Hockey's Tough Guys

Curt Fraser vs. Chris Nilan - Call The Police!

2009-11-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a classic hockey fight from the 1980s. Montreal's Chris "Knuckles" Nilan finds a little more than he bargained for when answering the bell with underrated scrapper Curt Fraser of the Canucks.

The linesmen actually thought they had this one broken up before it even got started. They even ejected both pugilists out of the game. But in the spirit of Conn Smythe, the two found each other backstage, and the police needed to be called in to break this one up!

Jason Smith vs. Mark Tinordi

2008-09-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

A young Jason Smith steps in to fight for Tie Domi, of all people. Mark Tinordi was a tough, tough defenseman, fighting this battle with a busted up nose!

You gotta love both Jason Smith and Mark Tinordi. Both were always willing to drop the gloves, but both were valuable top 4 NHL defensemen first and foremost.

Hockey's Tough Guys

2008-03-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

	Shawn Antoski - A linebacker on skates, Shawn Antoski was an intimidating enforcer in the mid 1990s.
	Butch Bouchard - One of hockey's original giants, this rough and tumble defender was one of the greatest captains in Montreal history.

	Dave Brown - Arguably the toughest enforcer in the history of the game, it has been said Dave Brown never lost a fight.
	Larry Cahan - You'd have to search the corners of the planet to find a hard hitting defenseman than Larry Cahan.
	Wayne Cashman - One of the biggest and baddest of the Boston Bruins, Wayne Cashman played an integral role in the success of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito and company.
	Kim Clackson (WHA) - Kim Clackson built up quite the reputation as a tough guy. He wasn't a very good fighter in comparison to the heavyweights, but he never backed down.
	Wendel Clark - Wendel Clark breathed in new life into the Leafs Nation when he arrived in the mid-1980s. He took on all of hockey's villains.
	Bobby Clarke - Depending on who you ask, Bobby Clarke is one of hockey's greatest players or one of hockey's greatest villains. The truth is he was both.

	Steve Durbano - The Hockey News proclaimed Steve Durbano as hockey's baddest man in 1998. He routinely found trouble - both on and of the ice.
	John Ferguson - Though he was far more than a simple goon, everyone remembers the physical exploits of this key Montreal Canadiens rugged winger.
	Reggie Fleming - An aggressive defensive forward with the Chicago Blackhawks, Reggie Fleming was nicknamed "Mr. Clean" but more for his resemblance to the cleaning product mascot than for his play on the ice.

Cowboy Bill Flett - With his thick bushy beard and his trademark black cowboy hat, Bill Flett was an intimidating force with the Broad Street Bullies.

	Nick Fotiu - A native New Yorker, Nick Fotiu was one of the fan favorites at Madison Square Gardens.
	Bob Gassoff - Bob Gassoff was one of the toughest customers of 1970s hockey. Unfortunately struck on Memorial Day weekend, 1977..
	Clark Gillies - "Jethro" was, literally and figuratively, a huge part of the New York Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1980s.

	Ron Hextall - Rambunctious Flyers goalie Ron Hextall was known for fighting and scoring goals. He was pretty good at preventing goals, too.
	Red Horner - Red Horner was one of the toughest players ever in the NHL, during an era when tough was REALLY tough.
	Gordie Howe - Forget about Gretzky or Lemieux. Old time hockey fans will insist Gordie Howe is the greatest of all time, with great merit. Mr. Hockey could do it all

Dale Hunter - The villainous Dale Hunter was the heart and soul of both the Quebec Nordiques and Washington Capitals.

Tim Hunter - The legendary tough guy with the unmistakable nose was a Flames leader through out the Battle of Alberta and in the 1989 Stanley Cup championship season.

Stan Jonathan - Don Cherry compared Stan Jonathan, one of his favorite players, to his bull terrier Blue. It is one of the highest compliments Cherry has ever given a player.

	Forbes Kennedy - He set NHL records for most penalties in a playoff game (8), most minutes (38), most penalties in a period (6) and most penalty minutes in a period (34).
	Joey Kocur - One of the two Bruise Brothers, there may have never been a better knockout fighter than Joey Kocur.

Jim Kyte - Big Jim Kyte was the first hearing impaired person to play in the National Hockey League.

Eric Lindros - The Big E was supposed to be the next great player after Gretzky and Lemieux. Injuries prevented that from happening.

Gilles Lupien - Once the tallest man in hockey, the two time Stanley Cup champion turned player agent had a unique following.

	Keith Magnuson - An imposing figure on the ice, Keith Magnuson was one of the most lovable off of the ice. The heart and soul of the 1970s Chicago Blackhawks.
	Dan Maloney - A heart-and-soul type leader from the 1970s, Dan Maloney was an underappreciated by everyone in hockey except his teammates.

Kevin McClelland - Kevin McClelland is remembered for scoring the only goal in game one of the 1984 Stanley Cup finals. The goal gave the Oilers the confidence they needed to knock off the New York Islanders.

Marty McSorley - Popular Marty McSorley worked hard to shed his goon image and become known as a good player. Then he blew it.

	Chris Nilan - Chris Nilan may be the best fighter in hockey history. He was also a very effective forward.
	Gino Odjick - The Algonquin Assassin was as tough as they come, but he was also known of his unique friendship with Vancouver fans and with Pavel Bure.
	Terry O'Reilly - The brawling Irishman might be the most popular player in the long and storied history of the Boston Bruins.

Larry Playfair - Contrary to his surname, Larry Playfair was one of the toughest and meanest customers around in the 1970s. He was also one heck of a defender.

Willi Plett - Born in Paraguay, this giant learned to use his incredible size and strength to become one of the most intimidating and ornery players in hockey history.

Bob Probert - Hockey's ultimate tough guy rarely lost a battle on the ice. Unfortunately he's lost more than a few off of it.

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - The Hammer and his reputation continue to represent Broad Street Bullies 1970s hockey.

	Al Secord - He was a 50 goal scoring enforcer whose career was sidelined by injuries. Had he been more healthy, he could have been the ultimate power forward.
	Dave Semenko - Best remembered as Wayne Gretzky's bodyguard, "Sammy" was an important part of the Oilers 1980s dynasty.

Eddie Shack - Clear the track for Eddie Shack. Best known as a Toronto Maple Leaf, Shack's beloved antics on and off the ice make him a true legend of hockey

Eddie Shore - Despite finishing his NHL career back in the 1930s, he's the one old-timer who consistently ranks in all of top 10 greatest players lists.

Harold Snepsts - The mustachioed and helmetless Harold Snepsts will forever be remembered as the robust though anything but graceful blue liner with the Vancouver Canucks.

Brian "Spinner" Spencer - A whirling devil during a short career on the ice, Spinner Spencer was a whirling devil with a short and tragic life.

Brian Sutter - The first of six brothers to play in the National Hockey League, Brian set the tone for what would become best known as "Sutter Hockey."

Scott Stevens - Scott Stevens may have been the most feared physical force in the history of hockey.

	Bugsy Watson - Patrolling the blue line for 5 seasons in Pittsburgh, Bugsy Watson was one of the NHL's penalty minute leaders in the 1970s.
	Tiger Williams - NHL bad boy Tiger Williams is the all time penalty minute leader. But what is often forgotten is the fact that he was a pretty good hockey player too.

Bert Wilson - Beltin' Bert Wilson was around for only one reason - and it was not to score goals.

Bryan "Bugsy" Watson

2008-03-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Nicknamed "Bugsy" by Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, Bryan Watson was known to be an agitator extraordinaire. He bothered people, doing whatever it took to make them lose their concentration.

