. Some clubs still employ an enforcer but they are slowing being phased out of the game. 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. 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