Full Bio. Rypien, who drew 226 penalty minutes in 119 regular-season games with the Vancouver Canucks, had been living with depression. Enforcers are seen as working-class superheroesunderstated types with an alter ego willing to do the sport's most dangerous work to protect others. Teammate Kevin Bieksa has said he and his wife asked Rypien to move in with them, just so we could kind of keep an eye on him, and be an ear for him, and that they would stay up late just to talk with him. Gillies' reputation as a formidable enforcer was already solid when he entered the NHL after playing for the Regina Pats in the Canadian Junior league. 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. Team Physician. So it is interesting how much the game has changed over the years. They must be dosing the water supply with testosterone in the province. By Alex Capstick. He fought this disease with everything he had, Allan Rypien Jr., his uncle, told The Canadian Press. Matthew Barnaby was one ofthe most infuriating enforcers of all-time. These warriors serve as the on-ice police force that . I helped out in whichever way I could, he said in a 2001 interview. 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]. 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.. So, Jonathan dropped (and bloodied) Bouchard witha flurry of rights and left everyone in awe. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. When he was done, he'd stick out that stupid tongue and frustrate everyone even more. Robert Alan Probert (June 5, 1965 July 5, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. Dave Schultz is the owner of two of the four campaigns in the record books. Gillies earned his bones protecting Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier during the Islanders' 1980 Stanley Cup run. He lead the league in penalty minutes seven times in his career and was the all-time leader in the stat when he retired. Not only did Shanny pot over 1,300 career points in his career, but he tallied 2489 penalty minutes as well! Nilan averaged more penalty minutes per game than any other player in history and also holds the record for most penalty minutes in a single game with 42. Later tests indicated brain damage and CTE from his years of fighting. He eventually retired with the thirdmost all-time. He famously battered legendary Boston Bruins enforcer Terry OReillyand wonseveral times. ", http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11688, "Ryan VandenBussche hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "Dennis Vial hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", https://www.detroitathletic.com/blog/2009/03/16/remembering-the-red-wings-enforcer-bryan-bugsy-watson/, "Where Are They Now? 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. 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. Prized for their aggression, size, checking ability, and fists, enforcers are typically less gifted at skill areas of the game than their teammates. 10 Former Impact/TNA Wrestlers Who Surprisingly Are Still Wrestling, 10 WCW Character Transformations That Made No Sense. Tales of Horner wrecking people are legendary. 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. Let us take a look at some of the best enforcers the game has ever seen. The enforcers today are good fighters, but you can't compare someone who fought 10 times a year with someone who fought 50 times a year. Nilan only suited up 688 times in his career. The truth is Brad May was a rock out there for whichever team he played for. He played a critical role in the Oilers 1988 Stanley Cup run and was eventually traded to the LA Kings with Wayne Gretzky in the 1989 shock deal. Over the course of his career, Probert dropped gloves 283 times (in 935 games). He played for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. You can imagine what his role was on the team. You can also add any that didn't make the list. Terry OReilly spent his entire career protecting his teammates while playing for the Boston Bruins. Gillies was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. In the 200708 NHL season fights occurred in 38.46% of the games, up from 33% the season before, which was just below the pre-lockout fighting level of 41.14% of games in the 200304 season. [4][5] He unexpectedly played a key role in his division's victory by scoring two goals, where fan response also led to him being named the most valuable player of the tournament. 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. The other half of the Bruise Brothers, Joey Kocur fought 217 times during his NHL career. 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. 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 was also a solid contributor, as he chipped in 303 points in 500 games. The club has expanded, adding a USPHL Elite level team for the upcoming 2022-23 season. At 6'3, 237 lbs, he had the size for it. 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. rights reserved. Free shipping for many products! What Tie Domi lacked in stature, he made up for in pure toughness, by becoming one of the most fearsome and entertaining enforcers in the history of the game. Enforcers are also referred to as goons or tough guys. Me neither Simon was actually a veryreliableforward in his earlier years in the league. When TieDomi won their first fight, he did the symbol of the championship belt around his waist. Howes most famous fight came against Maurice Richard in a rare battle between superstars that is still widely talked about today. [1], Enforcers are nevertheless often popular on their teams. 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. [11] The frequency has steadily declined over time, from 1.3 fights per game in the late 1980s to 0.5 in 2012. 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. From Montreal, English Lit major. In 1987, he also did something unique to the enforcers on this list: released a cookbook entitled Done Like Dinner: Tiger in the Kitchen. However, he wasn'tjust a bystander on those terrific teams. Probert finished fifth all-time in career penalty minutes with 3300 in 935 games played. 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. The fact of the matter is that they're serving a role on the ice as they're paid to defend their teammates. 