In spite of Bryan's small size (5'9" and 175 Ibs), most people were distinctly aware of his presence. Ken Schinkel, a former teammate and coach of Bryan once said " Bryan is very verbal, and will take whatever steps are necessary to do his thing. That thing means to get into fights, give elbows, and make people boo when he comes to the ice."

Schinkel also recalled when he played against Bryan.

"I felt it when Bryan came to say hello in the corners. You always knew you got hit when Bugsy got to you. "

Watson himself used to say that the contact felt good and got his circulation moving. Pete Stemkowski of the Rangers called him a "Madman". Denis Potvin once described how during a fight Bryan drove his head right into his cheek. Anything counted in Bryan's book. His style of play could easily be seen on his PIM totals. Bryan had 2212 Pim's in only 878 games.

Intimidation was the name of the game for Bryan. He was a pretty bad skater and shooter but he had more guts than most players and that is what kept him in the NHL for such a long time. He only scored 17 goals in the 878 games and had 152 points.

A loyal and absolutely fearless player who never hesitated to stop pucks with his head if the situation called for it, Bryan was a great teammate. In the dressing room he was always on the lookout for a good practical joke. He knew when to lighten the bench, and when to set a fire under someone's ass. He was definitely one of those players who every team liked to have on their side.

But among his opponents he was the kind of player that you loved to hate in the same fashion as an Eddie Shack, Theoren Fleury, or Sean Avery. In other words, you loved to have him on your team but you hated to play against him, because he could be really mean.

This Bancroft, Ontario native played his junior career for the Peterborough Petes in the OHA. He then toiled a short while in the minors before being called up to the Montreal Canadiens where he played 39 regular season games during the 1963-64 season as well as 6 playoff games, but he didn't make much of a name for himself. It was apparent that Bryan's bruising style was not going to fit the fleet style of play that the Canadiens were noted for, so they traded him to Chicago on June 8, 1965. One day later he was claimed by Detroit in the intra-league draft.

Watson spent two years in Detroit, drawing some praise for his job checking Bobby Hull in the 1966 playoffs. Yet he would be claimed by Minnesota in the expansion draft in 1967. The North Stars traded him back to Montreal the same day. Once again he had a short stint with the Canadiens and spend most of his time in the AHL and CHL. Needless to say, Watson's luggage was starting to get worn out after all this movement.

It was during the 1967-68 season that Bryan drew some fame. He managed to lead the CHL in penalty minutes (293) in only 50 games, but he also was named the best defenseman in the CHL as well as being the MVP of the league and a first team All-Star.

He was traded to Oakland in 1968 and then to Pittsburgh in 1969. He managed to stay over 5 seasons in the Steel City, and led the NHL with 212 PIMs in 1971-72.

But Bryan continued to be a well traveled player. He played in St. Louis and Detroit once again before finishing his career with three seasons in Washington. In 878 NHL games he scored just 17 times while setting up 135 others. He retired with 2212 PIMs, then a NHL all time record.

After a short coaching tenure with the early 1980s Edmonton Oilers, Watson would stay in the Washington area in retirement, opening up Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar in nearby Alexandria, Virginia.

Bert Wilson

2008-03-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

A colleague recently shared their views on a former Los Angeles Kings tough guy named Bert Wilson:

"Bert Wilson had only one talent - flapping his sharp elbows into the opposition's ribcage. He was the worst stickhandler I ever saw in the NHL. On the rare occasions that Wilson scored a goal it was by one of two ways: The first one was an occasional goal mouth scramble. The second (usual) way was because the opposition refused to check him. In this scenario, the puck would be deep in the opposition's end. Each opposing defenseman (usually with the help of a back- checking forward) would drape themselves over Wilson's line mates the moment they touched the puck until they passed it back to Beltin' Bert. The remaining opposing forwards would harass the King's D men at the points should the puck come to the D men. If the Kings had the puck, the opposition wanted Wilson to have it! Wilson would be left all alone with the puck without being harassed. Under those conditions, even Wilson had more than enough time to skate in alone with the puck and have just as much time to get a point blank shot on goal - and a few went in!

"However, I give Wilson some credit. At least the effort was there even if the talent wasn't. I'm sure it was there since he probably realized that if he didn't go all out for a game, it may be his last one in the NHL."

Wilson did last 7 full NHL seasons and 478 games. In that time he scored just 37 times, while setting up 44 others. He was drafted by the Rangers and played in their minor league system for the first 5 years of his career before finally catching on in New York. Best known as a King, he also played with St. Louis and Calgary before rounding out his career with two seasons with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the CHL.

So there you have it. Another player in a long list of forgotten about players who survived by playing as physical as they could, despite having few tangible hockey skills.

Here's a YouTube highlight of Bert Wilson dropping the gloves with Behn Wilson:

Kim Clackson

2008-01-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

My face is so pretty, you don't see a scar, which proves I'm the king of the ring by far. - Muhammed Ali

Well Ali's comments are probably quite accurate in the world of boxing, the same doesn't necessarily translate into the world of hockey fighting.

Case in point - Kim Clackson.

Kim was a tough guy of some repute in the 1970s. He started out with Victoria of the WHL junior leagues where he earned a fearsome reputation. His physicality from the blue line intrigued both the WHA and NHL, as both leagues drafted him relatively high in their respective 1975 entry drafts.

Clackson chose to move on to the WHA, playing 4 years, 2 with Indianapolis and 2 with Winnipeg, setting team season and career records with each. He was part of the Jets championship teams in 1978 and 1979.

He moved to the NHL for 2 seasons following the WHA's collapse, playing for Pittsburgh and then Quebec. In the first period of his first game, he fought Boston's Stan Jonathan and Al Secord. In 206 career NHL games he recorded 370 PIMs and no goals.

Dating back to their days in junior hockey, noted NHL tough guy Dave Semenko got quite well acquainted with Clackson, perhaps more so than any other tough. They battled in juniors, in the WHA and in the NHL.

At 5'11" and 195lbs, Clackson was quite a bit smaller than most guys, which perhaps is why he earned a reputation as one of the worst stickmen in every hockey league he played in. In his autobiography "Looking Out For Number One," Semenko laments Clackson's stick work and sort of dismisses him as a true top tough guy, but shows him quite a bit of respect, too.

"Sometimes it felt like we spent half of our careers fighting each other," wrote Semenko. "We went all the way back to junior days in Western Canada, where he played for the Victoria Cougars. The first time I saw Kim I didn't know what to expect. I'd heard all about him. His reputation was what you might call a little frightening, because he was supposed to be right off the wall. He couldn't be intimidated, no matter what. There were rumors flying around the league about the 1000s of stitches he was responsible for. Guys like that scared me more than anything. You could pound on them only to have them come back later and cut your eyes out with their sticks."

Semenko remembers one crazy night in Edmonton when Clackson took liberties on Wayne Gretzky.

"All hell broke loose one night when Clackson cut Gretzky, who'd been cruising through the crease. I was away from the play but Mark Messier was in the neighborhood, so he went right after Clackson. The linesmen had them separated and Clackson was in the penalty box when I got into it with Russ Anderson and we were sent off, too.

"The fights were still going on out on the ice. I sure wasn't prepared to just sit there in the penalty box like a statue, so I said to hell with it and hopped out of the penalty box, turned around, and invited Clackson to come out. Now here I am, standing at the door to their penalty box, trying to get at him. But while I'm throwing lefts at Clackson, Anderson's trying to grab my arm. The two of them were both trying to get hold of me and drag me into their penalty box.

