Fans of today’s NHL may not recognize a lot of the names on this list but that is just because the game has evolved so much. 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. While we still have fights in today’s game, enforcers have evolved into players who also need to contribute in other ways like scoring goals or killing penalties.
A couple of decades ago enforcers had one role on the team: fights. 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. First of all, hockey fights send a message to the other team. Second, it is either a momentum stopper or a momentum starter. The tide can turn on a dime if a losing team player wins a fight and rallies his bench behind him. 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.
So it is interesting how much the game has changed over the years. Hockey has become faster, more skilled, and dictated by analytics. There is not much room for players who strictly fight, now that things like the salary cap and analytical matchups dominate the way teams are built from the ground up. Let us take a look at some of the best enforcers the game has ever seen.
Gordie Howe: Wait what? Mr. Hockey himself? 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. But did you know he had 1685 penalty minutes over his 1767 game career? 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. After all, a Gordie Howe hat trick is when a player scores a goal, gets an assist, and has a fight in the same game.
Tie Domi: Always a fan favourite while he played in Toronto, Domi was one of the premier enforcers in the 90’s. If you want to see what a classic NHL enforcer was like, look at Domi’s career stat line: 1,020 games played, 245 career points, and 3,515 penalty minutes, good for third all-time in NHL History. Yes, Domi averaged about 3.5 PIM per game over his career. Domi was the epitome of the saying, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” as he tipped the scales at 213 lbs and was only 5’10”. 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.
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. McSorley finished his career with 3,381 penalty minutes in 961 games played, good for fourth all-time in NHL history. McSorley won two Stanley Cups in his career, but unfortunately he may best be known for his vicious slash against Donald Brashear that ended in a lengthy suspension.
Bob Probert: One of the most imposing enforcers of all-time, Probert weighed in at 6’3” and 225 lbs of pure muscle. Probert finished fifth all-time in career penalty minutes with 3300 in 935 games played. Probert spent his career split between Detroit and Chicago, but he is best known for his years cruising the ice at Joe Louis Arena, where in 1987, Probert racked up an impossible 398 penalty minutes in one season!
Tiger Williams: The all-time leader in career penalty minutes, Tiger Williams had nearly 4000 penalty minutes in only 962 career games. 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. How tough was he? His real name was Dave.
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. At 6’9” 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. Anytime someone challenges Chara, it turns into him ragdolling the other player around the ice as if he were a toy.
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. In 729 career games, Grimson had 2,113 penalty minutes, and 39 career points. You can imagine what his role was on the team.
Rob Ray: Ray dominated NHL fighters throughout the 90s and into the 2000s and was well-known as an all-time popular Buffalo Sabre. Ray had 15 straight seasons of 90 or more penalty minutes, including back to back 350 penalty minute seasons from 1990-1992. Talk about consistency!
Craig Berube: That is right, the current head coach of the St. Louis Blues had a real mean streak when he patrolled the ice. Berube is seventh all-time in career penalty minutes with 3,149 in 1,054 games played. Berube had 16 seasons of 100 or more penalty minutes, including 15 straight seasons at one point in his career.
Brendan Shanahan: Yes another current hockey executive, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was one of the greatest power forwards in NHL history. Not only did Shanny pot over 1,300 career points in his career, but he tallied 2489 penalty minutes as well! Shanahan won three Stanley Cups in his career and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
