Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players of All Time
You don’t want to get in the way of the Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players of all time.
Hockey enforcers are among the hardest players in the game.
Sure, linebackers and large rugby players take their fair share of punishment. But being an NHL tough guy means dishing out deadly hits, taking blows to the body, and then getting down and dirty with a brawl every now and again when the gloves come off.
These gnarly athletes know how to make things happen, whether it’s defending a star player from a major check or taking down the greatest player on the opposing team. The players on this list aren’t only those who took penalties, but also guys who could dish out some serious punishment—while also playing through the injuries they sustained during the struggle.
To be an NHL tough guy, you have to put in the hours in the weight gym, extra time on the ice, and hard work at home with the appropriate nutrition to help pack on the muscle.
Here are the NHL’s gnarliest, fiercest, hardest-hitting, and simply badass players:
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Howe was known as “Mr. Hockey,” and during his time, he was thought to be one of the toughest players in the NHL. Howe wasn’t much of a fighter, but when he had to, he could give a hard hit. He made his presence felt on the ice by being strong, scoring goals, having true grit, and being very durable.
Howe was born in a country house in Saskatchewan. He played hockey until he was 51 years old, with the Detroit Red Wings for most of that time. The right shooter, who could play with either hand, played in professional games from 1946 to 1980, which is a very long time for a hockey player. Howe played in 1,767 regular-season games, which is the most of anyone in NHL history. He scored 801 goals and had 1049 helpers.
The Hall of Famer made a name for himself in the NHL as a tough guy by doing what is now called the “Gordie Howe hat trick.” This is when a player scores a goal, helps another player score a goal, and gets into a fight in the same game.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils
Stevens was the toughest player on several very excellent Devils teams, including three Stanley Cup winners. Stevens played in nearly 1,600 games during his career, dishing out some nasty blows. One punch sticks out above the rest: Stevens brought down Flyers great Eric Lindros in a blow that may still have the Philadelphia center spinning in his head:
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings
During his 19-year career, Blake was one of the best two-way defensemen in the league. He was also a big, strong figure on the ice. Blake had more than 1,600 penalty minutes over the course of 1,270 games, and he was always ready for a big hit. In 1993, he won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman, and in 2014, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
Orr is regarded as one of the greatest players in NHL history, but he was also one of the roughest. Orr didn’t fight often, but when he did, he delivered, and the Boston Bruins defenseman overcame a slew of injuries over his career. Because of his injuries, Orr was forced to retire early, but not before winning eight Norris awards and clocking nearly 1,000 penalty minutes. Orr also produced one of the best goals in postseason history, a Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal that inspired one of the greatest sports images ever.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Donald Brashear, Montreal Canadiens
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Donald Brashear, Montreal Canadiens
Brashear was known as one of the best fighters in the NHL for a long time. He was the right size at 6’3″ and 237 lbs. Brashear finished his career with more than 2,600 penalty minutes, and one of the most famous things about him is that he played in the NHL game with the most penalties ever. Brashear was on the Philadelphia Flyers team when they played the Ottawa Senators and had a record 419 penalty minutes between them. In an epic fight, Brashear went up against fellow bouncer Rob Ray:
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
During his career, Pronger was one of the league’s most accomplished defensive players, but he was also a commanding presence on the ice. Pronger, at 6’6″ 220 pounds, was generally the heaviest player on the ice—and he had no issue throwing that weight around. The defenceman holds the distinction of getting suspended twice in one postseason year (2007) and eight times overall during his playing career.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Jeff Beukeboom, New York Rangers
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Jeff Beukeboom, New York Rangers
It says so right in the name. Beukeboom was the enforcer and hard-hitter for the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning New York Rangers team. He helped protect players like Adam Graves and Brian Leetch on the ice. Beukeboom played in 804 games and had nearly 1,900 penalty minutes. He won three Stanley Cups during his career.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Cam Neely, Boston Bruins
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Cam Neely, Boston Bruins
Neely was one of the few tough players who could also score (he had nearly 400 goals in 726 games), but he also understood how to throw a big hit. Neely’s career included over 1,200 penalty minutes, earning him the nickname “Bam Bam Cam” from Boston Bruins fans.
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Marty McSorley, Los Angeles Kings
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Marty McSorley, Los Angeles Kings
McSorley was one of the hardest-hitting players in NHL history, and during his time with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, he served as Wayne Gretzky’s unofficial bodyguard. McSorley was in the top five in penalty minutes at the end of his career, but it was also a bit controversial. In 2000, McSorley hit Donald Brashear in the head with a slash, which caused him to fall and get a concussion. The cut started a big fight:
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wings
Top 20 Toughest Hockey Players: Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wings
Shanahan could brag about being the best offensive tough guy in NHL history, since he retired as the only player with 600 goals and at least 2,000 penalty minutes. Shanahan was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 after winning three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
Surprisingly, once his playing days were done, Shanahan became the NHL’s Senior Vice President, a position that required him to issue decisions on players who made illegal hits. Throughout his career, though, Shanahan had no difficulty removing his gloves when necessary:
Matthew Barnaby, Buffalo Sabres
During his career, Barnaby was known for making fun of his opponents on the ice. He did this during fights and after big hits. During his 14 seasons, the center played for the Buffalo Sabres, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Rangers, the Colorado Avalanche, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Dallas Stars. However, he is best known for his time with the Buffalo Sabres. Barnaby spent 2,562 minutes in the sin bin during his career, which put him in the top 20 of all time.