"Meanwhile, though I didn't realize it, a brawl was breaking out behind me. Anderson saw it and went to find someone to fight. That left Clackson and me all alone. He wasn't going to back down, so we went at it. The first thing I did was get his helmet off so I wouldn't hurt my hand at all. I managed that and we thrashed around a little more. Then the linesmen came in and broke us up.

"At that point, nobody was bothering me and everything seemed evenly matched, so I just watched the fight. But about a minute later Clackson wanted a rematch. He'd found his helmet, strapped it back on, and damned if he didn't come right back after me. I got the hlmet off him again and got on him pretty good until the linesmen came along and separated us a second time.

"So I figured it was over. But guess who's got his helmet strapped back on, looking for another piece of me? Clackson. We went at it a third time. Three times during one fight. That had to be a record.

"My hands were sore from hitting this guy on the head, though you'd never know it from looking at him. He looked so innocent, with that baby face of his that almost impossible to mark. I had one good fight against him in Winnipeg when I got a lot of punches in and thought I'd rearranged a few features rather drastically. Yet when we lined up to play the next game, there's Clackson without a mark on his face!"

Unlike the stereotype of hockey's tough guys, Clackson was a surprisingly intelligent human being. After retiring from hockey he returned to Pittsburgh after retirement and went into commercial real estate business, becoming senior vice president of local CB Richard Ellis office. Has consistently been one of company's top producers, and has worked on deals for many of its biggest corporate clients.

Five Rounds: Gillies vs. O'Reilly

2008-01-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

Pound for pound, I don't know if there was ever a better fighter than either Clark Gillies or Terry O'Reilly. I'd definitely included both of them amongst the best fighters ever, up there with Bob Probert and John Ferguson. And the best thing among all 4 of these guys - they were all very good hockey players too.

Here's a special treat for you hockey fight enthusiasts - five different fights headlining Gillies and O'Reilly. Enjoy!

Round One - Slightest edge to Gillies

Round Two - Decisive win for O'Reilly

Round Three - Quick take down by Gillies

Round Four - I calling this one a draw

Round Five - O'Reilly with the decision, but DQ'd with a knee/kick

Jim Kyte vs. Marty McSorley

2007-12-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a beauty from the old Smythe Division. Jimmy Kyte, hockey's only deaf player, made a name for himself fighting the likes of Marty McSorley

Eric Lindros vs Scott Stevens and Marty McSorley

2007-11-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

He was big, strong and mean. He may not have been a great fighter, and given how good he was, he probably shouldn't have been fighting in the first place. But every once in a while, Eric Lindros liked to blow off some steam by dropping the gloves.

Here he is taking on his arch rival Scott Stevens:

And here he is in tough against the wily Marty McSorley:

Earl Heiskala

2007-07-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

Meet Earl Heiskala, one of the original Broad Street Bullies.

Though he was gone before the glory, or should we say gory days of the Philadelphia Pugilists, Heiskala was one of the few original tough guys in the Flyers lineup in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Flyers actually started to build their team around little but skilled players like Andre Lacroix, Simon Nolet and Jim Johnson. Heiskala was the resident tough guy.

Heiskala played his junior hockey with the Hamilton Red Wings until 1963. He then bounced around the minor league circuit before finding a home with the WHL Seattle Totems. He spent three years in Seattle, from 1965 through 1968. By his third year he had established himself as a player to be reckoned with, as he scored 26 goals while accumulating a league high 157 PIM.

Heiskala's boss in Seattle was Keith Allen. The same Keith Allen would leave Seattle when the NHL expanded into Philadelphia. It was Allen who showed good faith in Heiskala, and by the 1968-69 season had acquired him to play with Philadelphia.

Allen and coach Vic Stasiuk believed in the young left wingers potential, but never saw it realized at the NHL level. His best showing was in 1969-70 when, often playing with Garry Peters and Dick Cherry, he scored 8 goals and 15 points plus 171 PIM. However #19 was criticized for not contributing enough in terms of tangible on- ice performance to warrant his high penalty minutes, and became a spare part in 1970-71.

For whatever reason, Heiskala never seemed to get along with members of the Boston Bruins. On October 13th, 1968 he fought Derek Sanderson AND Ken Hodge. The following season Heiskala got into it with none other than Bobby Orr. After a bit of a high sticking duel, five minute majors were handed to both participants, though the linesmen got in the way too early for a true fight.

Part way through that 19 70-71 season Earl was demoted to the minors, where he'd spend a year and a half in the minors with the San Diego Gulls. Earl loved the California sunshine, and jumped at a chance to return to major league hockey when the WHA Los Angeles Sharks offered him a contract. He spent a year and a half in the WHA before the Sharks tried to trade him to New York. He never did play for that team, and instead stayed in sunny California.

Chris Nilan

2007-06-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

If you wore the opposition's uniform in a game against a team with Chris Nilan on it, you were guaranteed of one thing - he'd hit you. Hard. Very hard!

Best known as the long time tough guy of the Montreal Canadiens, Chris combined his incredible upper body strength with his good balance on skates to routinely paste guys into the boards or right on their behinds! He loved to hit, and his good hockey sense helped him become a devastating forechecker. Although just an average skater, Nilan used persistence and determination, along with anticipation, to hustle in on the puck carrier. And like all good hockey players, Nilan always finished his check, often running into the player after he hurried a pass to nowhere in particular. Unfortunately for Nilan, he was often a victim of his reputation and over aggressiveness. He'd often cancel out his hard forechecking work by raising his elbow or giving a guy a little shot to the head. That resulted in many minor penalties against the man known as one of the baddest boys in the NHL.

Known as "Knuckles" because of the bad shape his hands were in from the numerous fights he was in throughout his career, Nilan's true job in the NHL was to protect his teammates and act as the team's enforcer. He wasn't afraid of anyone and while he didn't always win his fights, he showed up and gave it everything he got. And you know he had to show up a lot when he was in Montreal in particular. Fierce rivalries with Quebec and Boston made Chris' knuckles ache in anticipation of the big game. He was a great guy off the ice, a great leader, always keeping the opposition honest and sacrificing his body for the good of the team. He was also known for using his stick for intimidation purposes.

Nilan led the NHL in penalty minutes two years in a row. In 1983-84 he sat in the penalty box for 338 minutes while in 1984-85 he bumped that up to 358. However Nilan wasn't strictly a goon who was good in the dressing room. In addition to his good forechecking ability, Nilan was at least a decent player. In the two years he led the league in PIMs, he scored 16 and 21 goals respectively. He added a 19 goal season in 1985-86 and was even part of the 1987 United States team in the Canada Cup tournament, scoring twice in 5 games.

Nilan patrolled the right win for Montreal from 1980-1988. In the 1987-88 season Chris' production slowed down a bit and there was even talk that he wasn't quite as physical as he used to be. The Canadiens decided to trade him while they could still get good value for him. They dangled him to the New York Rangers in a flip of 1st round draft picks.

In New York, Nilan ran into some serious injury problems, including a strained pelvic muscle that caused him to miss more than half of a season. He played in only 85 games in just over 2 seasons with the Blueshirts. In most of those games he was playing at less than 100% health, thus affecting his effectiveness on the ice.

The unthinkable happened in 1990 when the Rangers traded Nilan to the Boston Bruins. Finally Chris had a chance to play in his hometown, but it seemed extremely weird to see him wearing the "spoked B" on his chest. For so many years in Montreal Nilan would be the big gun in the on-ice war between the two hated rivals, and just never seemed quite right.

Nilan's injury problems continued to plague him Beantown. Ankle surgery cause him to miss half of the 1990-91 season.

