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. Yes, Domi averaged about 3.5 PIM per game over his career. He's built like a fridge and can fight with the best of them. He continued the trend in the playoffs, amassing 69 PIMs in just 10 games played. McSorley would go on to lead the NHL in penalty minutes during the 1992-93 season, where he had 15 fighting majors. However,when you consider that he averaged slightly more than 10 minutes of ice-time per game and still managed to put up 245 points in 1020 games, that isn'thalf bad! Red Horner was the enforcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1928 to 1940. While his name conjures up images of the Michael J. Foxs Marty McFly character in Back to the Future, Marty McSorley was the furthest thing from the diminutive Californian who time-traveled in the DeLorean with Doc. Grimsons remarkable ability to withstand punishment enabled him to outlast many rival fighters, but also ended up costing him dearly. 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. Berube had 16 seasons of 100 or more penalty minutes, including 15 straight seasons at one point in his career. The following are currently active NHL ice hockey enforcers and current minor league enforcers with NHL experience, listed alphabetically by their last name. The Detroit Red Wing even battled his former tag-team partner Joey Kocur. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the two are what's known throughout hockey as classic enforcers. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Howes most famous fight came against Maurice Richard in a rare battle between superstars that is still widely talked about today. 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. Not only did Shanny pot over 1,300 career points in his career, but he tallied 2489 penalty minutes as well! He was involved in over 200 fights in his NHL career and continues to ply his trade in the Swedish Hockey League. Athletic Trainer. Full Bio. 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. Discussing Bobby Robins and Zac Rinaldo, Steve Lepore of Rolling Stone wrote the tw. 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. The bone-crushing Boston native somehow managed to commit 10 penalties in a single contest, spending a ludicrous 42 minutes in the box. Had he spent more time on skates, hed likely be better positioned on this list. Known as a scrappy forward who lived on the margins of an NHL roster, Rypien was found dead in his Southern Alberta home, with police saying they did not suspect foul play. Schultz brawled with the games best including five duels with Terry OReilly. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The Third Man In ejection rule was implemented in 1977 to prevent all out line brawls that plagued the NHL throughout the early 1970s. McSorley won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, where he racked up 32 fighting majors over the two campaigns. Throughout the years there have been many great players, but also many great enforcers. Enforcers are seen as working-class superheroesunderstated types with an alter ego willing to do the sport's most dangerous work to protect others. For his career, Probert averaged 3.53 penalty minutes per game, fifth all time, and his fights with other top enforcers are legendary. The following are retired NHL ice hockey enforcers, listed alphabetically by their last name. When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking the offender. According to the autopsy, Boogaard died from a cocktail of oxycodone and alcohol. The enforcer took off into the stands after the offending party, which earned him an eight-game suspension. His most famous tilt was against Pierre Bouchard where the much bigger Bouchard grabbed him in a scrum and left him no choice. 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. Enforcers are typically among the lowest scoring players on the team and receive a smaller share of ice time. This is a list of enforcers who have played in the National Hockey League . Assistant Coach. Jethro Gillies was part of a long line of enforcers from Saskatchewan. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Even his teammates weren't safe as he infamously brawled with Billy Coutu in practice and nearly lost his ear in the process (it's all good though, he found a doctor that sewed it back on). We definitely have to walk a fine line when writingthis list, in terms of what exactly constitutes as an enforcer. 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.. Les Boys (1997) - 6.7. 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. Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool and shootin' some bball outside of the school. Well-regarded during his time in pro hockeys top circuit, Williams could also tally points. An update to yesterday's Watch List: New Teams that have clinched playoff berths since yesterday. His most famous act of violence was a crushing hit on Irvine "Ace" Bailey, resulting in Bailey sustaining near life-ending head trauma. Karlie O'Reilly. The Chief fought the leagues best fighters with frequency, including multiple bouts with Tie Domi, Bob Boughner, and Marty McSorley. McSorely was charged with assault as a result of the incident and was eventually found guilty. The role of the enforcer has diminished since rule enforcement changed following the 200405 NHL lockout to increase game speed and scoring. 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You can imagine what his role was on the team. The Role of the Modern NHL Enforcers Tale of NHL Enforcers Past. The Hamilton, Ontario native accumulated fourth-most penalty minutes in NHL history. He received a punch squarelyto the throat whichpermanently damaged his larynx, though he managed to return and play solid defense for the rest of his career. They are also not highly paid compared to other players, and tend to move from team to team. Hockey is often considered one of the toughest sports to play, but these five players were a cut above in the toughness department. Robert Alan Probert relished fighting in a way few NHL players have. 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]. 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. It wasa costly penalty that shifted the momentum in the series. I'm sure. He played for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. Domi started his career with Toronto, beforemaking an impact for the New York Rangersand leadingthe league in penalty minutes after being traded to Winnipeg. 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. In the 1987-88 season, he spent 398 minutes in the sin-bin yet still managed to score 29 goals! But he doesn't necessarily . Known as the Hammer, Dave Schultz is yet another punisher from Saskatchewan on our list. 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. This film focuses on how the Red Army's veteran coach Anatoli Tarasov. [9] This has led to a decrease in the number of players whose predominant role is enforcer. 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. Enforcers are also referred to as goons or tough guys. Enforcer is an unofficial role in ice hockey. 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. Unfortunately, people just remember the fact that he got busted for using an illegal stick in game two. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. His intensity matched that of Eddie Shore, except Ferguson wouldn't take as many senseless penalties as him. Les Boys came out in 1997 and follows an amateur hockey team and the men who play on it. In my heart of hearts, I dont believe fighting is what did this to Bob, his widow, Dani, told The New York Times in 2011. 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. On January 24, 1987, Todd Ewen, a young right-winger for the St. Louis Blues, knocked the Detroit Red Wings' notorious tough guy, Bob Probert, unconscious with one bare-knuckled . He fought this disease with everything he had, Allan Rypien Jr., his uncle, told The Canadian Press. 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. He remains the Flyers all-time leader in Gordie Howe hat tricks and holds the league record for them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New Jersey Patriots Ice Hockey, Morristown, New Jersey. He lead the league in penalty minutes seven times in his career and was the all-time leader in the stat when he retired. When he was done, he'd stick out that stupid tongue and frustrate everyone even more. 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. [12] New York Times sportswriter John Branch covered Boogaard's death and the epidemic of chronic traumatic encephalopathy that has come as a result of frequent head trauma sustained by hockey enforcers. His mother, Lorraine, said he had been battling depression. did you know that Simon scored29 goals in the 1999-2000 season? permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. To order copies of 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. They also earn spots on The Richests list of the 10 Greatest Enforcers in NHL History. The tide can turn on a dime if a losing team player wins a fight and rallies his bench behind him. Clark Gillies (April 7, 1954 January 21, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Still, hes never bested the 231 minutes he spent in the box in first year in the league. [10], Instead, more well-rounded players are expected to contribute aspects of the enforcer role. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 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. Since entering the league in 2001, hes logged nearly 2,300 penalty minutes against just over 233 points. Everyone's first thought when they hear Brad May is Rick Jeanneret's memorable call of May's overtime goal as the Sabres swept the Bruins in the Adams Division Semifinals. 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 word "goon" is often tied in with the word "enforcer" in the NHL. Team Physician. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution 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. Thus, hes accumulating nearly ten minutes in timeout for every point he tallies. 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. Full Bio. An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition. At present in the National Hockey League (NHL), teams generally do not carry more than one player whose primary role is that of an enforcer. 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