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 In one scrap in 1976, O'Reilly took on Dave "The Hammer" Schultz. He was involved in over 200 fights in his NHL career and continues to ply his trade in the Swedish Hockey League. They also earn spots on The Richests list of the 10 Greatest Enforcers in NHL History. Williams led the NHL in PIMs three times during his career, always eager to prove his toughness, often against much larger opponents. He was found dead in his suburban Toronto home, and police quickly ruled out foul play. His most famous act of violence was a crushing hit on Irvine "Ace" Bailey, resulting in Bailey sustaining near life-ending head trauma. 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. 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. Currently he co-hosts the Smash and Twist show on 590 the Fan in St. Louis. A hockey enforcer is a player that responds to a dirty or violent play by the opponent in kind. After going undrafted, Berube broke into the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers and quickly established himself as an enforcer by fighting Bob Probert three times. I'm sure. 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. A fearedplayer like Dale Hunter also cannot be considered because amidst all his penalty minutes and dirty plays, he barely fought. Most of the enforcers named above were generally considered "nice guys" in their everyday life. In his earlier years in Chicago and Edmonton, he utilized his booming slap shot and was acontributoron the blue line but he slowly turned himself into a stay at home defenseman. In west Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground was where I spent most of my days. He played left wing in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques, and was a feared enforcer. He's also been a stapleon Ottawa's third line for well over a decade and is the type of player that every team wants. 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. Dave Semenko was entrusted with protecting Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, and, most importantly, Wayne Gretzky during his time with the Edmonton Oilers. Ferguson had a short career, only playing eight NHL seasons, but he made his time count. 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. Philadelphia Flyers Top 5 Enforcers of All Time. Hockey has become faster, more skilled, and dictated by analytics. McSorley won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, where he racked up 32 fighting majors over the two campaigns. The feat has never been equaled. His best years were in Buffalo as he notched career highs in goals (18) and assists (29). If you knew Rick, he fought with everything he had in him. Enforcer is an unofficial role in ice hockey. Les Boys came out in 1997 and follows an amateur hockey team and the men who play on it. The role of the enforcer has diminished since rule enforcement changed following the 200405 NHL lockout to increase game speed and scoring. Out of his 71 career fights, he barely lost any. During the heyday of enforcers during the 1980s, Dave Brown entered the scene as an immediate heavyweight contender. Brashear had a lengthy career in the NHL as one of the top enforcers in the league. At 5'8 and 175 lbs, Stan Jonathan was very unassuming, but it was certainly a different story when the gloves came off. Tocchet then developed into one of the games premier power forwards, with five30 goal seasons. The bone-crushing Boston native somehow managed to commit 10 penalties in a single contest, spending a ludicrous 42 minutes in the box. They are also not highly paid compared to other players, and tend to move from team to team. He died of heart failure and was later found, like Fleming, to have been living with CTE. 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. Williams finished his career with 246 total fights and enjoyed a rivalry with Terry OReilly that spanned five fights. In the 1987-88 season, he spent 398 minutes in the sin-bin yet still managed to score 29 goals! Gordie Howe: Wait what? Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. The most up-to-date breaking news for the New Jersey Devils including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. Stu Grimson. Donald Brashear is one of the most entertaining and dominant enforcers of the modern NHL era. . Check out the list of top NHL fighters below and vote up the ones you'd fear most. Outside the arena, away from the roaring bloodlust of the crowd, fighting can be lonely work. Bloody Terry accumulated more than 200 penalty minutes in five consecutive seasons. Who is the greatest enforcer of them all? 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. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Chris Nilan earned the nickname Knuckles by fighting more often that every player in NHL history, except forTie Domi. Men's Ice Hockey Coaching Staff. Probert was also known for his off-ice antics and legal problems. It can be stressful, and any single punch can lead to a concussion. Stu Grimson, who earned the nickname "The Grim Reaper" in his 14 seasons in the NHL, was the quintessential goon. This article is going to be all about enforcers that were relied upon to fight and to play a dependable role in terms of on-ice production. He finished his career with 1,468 penalty minutes in 749 regular-season games. 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). Hockey is often considered one of the toughest sports to play, but these five players were a cut above in the toughness department. New Jersey Patriots Ice Hockey, Morristown, New Jersey. Some players combine aspects of the enforcer role with strong play in other areas of the game. He's widely considered to be one ofthe best fighters ever to play the game and what was so impressive about Probert's game was his durability. 181 likes. Domi earned his stripes with the Winnipeg Jets, but it was with his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1995 that he became the most popular enforcer in the league and a beloved figure among Leafs fans. From Chris Neil to Chris Nilan. Simon would be higher on this list but his track record of suspensions and lack of controlbring him down a notch. The organization has found immediate success - promoting nearly 20 players to college hockey and higher levels of junior hockey. On-ice enforcers struggle to rise through the professional ranks of the world's most prestigious hockey league, only to be confronted with a new found fight for the existence of the role itself. For his career, Probert averaged 3.53 penalty minutes per game, fifth all time, and his fights with other top enforcers are legendary. As soon as the mitts were dropped, O'Reilly started feeding Schultz with wicked lefts (his specialty). His intensity matched that of Eddie Shore, except Ferguson wouldn't take as many senseless penalties as him. All Pests and enforcers often play together on the same line, usually the fourth line. Semenko had notable feuds with Tim Hunter and Basil McRae, and also fought an exhibition bout with boxing legend Muhammad Ali. For much ofhis career, he was also an absolute madman, as his nickname wasn't "Charlie" for no reason. 