1991-92 proved to be the final year that Chris played in the NHL. After playing 39 games with the Bruins, the Canadiens elected to pluck their former gunslinger from the Bruins via the waiver draft on February 12, 1992. Chris finished his career in a Habs uniform, just like it started.

Chris retired with 110 goals, 225 points and 3043 PIM! He added 8 goals and 17 points in the playoffs, as well as 541 PIM, which once stood as a record for most PIM in the playoffs in a career.

Joey Kocur

2007-04-02T09:35:00.001-07:00

I recently read an interview with Donald Brashear describing what it was like to take on Joey Kocur in a fight:

"Kocur was hitting me in the helmet like a power hammer and in the end the helmet split! I remember the next day I had a terrible pain, my gums on the left side of my head were hurting even though he was hitting me on the right side of my face. I couldn't chew anything. I wonder what it would be if I did not have a helmet? Too scary."
Too scary indeed. Joe's punching power is legendary. He was regarded as being the hardest puncher of them all. When he caught someone with that right sledgehammer, it was lights out.

What Brashear learned that day was what many others learned on many other days: Don't mess with Joe Kocur. Don Jackson tried it, and had his jaw broken by a single punch. Big Jim Kyte took him on, then had to be helped off the ice. Brad Dalgarno got worst, though, when he had his orbital bone crushed. Dalgarno underwent several operations and missed over a year of action.
Kocur's reputation as a tough 'hombre' began in the junior leagues where he racked up 1053 penalty minutes in only 226 games. He also scored 177 points. Detroit drafted Joe in the 5th round, 88th overall in 1983.

Kocur's professional career almost came to an end before it had begun. While playing for Adirondack (AHL) in January 1985 he engaged in a fight with Nova Scotia's tough guy Jim Playfair. One of Joe's punches connected with Playfair's teeth so that Kocur suffered a deep cut on his knuckle. Soon the wound got infected. Doctors gave him antibiotics but his hand didn't get better. The infection was in fact so severe that the doctors were ready to amputate Joe's hand to save his life. But only hours before the operation, the antibiotics started to work and his hand was saved.

When Joe made Detroit's lineup it meant that they had the most feared one-two punch in the league. Tag-teaming with Bob Probert, the dastardly duo were quickly dubbed "The Bruise brothers."

Kocur has fond memories of these times:

"Back then me and Bob carefully used to go through the opponents lineup before each game. That way we could put up a strategy against the guys we were supposed to go up against."

Kocur led the entire NHL in penalty minutes 1985-86 when he had 377 PIMs. The following five seasons he never collected less than 213 Pim's per season.

Interestingly, Kocur never saw himself as a "goon."

"A goon is someone who deliberately tries to injure his opponent. I'm was more of a "policeman" who defended my teammates. There are players who tries to make a name for themselves by fighting smaller players. I've never did that. I only fought against players who could defend themselves."

Kocur, who grew up idolizing Terry O'Reilly and Al Secord, was not a raging headhunter like so many goons. Like Philadelphia's Dave Brown or Edmonton's Dave Semenko, Kocur was honorable in his fighting, and once he bested his opponent he would never throw extra punches. He would simply tie up the other guys arms and wait for the linesmen to step in.

Kocur's reputation masked the fact that he was a serviceable role player. Occasionally he was used in a shut down role, notably against cousin Wendel Clark of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a thunderous body checker thanks to good speed and balance on his skates. He had a heavy shot which he didn't use often enough. Though his hands were soft enough to take and give good passes, he never forgot why he was employed in the NHL.

"You do what it takes to stay in the game," he says. "I can't get away from doing what I do best."

Kocur's career in Detroit lasted until March 5, 1991. That's when he got traded to New York Rangers. The Rangers were a smaller, skilled team and were looking for that physical presence. In retrospect, GM Neil Smith called Kocur "the final piece of the playoff puzzle."

It was an interesting time for Kocur.

" It was tough in the beginning. I missed Detroit and it's great fans. After all, I had played for Detroit during my entire NHL career. But I quickly understood that Rangers was a very good team to end up in. The New York fans instantly made me feel welcome. They are not very different from the fans in Detroit. They both love tough play, combined with technique and finesse."

Of course Kocur eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup with Rangers in 1994.

" I thought the whole city was going to explode when the final buzzer sounded. Those were unforgettable days."

On March 20, 1996 Kocur was traded to Vancouver. His stay in Vancouver was brief as he only played 7 games for the Canucks. The Canucks management thought he was washed up and that his hands were done. He had undergone four operations on his right hand so they left him unsigned after the season.

Kocur was 31 years old at the time and started to play some recreational "Beer league hockey" for Lakeland in the OAL league (Over 30 Amateur league). Instead of retiring he surprised everybody by coming back where his NHL career had started...Detroit. Scotty Bowman thought Joe could add something to the lineup and signed him as a free agent on December 27, 1996.

Kocur immediately struck gold as he and Detroit won the Stanley Cup two years in a row. Who would have thought that while he was playing for Lakeland in the OAL league ?

Kocur, also a cousin of NHL player/coach/ESPN analyst Barry Melrose, announced his retirement in October, 2000 it marked the end of one of NHL's most fearsome fighters in NHL history. He kept in the game by trying his aching hand as an assistant coach. Undoubtedly he also spends lots of his time playing the more civil sport of golf, where he is a scratch handicap.

Boston Bruins vs MSG Fans

2007-03-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

This absolutely unbelievable that this ever happened! New York Rangers fans at Madison Square Gardens got a little too involved on this night. One fan reached over the low glass and grabbed a stick and started hitting Bruin players with it. Next thing you know Terry O'Reilly scales the glass and attacks the fan. Before you know it many of the Bruins players are in the stands attacking a few trouble making fans. Mike Milbury is even hitting one fan with his own shoe!

Probert Crowned Champion

2007-03-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Province has crowned Bob Probert as the NHL's all time greatest heavyweight.

Our panelists agree, with one dissenter, that Bob Probert is the meanest, toughest, best fighter of all time in the NHL. And if he's tougher than Dave Brown, that's saying something.

Panelist member Don Taylor had some interesting insight:

The bigger the stage, the better Probert fought.
"Who can forget Probert's successful rematch with Tie Domi at Madison Square Garden or his demolishing of Dave Semenko?
"Bob Probert was at his best when all eyes were on him, when his title was challenged, when people doubted him."

Be sure to check out The Vancouver Province's website for more features. There is also a nice article on former Canucks' pugilist Craig Coxe.

You can read my profile on Bob Probert here.

Nick Fotiu vs. Steve Durbano

2007-03-10T10:52:00.001-08:00

The following YouTube video may be the craziest NHL brawl I've ever seen.

For whatever reason, all the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues players are on the ice following a Brian Sutter goal. Everything is calm, except for Staten Island tough guy Nick Fotiu, who is enraged at St. Louis' whirling dirvish Steve Durbano.

Durbano was a real nut case, as was documented in a special feature article in The Hockey News maybe 8 or 10 years ago now. When all seems calm and done with, Durbano wildly breaks free and attacks Fotiu.

The linesmen finally get those two apart, and escort them off the ice. Durbano proceeds to moon the Madison Square Gardens fans!

For some reason, both Durbano and Fotiu are both running to their respective dressing rooms. That's when every realizes that the rooms are so close to each other that they will meet each other in the corridor. A mad rush by players and presumably security guards ensues.

See more classic hockey fights at Hockey's Tough Guys.

Steve Durbano

2007-03-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

They called him "Demolition Durby" and "Mental Case Durbano." He is perhaps hockey's baddest man - both on and off the ice.