Mark Messier, New York Rangers
Messier is one of the most accomplished offensive players in NHL history, but he is also not afraid to get into a fight. Messier’s stats reflect this: he concluded his career with nearly 700 goals and 1,910 penalty minutes. Messier was a feisty and frightening player who was punished several times, including for an inaccurate elbow hit on Dallas Stars star Mike Modano.
Derek Boogaard, Minnesota Wild
Boogaard played the part of an enforcer throughout his career, which earned him the nickname “Boogeyman.” He was known for fighting even when he was in junior hockey. During his time in the NHL, Boogaard was known as one of the toughest and scariest players. His 6’8″, 265-pound build certainly helped with that.
In a fight, the player who used to play for the Wild and the New York Rangers broke Todd Fedoruk’s cheek and knocked out Trevor Gillies with a punch. Boogaard’s life ended in tragedy in 2011, which may have been caused by the way he played hard. Boogaard will always be associated with the NHL and the fighting culture he was a part of, but he was also a great example of how tough and determined many hockey players are.
Rob Ray, Buffalo Sabres
Ray was a prominent enforcer in the NHL throughout his playing career, amassing 3,207 penalty minutes while with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. Ray had a significant impact on NHL fighting regulations because he frequently did not have his equipment attached to his pants, making it difficult for opponents to gain a strong grip on him during bouts.
This gave Ray a significant advantage, but it also caused the NHL to implement the “Rob Ray rule” to prevent players from adopting his method. But Ray’s off-ice reputation was not as rough as his on-ice persona; in 1999, he received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and humanitarianism.
Tony Twist, St. Louis Blues
During his 10 years in the NHL, Twist was known as one of the best fighters. He got more than 1,100 penalty minutes, making him one of the top enforcers in the league. People in St. Louis liked him a lot, and he never backed down from a fight. Twist would sometimes start them on his own, like when he poked Flyers star Eric Lindros with his stick:
Zdeno Chára, Boston Bruins
When you’re 6’9″, 255 pounds and play hockey, you’re likely to wind up as an enforcer. Chára has established himself as one of the league’s most feared players—as well as one of its most powerful hitters.
Chára’s career has been fraught with controversy, none more so than when he blasted Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty into the boards in 2011. Chára isn’t a “dirty” player; he’s just a big guy who can throw his weight around, which is presumably why he wasn’t penalized for the hit.
Tie Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs
When people think of hockey tough guys, Domi is usually one of the first players named. That’s what happens when you play for 16 seasons and finish your career with the third-most penalty minutes of all-time (3,515). Domi is known by many hockey fans primarily because he threw down the gloves quite a bit.
Tiger Williams, Toronto Maple Leafs
Williams was one of the meanest guards of all time—how could he not be with a nickname like Tiger?He left the NHL with more penalty minutes than any other player ever. Williams played for five different teams for 14 years and got 3,966 penalty minutes. Tiger was known as much for his fights as for his goal celebrations, as Williams liked to ride his stick like a horse down the ice after scoring.
Williams was a pretty good offensive player, scoring at least 40 points in six different seasons. However, he had a tendency to get violent, which led to suspensions, like the time he tried to choke out a Calgary Flames player with his stick and got an eight-game ban. This fight between Dave Schultz of the Flyers and Williams, who was playing for the Maple Leafs at the time, pretty much says it all for Tiger:
Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
Clark, a former first-round choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, scored at least 30 goals in six consecutive seasons, but he was better known for his vicious fighting and crushing checks. Clark spent 1,690 minutes in the penalty box during his career, which explains why he was such a fan favorite in Toronto.
The 5’11, 190-pound winger was proud of his league’s pugilistic image, earning himself the nickname “Captain Crunch” for his punishing hits. Clark played with the Maple Leafs three times, the Quebec Nordiques, the New York Islanders, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Chicago Blackhawks throughout his 15-year career.
Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens
“The Rocket” is known as one of the best playmakers in hockey history and one of the first players in the NHL to score a lot of goals. Richard was the first player to score 50 goals in a single season. When he stopped, he had 544 goals, making him the all-time leader. During his time with the Montreal Canadiens, he was known for both getting goals and being a tough player on the ice.
Richard had almost 1,300 penalty minutes by the end of his career. During the 1954–55 season, he hit a linesman during a game, which became one of his most well-known acts. Richard was later banned for the rest of the season and the playoffs by NHL president Clarence Campbell, which led to a riot (yes, a RIOT) in the streets of Montreal. Four days after Campbell’s ban, he went to a game between the Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. This was called the “Richard Riot,” and fans took to the streets. Damage from the accident cost more than $100,000, but it only made Richard’s story bigger.
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