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. With a decrease in fighting, teams are less inclined to keep a roster spot available for a one-dimensional fighter who is a liability as a scorer and defender. [6] Fighting skills can help a less-talented or smaller player play in leagues that their hockey alone would not.[2]. Carbo and Gainey both won Selke trophies as the league's top defensive forwards, but Nilan was a huge part of their success. While we still have fights in todays game, enforcers have evolved into players who also need to contribute in other ways like scoring goals or killing penalties. Thats a ratio any enforcer would be proud of. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Full Bio. When he retired from the NHL, Brashear was15thall-time on the league penalty minutes list. Early in his NHL career, Marty McSorley was given an opportunity to serve as the enforcer assigned to protect Wayne Gretzky. Brendan Shanahan: Yes another current hockey executive, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was one of the greatest power forwards in NHL history. While not generally categorized as an enforcer, Montador still fought more than 60 times over his NHL career, according to hockeyfights.com, the online encyclopedia for fighting in hockey. 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. 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. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. [9] This has led to a decrease in the number of players whose predominant role is enforcer. First of all, hockey fights send a message to the other team. The superbly nicknamed Knuckles Nilan has the incredible distinction of most penalty minutes tallied in a single game. 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.. This is a list of enforcers who have played in the National Hockey League. Neil falls into the latter category as he has no issues going after the other team's top players in order to instigate. He averaged 4.12 penalty minutes per game, which is second all-time. Standing at 65 and a 220 lbs, Brown was an intimidating figure on the ice that continued the Broad Street Bullies legacy forged by the Flyers in the 1970s. Thus, Horners penalty minutes dont approach the other players in this ranking. But did you know he had 1685 penalty minutes over his 1767 game career? This incensed Probert and he beat the heck out ofDomi in their next tilt. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto His most famous tilt was against Pierre Bouchard where the much bigger Bouchard grabbed him in a scrum and left him no choice. Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Stock hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com", "GET TO OUR GAME: Top 10 Penguins' Enforcers", "Rocky Thompson's move from enforcer to Memorial Cup-winning coach | Calgary Herald", "Are ice hockey 'enforcers' the toughest guys in sport? 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.. Schultz was born in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Rosetown, Saskatchewan. In the current season, fights have occurred in only 38% of NHL games, the lowest of any point since the 1968-69 season. Sadly, the fearsome winger dropped dead on a boat on Lake St. Clair of a heart attack in 2010. Who else? Belak was found dead inside his Toronto hotel room, a few blocks from the Air Canada Centre, just as he was embarking on what, from the outside, appeared to be a robust post-hockey career. As a matter of fact, he didn'teven wait for his first regular season game. Top 5 Biggest Enforcers to Ever Don the Note. He was such a solid contributor that hewas evenselected to represent Team Canada in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. The word "goon" is often tied in with the word "enforcer" in the NHL. Williams spent more than 4,400 minutes in the penalty box during his 14-year career (regular season and playoffs combined). Marty McSorleywas unofficially known as Wayne Gretzky's body guard for most of his career. Jr. Islanders (NCDC) P.A.L. David William "The Hammer" Schultz (born October 14, 1949) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey coach and player. And they are underdogs, men who otherwise might have no business in the game. 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. The additional team adds to a solid foundation . 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. 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. MAYDAY! 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. Gillies had remarkable goal scoring ability in addition to his fighting skill and toughness, netting 304 goals during his time in the NHL. 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. 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 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. Which is to say, there was something of a no blood, no foul orientation in the penalty calling department. [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. ; d stick out that stupid tongue and frustrate everyone even more finished fifth all-time in career penalty minutes 119! The most up-to-date breaking news for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the 10 Greatest enforcers in toughness! Former Impact/TNA Wrestlers who Surprisingly are still Wrestling, 10 WCW Character Transformations that Made Sense... Was on the same line, usually the fourth line with 246 total and! And Chicago Blackhawks the matter is that they 're serving a role on team. Also earn spots on the team order to instigate schedule, scores and archives colleagues, or! Larger opponents or customers, or inquire about Full Bio witha flurry of rights left... Alan Probert ( June 5, 1965 July 5, 1965 July 5, 2010 ) was a professional! Like Dale Hunter also can not be considered because amidst all his penalty minutes in 749 games! His fighting skill and toughness, netting 304 goals during his 14-year career ( regular game! Minutes as well some of the game has ever seen 0.5 in.... Do the sport 's most dangerous work to protect Wayne Gretzky but Nilan was a enforcer! Who Surprisingly are still Wrestling, 10 WCW Character Transformations that Made no Sense and Chicago.. 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