Durbano was a journeyman defenseman for parts of 6 NHL seasons. His toughness was legendary, and also the reason he was so highly touted when he came out of junior. He was drafted 13th overall in the 1971 Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. The Rangers passed on names like Terry O'Reilly and Larry Robinson to get Durbano.

The Rangers, however, traded Steve before he even played a game in the NHL. He ended up in St. Louis where he made his NHL debut in the 1972-73 season. He would go on to play with Pittsburgh, Kansas City/Colorado before returning to St. Louis in 1978 to finish his career. Durbano scored 13 goals and 73 points in 220 NHL games.

Durbano sat out 1127 PIM in his 220 NHL games, a average of over 5 minutes a game! The 5.1 PIM per game is the highest mark for anyone with more than 1000 minutes. When the Broad Street Bullies were brawling their way through the mid-seventies, Durbano led the league in penalty minutes with 370. When asked who was the toughest player of his day was, he'd always answer "I was. I still have all my teeth, and I'm proud of that."

Many of Durbano's fights didn't happen on the ice. He was an alcoholic and routinely was in bar room brawls wherever he went. But the bar room brawls almost seem saintly compared to some of the other stuff Durbano has done in his life. In 1983 he was convicted for drug trafficking and in 1998 he was found guilty of running a prostitution ring.

In December 1998, The Hockey News ran an article on hockey's baddest player. Durbano has moved to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. He moved to the "Gateway to the Arctic" to escape his past and start over. The article said that Durbano was cleaning up his act somewhat - he worked hard as an Electrolux salesman and claimed to have given up cocaine.

However he remained a heavy drinker and died in 2002 of liver failure.

Nick Fotiu

2007-03-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

Nick Evlampios Fotiu was tough as nails. As a son of a Greek father and Italian mother he had the temperament in his blood. When Nick grew up in Staten Island he used to take the 3½ hour journey to Skateland, which was an ice rink in New Hyde Park. The trip required two buses and two subways so it wasn't unusual that Nick stayed there until they closed.

Years later Nick reflected back on those times.

"Sometimes I'd find myself on the subway in the middle of the night and I'd say to myself, ' Am I nuts or what ? Is this all worth it ? I'd be up at 3 AM, and getting home at 9 AM because it was often easier to get ice between 5 AM and 7 AM - so just when people were first getting up, I'd be coming home from the rink, dropping of my gear, and going to work. " Nick said.

And when the Rangers practiced at Skateland, Nick was around to carry the players sticks and telling them that he one day would make it to the big league.

Nick could very well have become a professional boxer. He was very strong and went on to become the Police Athletic League Boxing Champion and surely could have had a future as a pro boxer. His boxing skills was something that many players experienced in the hockey rink throughout the years. Not many wanted to fight Nick for obvious reasons. Nick never saw himself as a goon though.

"I'm no goon. I play hockey. I check. If anybody wants to fight, I'll fight." Nick once said. Not that many people really wanted to fight him. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, one of hockey's most infamous tough guys, wrote in his book that Fotiu was the only man he was afraid to fight in his NHL career.

Nick started playing competitive hockey in 1971 for the New Hyde Park Arrows in the NY Rangers sponsored Metropolitan Junior Hockey Association. He then went on to play for the Cape Cod Cubs in the (NAHL) where he in his first year picked up a league high 371 Pim's. In June 1974 the New England Whalers (WHA) signed him as a free agent. Nick played two seasons for the Whalers before he was signed by the NY Rangers on July 1976.

Nick became an instant hit in the Big Apple as the crowd embraced their "local kid." Nick was after all a native New Yorker who had lived in NY all his life (he attended New Dorp High School). It has always incorrectly been said that Nick was the first native New Yorker ever to play for a New York team, which isn't quite true. Billy Burch, born in Yonkers, NY used to play for the NY Americans back in the 1920's and 30's.

After three seasons in New York, Nick was claimed by the Hartford Whalers in the 1979 expansion draft. The NY management weren't happy to see Nick go to Hartford so they re-acquired Nick in 1981. During his second stint in NY he became even more popular. One of the most appreciated things among the fans was when Nick tossed pucks up to the crowd after pre-game warm-ups. This became a ritual before every home game.

Nick won the Rangers Fan Club award (Frank Boucher Trophy), given to the most popular player on and off the ice. He won it in 1982 and 1984. Unfortunately his time in NY had to come to an end. On March 11, 1986 he was traded to Calgary. Nick went on to play for Philadelphia and Edmonton as well shortly thereafter. Nick retired after the 1989-90 season, shortly before his 38th birthday.

Nick wasn't a very technical player but had a pretty decent shot and was a pretty fair skater as well. He didn't excel in any of these departments, but he was a fierce competitor who always played hard and who was willing to lay out heavy hits as well as drop the gloves.

Nick, who probably has the NHL's best middle name - Evlampios - retired with 646 NHL games under his belt. He scored 60 goals and 137 points in that time, as well as picking up 1362 PIM. He also played 110 games in the WHA, scoring 5 goals and 9 points plus 238 PIM.

Brown or Probert? Who will come out on top?

2007-03-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

Bob Probert vs. Dave Brown. Who would you choose as the NHL's all time heavyweight champion?

The Vancouver Province has been running a promotion to determine hockey's all time greatest fighter. The two finalists are Probert and Brown. Probert advanced through, among others, Ted Lindsay, Clark Gillies, Tony Twist and Dave Semenko, while Brown successfully fended off the likes of Stu Grimson, Gordie Howe and Joey Kocur.

It's not surprising that two modern era fighters are in the final. I can't think of two more feared heavyweights in their time. I suspect Probert will come out on top. He was a fan favorite who got a lot of ink in his heydays, although not always for the right reason. Probert took on everyone and anyone, whereas Brown was much more picky in his glove dropping, and therefore probably never lost a fight.

Place your vote at TheProvince.com. The winner will be announced next Sunday!

Below is a YouTube video of the two heavyweights going head to head. Be sure to watch the replay, as a different camera angle is shown. The standing crowd tends to block the original camera at times.

Dave Brown

2007-03-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

Dave Brown is considered by many to be one of hockey's all time greatest fighters.

"When he punched you, it hurt." said penalty minute king Tiger Williams of Brown. Tiger, who fought as much as anyone as his almost 4000 career penalty minutes will attest, fell short of naming the toughest guy he ever faced. But Williams had high praise for Terry O'Reilly, Dave Semenko and Dave Brown.

Lots of people have lots of respect for the 6'5" 220lb Brown, who is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Brownie was an honest player who intimidated the opposition in order to keep them honest. No one would take liberties on one of Brown's teammates because if they did, they knew they would have to face the justice of Dave Brown.

So feared was Brown, he didn't even have to drop the gloves on many occasions. While playing with the San Jose Sharks, Dody Wood recalls an incident when Edmonton tough guy Louie Debrusk was causing some after-the-whistle commotion in the corner of the rink.

"(With his reputation) he just has to talk to (another player) and they're scared. Brownie just tapped him on the shoulder," Wood recalls, "and said, 'Louie, what are you doin'?'"

Debrusk simply skated away. Problem solved. Dave Brown's job was done. People feared Brown. More importantly, people respected him.

While Dave's only true on ice contribution was in terms of such intimidation, he was a valuable player. There is no way to measure such a contribution, nor his other contributions, mainly things such as leadership. About the only way to realize his value is to look at the fact that he played in the NHL for more than a decade, mostly with the same team. Given his lack of measurable contributions such as goals and assists, that tells us that Dave Brown was a valuable commodity.

