In west Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground was where I spent most of my days. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. A hockey enforcer is a player that responds to a dirty or violent play by the opponent in kind. Twist recently penned a foreword to the Ross Bernstein book The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The NHL. 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." All 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's actually fought Zdeno Chara twice and took him down quite easily both times. Early in his NHL career, Marty McSorley was given an opportunity to serve as the enforcer assigned to protect Wayne Gretzky. They are also not highly paid compared to other players, and tend to move from team to team. Derek Boogaard died at the age of 28 from an accidental mixture of painkillers and alcohol. Sadly, the fearsome winger dropped dead on a boat on Lake St. Clair of a heart attack in 2010. Who else? He also became known for his drug use, among other off-ice issues. Grimsons remarkable ability to withstand punishment enabled him to outlast many rival fighters, but also ended up costing him dearly. 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 league further curtailed fighting before the 1992 season by implementing an instigator penalty for players that deliberately provoke opponents into a fight. Fans of todays NHL may not recognize a lot of the names on this list but that is just because the game has evolved so much. Schultz began wearing boxing wrist wraps in order to prevent injury to himself while fighting, but the league quickly outlawed the practice when it began to catch on. Tiger reached the 300-mark for penalty minutes in a season six times during his career, which was primarily played with the Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Kings. Head Coach. Matthew Barnaby Matthew Barnaby was one of the most infuriating enforcers of all-time. If you knew Rick, he fought with everything he had in him. When it was all said and done, Berube had fought 250 times, retiring with the thirdmost fighting majors of any player and the 7thmost career penalty minutes. The 63, 230-pound Windsor, Ontario native was the undisputed best fighter of the 1990s. The Hamilton, Ontario native accumulated fourth-most penalty minutes in NHL history. The following are currently active NHL ice hockey enforcers and current minor league enforcers with NHL experience, listed alphabetically by their last name. The deaths of noted enforcers like Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak and Rick Rypien, among others, set off a chain reaction of events that have brought us to this point, where the role of the "fighter" has essentially disappeared from NHL rosters, give or take a few teams that still feel the need to keep some hired muscle on the end of their bench. 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. Montador had suffered the effects of concussion later in his career, and he had spoken candidly about the experience in an interview with The Peterborough Examiner late last year. Enforcers are expected to react particularly harshly to violence against star players or goalies. 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. 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Major penalties for fighting declined by 25% annually in the first half of the 20112012 season.[10]. Known as the Hammer, Dave Schultz is yet another punisher from Saskatchewan on our list. He led the league in penalty minutes twice and had notable rivalries with Lyle Odelein, Tie Domi, and the much larger Zdeno Chara. Robert Alan Probert relished fighting in a way few NHL players have. He died of heart failure and was later found, like Fleming, to have been living with CTE. 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. 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. Had he spent more time on skates, hed likely be better positioned on this list. [11] The frequency has steadily declined over time, from 1.3 fights per game in the late 1980s to 0.5 in 2012. 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. Dave Semenko was entrusted with protecting Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, and, most importantly, Wayne Gretzky during his time with the Edmonton Oilers. [7] Some skilled players, such as legends Gordie Howe, NHL all-star Jarome Iginla, and Ryan O'Marra, are also capable fighters and can function effectively as their own enforcer. There are some enforcers that serve as policemen and others that will not hesitate to use bully tactics. The Third Man In ejection rule was implemented in 1977 to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL throughout the early 1970s. The Role of the Modern NHL Enforcers Tale of NHL Enforcers Past. Currently he co-hosts the Smash and Twist show on 590 the Fan in St. Louis. 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. Domi moved back to Toronto, where the most known part of his career took place. His most famous act of violence was a crushing hit on Irvine "Ace" Bailey, resulting in Bailey sustaining near life-ending head trauma. Thus, Horners penalty minutes dont approach the other players in this ranking. The cliche is the hockey player's jack-o'-lantern smile, the specter of missing teeth that no other pro sport embodies as much as the NHL. As the rules evolve, hockey may be seen as "softer," he says. While no hockey player is officially listed as enforcer on the depth chart, these guys might as well have been. 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. He had his teammates backs, no matter what. From Chris Neil to Chris Nilan. 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. So, Jonathan dropped (and bloodied) Bouchard witha flurry of rights and left everyone in awe. 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 played for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. The most up-to-date breaking news for the New Jersey Devils including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives. He was also a solid contributor, as he chipped in 303 points in 500 games. Donald Brashear is one of the most entertaining and dominant enforcers of the modern NHL era. Jr. Islanders (NCDC) P.A.L. 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. 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. Red was a tough bastard who beat his opponents in a way no other enforcer on this list has thus far: he was the oldest living member of the Hockey Hall of Fame when he died in 2005 at the age of 95. 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. Full Bio. They must be dosing the water supply with testosterone in the province. MAYDAY! There is a number of subplots involving the players and their childish antics. While never much of a contributor on the offensive end of the ice, Tony Twist mastered the art of throwing hands. Jr. Enforcers alumni are in NCAA D-1, NCAA D-3, NAHL, USHL, NCDC, and the ACHA! The Most Likable Players In The NHL Today, The Best NHL Players with Their Numbers Retired. Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Domi certainlytowed the line more than a few times in his career. Craig Berube: That is right, the current head coach of the St. Louis Blues had a real mean streak when he patrolled the ice. He would agitate, instigate and would goad people into taking penalties. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Tales of Horner wrecking people are legendary. 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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]. He finished his career with 300 points and a staggering 2,562 penalty minutes. Sometimes enforcers can do their job by virtue of their reputation. Even after his namesake technique was banned, Ray continued his dominance as one of the games best enforcers. Berube had 16 seasons of 100 or more penalty minutes, including 15 straight seasons at one point in his career. The Gordie Howe hat-trick is a goal, assist, and a fighting major in a single game and the namesake of it must be included in any list mentioning great NHL fighters. 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. 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