An example of his leadership was how hard he practiced. He rarely got to actually play more than a couple of minutes in many games, but he spent hours working on his limited skating and puck skills. He was always there to help a teammate work on a drill. He also helped to develop a great camaraderie in the dressing room, as he was a very popular teammate.

Brown played in 729 games, mostly with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also played 2 1/2 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers where he was part of the 1990 Stanley Cup Championship. He spent his final season (1995-96) with the expansion San Jose Sharks. He scored 45 career goals while adding 52 assists for 97 points. And in the most telling stat of all, he spent 1789 minutes in the penalty box.

Bob Probert vs. Dave Brown

2007-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Bob Probert vs. Dave Brown. Who would you choose as the NHL's all time heavyweight champion?

Mark Messier vs. Marty McSorley

2007-02-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

In honour of Mark Messier's jersey retirement in Edmonton, I present Messier scrapping twice with old Oilers buddy Marty McSorley. Messier doesn't fare well against Big Marty, but shows his natural strength. One of the dirtiest players in the game, Messier wasn't noted for fighting so much as his elbows and high sticks. His reputation and his piercing glare intimidated most players to the point where they didn't want to test him anyways.

The Hanson Brothers

2007-02-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

Love them or hate them, they need no introduction. They are The Hanson Brothers.

They are fictional characters from the 1997 Paul Newman cult movie hit Slap Shot (Buy the DVD - Amazon.ca or Amazon.com) who on the surface stand for all that is wrong in hockey, namely violence and fighting. Yet they are entertaining, somehow loveable, and without digging too deeply genuinely good guys.

The movie glorifies violence, in a good humoured way, in the low minor leagues. The Charlestown Chiefs are based on the real life Johnstown Jets of the lowly North America Hockey League. Reggie Dunlop, the foul-mouthed coach portrayed by Newman, is based on Long Island Ducks coach John Brophy. And the Hanson Brothers are based on three real life brothers - Steve, Jeff and Jack Carlson, three of five children of an iron ore worker from Virginia, Minnesota.

The book and movie were written by Nancy Dowd, sister of Jets player Ned Dowd. Several of the Jets players expressed interest in trying out for roles in the film. Steve and Jeff Carlson, who early in their career played with the black rimmed glasses, would be cast as Steve and Jeff Hanson, respectively, and would essentially be playing themselves. Dave "Killer" Hanson was cast as Jack "Killer" Carlson after the real Jack Carlson missed filming deadlines. Jack Carlson, easily the best of any of the Jets players, was called up to the WHA Edmonton Oilers for their Avco Cup playoff run.

Here's a clip of the movie courtesy of YouTube:

So just who were the men behind the coke-bottled glasses?

After finishing high school, the three Carlson brothers began an interesting professional journey in Marquette, a prison town on Lake Superior. The Iron Rangers once played an exhibition game against the inmates, believe it or not.

"The convicts weren't as rough as I thought they'd be. I was only 18 at the time, but I remember the guys watching from the stands. They made a lot of noise," said Steve, who in real life was more of a scorer than tough guy. It was his brothers who were the true tough guys.

After one season the trio moved to Johnstown, PA to play for the Jets, all on the same line when healthy. Steve led the team in scoring with 88 points and to the Lockhart championship in year one. Not to be outdone, Jack scored 27 goals in 50 games while sitting out 246 minutes in penalties. Jeff, who tapped in 17 goals of his own, led the team with 250 PIMs, one more than new teammate Dave Hanson.

The NHL and WHA did notice the Jets. The Detroit Red Wings drafted Jack 117th overall and Steve 131st overall in 1975. In 1974, the Minnesota Fighting Saints drafted Steve 102nd overall, Jack 132nd overall, and Hanson, a defenseman from Cumberland, WI, 88th overall. Jeff, a true goon with little else to offer on the ice, was never drafted.

In 1975-76 Jack, nicknamed The Big Bopper, said good bye to Pennsylvania and returned to his native Minnesota to play with the Saints full time. Steve and Jeff would get brief appearances that season as well, with Steve sticking the following season. Hanson would get a look-see in 1976-77 season before catching on with the WHA Birmingham Baby Bulls in 1977-78. The 6'3" 210lb Jeff Carlson earned a hockey living the hard way - by literally fighting for a pay check in the low minor leagues for years to come, retiring in 1983.

Filming of the movie began in 1977, but Jack, briefly a member of the Edmonton Oilers, was busy in the playoffs and unable to film. The film would bring Steve and Jeff closer with Dave Hanson. Soon after the movies release the three were all offered other Hollywood projects, but they refused to give up on their dream of playing in the NHL. All three protagonists would return to hockey. Steve and Dave joined Jack with the New England Whalers, though Hanson would soon leave for Birmingham.

In 1978-79 Jack became the first of our quartet to play in the National Hockey League. Suffering from back and shoulder injuries, the Whalers sent him in a cross-league trade to the Minnesota North Stars.

Jack missed the entire 1979-80 season while recovering from spinal fusion surgery to repair a disc in his back. He would successfully return to play in 236 NHL games with the North Stars and St. Louis Blues, scoring 30 goals. His highlight came in 1981 when the North Stars advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. Jack played in 15 games, including one memorable game against Boston where he set a team record (since broken) with 48 penalty minutes in one game.

1978-79 aslo saw Hanson appear in the NHL, 11 games with Detroit. He would appear in 22 games with Minnesota in 1978-79 before being buried in the minor leagues. He scored 1 goal in his NHL career, 13 in the WHA.

When the WHA collapsed in 1979-80, Steve Carlson got his chance in the NHL. Steve played in 52 games with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 9 goals and 21 points. He would be released at season's end. He would sign with the North Stars and Penguins organizations, destined to play out his career in the AHL.

Nowadays, Steve, Jeff and Dave travel the world in their now famous Hanson Brothers personas, often attending fund raisers and charity events.

Vic Hadfield vs Jim Harrison

2007-02-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this really old school fight from 1971. Vic Hadfield and Jim Harrison ignite what becomes a bench clearing brawl, with both Bernie Parent and Eddie Giacomin getting involved.

Hadfield actually throws Parent's mask into the crowd, which gets the police and King Clancy involved! Parent never did get the mask back, forcing him to the bench while Jacques Plante took over for the rest of the game.

I also found this video interesting because the footage is so old. Note how the commentators say almost nothing for much of the fighting.

Ron Hextall Goons Chris Chelios

2007-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Remember this battle from the 1989 playoffs? Earlier in the series Chris Chelios became the number one target in the so-called City of Brotherly Love after he knocked skilled winger Brian Propp out with a big that left Propp concussed. With the series wrapping up, goalie Ron Hextall decided to equal the score the old fashion way.

"We were down in the series and it looked like it was going to be Chelios’ last shift. I’m not sure really what happened. I just felt the need to go after him, partly out of what he did to Propp and partly out of frustration with the situation we were in as a team."

When asked if Hextall regretted the incident: "Of course I did. I got suspended the next year for 12 games (to start the 1989-90 season). So essentially you cost your team your services at the start of the next season. I regret it, but reflecting back, I believe it was the right thing to do at the time."

Willi Plett vs. Behn Wilson

2007-02-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

This fight is a rematch from earlier in the 1978-79 season. Watch Wilson land some real right-handed bombs, including one that sends Plett's helmet flying.

Terry O'Reilly vs Behn Wilson

2007-02-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

One tough guy I don't think ever got enough respect was Behn Wilson, perhaps moreso while with Philadelphia than Chicago. Here he hands legendary Terry O'Reilly two beatings in the same game.

Tim Hunter vs. Marty McSorley

2007-02-14T23:12:00.000-08:00

Tim Hunter was more of a grappler and a yapper than a true heavyweight fist chucker. As demonstrated in this fight with Marty McSorley, he liked to tie up his opponent's sweater and engage in a tiring tugging war.

Hockey's Tough Guys

2007-02-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Butch Bouchard - One of hockey's original giants, this rough and tumble defender was one of the greatest captains in Montreal history.

	Wayne Cashman - One of the biggest and baddest of the Boston Bruins, Wayne Cashman played an integral role in the success of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito and company.
	Wendel Clark - Wendel Clark breathed in new life into the Leafs Nation when he arrived in the mid-1980s. He took on all of hockey's villains.
	Bobby Clarke - Depending on who you ask, Bobby Clarke is one of hockey's greatest players or one of hockey's greatest villains. The truth is he was both.

	John Ferguson - Though he was far more than a simple goon, everyone remembers the physical exploits of this key Montreal Canadiens rugged winger.
	Reggie Fleming - An aggressive defensive forward with the Chicago Blackhawks, Reggie Fleming was nicknamed "Mr. Clean" but more for his resemblance to the cleaning product mascot than for his play on the ice.

Cowboy Bill Flett - With his thick bushy beard and his trademark black cowboy hat, Bill Flett was an intimidating force with the Broad Street Bullies.

Clark Gillies - "Jethro" was, literally and figuratively, a huge part of the New York Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1980s.

	Ron Hextall - Rambunctious Flyers goalie Ron Hextall was known for fighting and scoring goals. He was pretty good at preventing goals, too.
	Red Horner - Red Horner was one of the toughest players ever in the NHL, during an era when tough was REALLY tough.
	Gordie Howe - Forget about Gretzky or Lemieux. Old time hockey fans will insist Gordie Howe is the greatest of all time, with great merit. Mr. Hockey could do it all

Tim Hunter - The legendary tough guy with the unmistakable nose was a Flames leader through out the Battle of Alberta and in the 1989 Stanley Cup championship season.

Stan Jonathan - Don Cherry compared Stan Jonathan, one of his favorite players, to his bull terrier Blue. It is one of the highest compliments Cherry has ever given a player.

	Forbes Kennedy - He set NHL records for most penalties in a playoff game (8), most minutes (38), most penalties in a period (6) and most penalty minutes in a period (34).
	Dan Maloney - A heart-and-soul type leader from the 1970s, Dan Maloney was an underappreciated by everyone in hockey except his teammates.

	Kevin McClelland - Kevin McClelland is remembered for scoring the only goal in game one of the 1984 Stanley Cup finals. The goal gave the Oilers the confidence they needed to knock off the New York Islanders.
	Gino Odjick - The Algonquin Assassin was as tough as they come, but he was also known of his unique friendship with Vancouver fans and with Pavel Bure.
	Terry O'Reilly - The brawling Irishman might be the most popular player in the long and storied history of the Boston Bruins.

Willi Plett - Born in Paraguay, this giant learned to use his incredible size and strength to become one of the most intimidating and ornery players in hockey history.

Bob Probert - Hockey's ultimate tough guy rarely lost a battle on the ice. Unfortunately he's lost more than a few off of it.

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - The Hammer and his reputation continue to represent Broad Street Bullies 1970s hockey.

Dave Semenko - Best remembered as Wayne Gretzky's bodyguard, "Sammy" was an important part of the Oilers 1980s dynasty.

Eddie Shack - Clear the track for Eddie Shack. Best known as a Toronto Maple Leaf, Shack's beloved antics on and off the ice make him a true legend of hockey

Eddie Shore - Despite finishing his NHL career back in the 1930s, he's the one old-timer who consistently ranks in all of top 10 greatest players lists.

Harold Snepsts - The mustachioed and helmetless Harold Snepsts will forever be remembered as the robust though anything but graceful blue liner with the Vancouver Canucks.

Brian "Spinner" Spencer - A whirling devil during a short career on the ice, Spinner Spencer was a whirling devil with a short and tragic life.

	Brian Sutter - The first of six brothers to play in the National Hockey League, Brian set the tone for what would become best known as "Sutter Hockey."
	Tiger Williams - NHL bad boy Tiger Williams is the all time penalty minute leader. But what is often forgotten is the fact that he was a pretty good hockey player too.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

2007-02-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hockey's "toughest" guys aren't necessarily the fighters. No, there are countless intimidating physical players throughout league history who were never great fighters, but devastating bodycheckers. They played the game far more physically than many of the "designated sitters."

Therefore I present 5 memorable bodychecks:

Trevor Linden puts Jeff Norton through the glass

Vladimir Konstantinov hammers Detroit's number one nemesis Claude Lemieux

Wendel Clark rings Bruce Bell's bell

Of course, the best hitter of the past generation was undoubtedly Scott Stevens. Here's a TSN Top Ten of Stevens' greatest hits

But even the master must take his licks sometimes too. Stevens is blown away by Mark Messier in game 2 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.

You Pick The Champ

2007-02-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Who is hockey's greatest heavyweight champion? Bob Probert? Tie Domi? Tiger Williams? John Ferguson? Gordie Howe? Dave Semenko?

The Vancouver Province wants your help to determine the definitive answer, putting the NHL's all time best in a last man standing tournament. Fan votes count for 50% of each decision, while a panel of experts even things out. Check it out.

Who would I vote for? I would say Bob Probert was the best I've personally seen, but Fergie would likely be an equal.

Wendel Clark vs. Bob Probert

2007-01-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Probably my two favorite tough guys from the 1980s were Bob Probert and Wendel Clark. That's saying something considering I'd also highly rate Marty McSorley, Brian Sutter, Chris Nilan, and Al Secord. Notice something? They could all actually play hockey as well as fight. Anyways, Clarkie shows some real spirit here, and staggers the big man.

John Kordic vs. Jay Miller

2007-01-25T11:22:00.000-08:00

John Kordic and Jay Miller are two tough guys that I openly admit I never really appreciated much. Perhaps that's because I'm on the west coast and they were primarily Eastern based. Or perhaps it was because neither player could actually play much hockey. But I have to admit, these two were among the best at what they do. They display their chucking skills in the following video. A word to summarize - ouch!

Patrick Roy vs. Detroit Red Wings

2007-01-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Watching goalies fight goalies is always fun. Despite the annoying play by play from the easily excitable Colorado commentator, the most famous goalie fights in recent memory have Patrick Roy vs. Mike Vernon then Chris Osgood in the height of the Red Wings/Avalanche rivalry. Enjoy!

Georges Laraque vs. Raitis Ivanans

2007-01-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

This 2006 fight became an instant classic. It's long with a few real haymakers. But the reason why this fight became legendary is because Georges Laraque is wearing a mic. Be sure to watch the fight's replay a little over a minute in. You will hear Georges not only ask to fight, but wish his dancing partner good luck.

Larry Robinson vs. Dave Schultz

2007-01-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

Tiger Williams vs Hammer Schultz

2007-01-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

I don't think either of these two guys would be considered the greatest fighter of all time. But they were so intimidating that their reputations established themselves as hockey's baddest boys even to this very day. Dave "Tiger" Williams, then a young pup with the Leafs, takes on the figurehead of the Broad Street Bullies, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz.

Probert Slays Semenko

2007-01-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly sure of the date of this fight, but Bob Probert was in his prime and the undisputed heavyweight champion. Dave Semenko, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was in the twilight of a feared career that once saw him hold Probert's title. In this match of Champ vs. Legend, Probert cleans up nicely!

Wayne Gretzky vs Neal Broten

2007-01-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

Occassionally I'll show an infamous fight, such as the following. Not many people know Wayne Gretzky was assessed with three 5 minute fighting majors in his career. He took on Doug Lecuyer, Bob Murray, and as can be witnessed here, Neal Broten.

Shanahan vs. Brashear

2007-01-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

In a brutally physical game on December 30th, 2006, Brendan Shanahan once again showed why he is one of the NHL's all time greats.

Shanny is a 500 goal scorer, a Stanley Cup champion, and one of the game's greatest leaders. While he doesn't need to fight, he will when it is necessary.

Donald Brashear couldn't hold Shanahan's jock strap when it comes to a hockey comparison, but he is a true NHL heavyweight. He had spent a bit too much time taking liberties on Jaromir Jagr in this game, lighting the Irish fire in Shanahan's make up.

I love this fight, because it is for the right reasons. Shanny didn't wait and let his team's goon take on Brashear. He instantly let Brashear know that what he was doing was unacceptable. And since the NHL won't crack down on goons like Brashear attacking star players, Shanahan took it upon himself to hold Brashear accountable.

Good job Shanny!

Jarome Iginla vs. Vincent Lecavalier

2006-12-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals showdown featuring Jarome Iginla vs. Vincent Lecavalier has to be my most favorite fight in recent memory.

Why? Because it was a fight for the right reasons. It was a completely spontaneous bout between two guys who had battled head to head and had reason to drop the gloves with one another. This wasn't pre-meditated, or pre-choreographed like so many hockey fights nowadays. No, this was a rare treat, a barely-seen-anymore spill-over from the battles of the hockey game.

Get rid of useless goons who drop the gloves as soon as the puck is dropped. Get rid of the cheap shot artists and the pests.

But never, never should we eliminate a spontaneous fight.

Jonathan vs. Bouchard

2006-12-18T22:45:00.000-08:00

It is one of the most famous fights in the long and often brutal rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Stan Jonathan walloped Pierre Bouchard in this bloody battle. Bouchard, son of Habs legend Butch Bouchard, was a pretty nice 5 or 6 slot defenseman who needed to be physical to keep his job. He was never quite the same after taking this beating from Stan Johnathan!

Craig Coxe vs. Bob Probert

2006-12-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

Without doubt, Craig Coxe is the best NHL hockey player ever from Chula Vista, California. If anyone ever saw him play, you know that isn't saying much.

But gangly Coxe could fight, and carved out a reputation as one of the toughest of the game when he bloodied Bob Probert. Regardless, Probert probably gets the slightest edge in this fight in my books, and then lands a couple of late upper cuts.

Do you want to learn more about Craig Coxe. Read his interview with David Singer at Hockey Fights.com

Dave Brown vs. John Kordic

2006-12-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

Dave Brown, best known of the Philadelphia Flyers, truly deserves recognition as one of the top 10 fist-chuckers in hockey history. Here he annihilates John Kordic, then of the Quebec Nordiques.

Domi vs. Probert

2006-12-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

Back in 1991, Bob Probert was the undisputed NHL champ, and Tie Domi was an unknown tough guy. That changed thanks to their inaugural bout. Domi certainly didn't lose the fight, and he claimed he won immediately after by his WWE antics. That set up the much anticipated rematch in 1992.

Gino Odjick vs. St. Louis Blues

2006-12-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

YouTube Fight Of The Day

Tough guy Gino Odjick, a.k.a. "The Algonquin Assassin," ranks as one of the most popular fan favorites in Vancouver Canucks history. The usually quiet Vancouver faithful loved to boisterously repeat chants of "Gino! Gino! Gino!" whenever Odjick hit the ice, or, more often than not, whenever Odjick hit a member of the other team.

As a Canuck fan, I found few others as entertaining as Gino. Here's a classic clip of Gino taking on the entire St. Louis Blues.

Troy Crowder vs. Bob Probert

2006-12-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

YouTube Fight Of The Day

Bob Probert was the most feared fighter of his day. He was so scary even I was intimidated as I sat on my couch.

That didn't stop the Devils' Troy Crowder from making a name for himself. A raw rookie from the minor leagues, Crowder handily defeated the heavyweight champ, making him the talk of hockey for a few days, and earning him a 150 game career in the NHL with 4 teams. In fact, the Detroit Red Wings were the first team to pry him out of New Jersey.

Wendel Clark vs. Marty McSorley

2006-12-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

YouTube Fight Of The Day

The 1993 Western Conference finals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings goes down in history as one of the most famous playoff series in Stanley Cup history.

One of the most famous moments came in game 2 when L.A.'s evil Marty McSorley dared to rock the Leaf's new leader Doug Gilmour with a vicious body check. Wendel Clark answered by challenging McSorley to one of the most famous bouts of all time. The two warriors slugged away until neither man could fight no more.

Chris Nilan vs the Boston Bruins

2006-12-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

YouTube Fight Of The Day

This bench clearing brawl is beyond belief. You sure don't see this in the NHL anymore!

A line brawl is in progress when poor Paul Boutileer is horribly mismatched against Chris "Knuckles" Nilan. After holding his own Boutileer makes the costly mistake of thinking their fight is done, even though the linesemen are not present, and looks to see what else is going on on the ice. Nilan clocks him, earning the ire of Boston's resident goon Jay Miller. A full bench brawl spills on to the ice, and the unthinkably down the tunnels to the dressing rooms. Boston coach Terry O'Reilly, not too far removed from his fighting days as a player, even gets into it with Mike McPhee! Unbelievable!

Bob Probert vs. Marty McSorley

2006-12-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

YouTube Fight Of The Day

Two of my all time favorite tough guys have to be Bob Probert and Marty McSorley. The two of them went at it seemingly forever back in 1994, courtesy of YouTube.

Forbes Kennedy

2006-11-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

Forbes Kennedy was a diminutive but aggressive center for 5 NHL teams. The 5'8" 150lb center was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick but grew up in Prince Edward Island.

Kennedy left the Island to join the Montreal Jr. Canadiens. After three seasons with the Baby Habs, Kennedy's rights were sold to Chicago in 1956. Forbes would make the Hawks in his first year of pro eligibility, a rarity in the old 6 team league. Forbes scored 8 goals and 21 points in his rookie season.

Kennedy's stay in the Windy City was short however as he was a part of what was one of the biggest trades in NHL history on July 23, 1957, when he was traded along with a few other "grinders" from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Ted Lindsay and Glenn Hall.

Kennedy improved in his first year with Detroit to 11 goals and 27 points in 70 games but slipped to only 1 goal and 4 assists in 67 games. The next season he appeared in only 17 games before being banished to the minor leagues until he was traded to Boston in December 1962.

Kennedy had his best year in a truncated season. He only played in 49 games but had 12 goals and 18 assists. He went on to play 3 more seasons with the Bruins before again being returned to the minors.

Expansion saw the return of the feisty sparkplug, this time with the Philly Flyers. He spent almost two years with the Flyers before being traded to Toronto in late 1969.

Forbes last NHL game was against the Boston Bruins in the 1969 playoffs. Talk about going out with a bang - he was one of the key combatants in what later became known as one of the greatest on-ice hockey riots in NHL history, sparked by Pat Quinn's knocking out of Bobby Orr. When all was said and done he had set NHL records for most penalties in a game (8), most minutes (38 - since bettered), most penalties in a period (6) and most penalty minutes in a period (34). He was also suspended for three games, reportedly for punching a referee en route to the locker room

Kennedy retired from the NHL after the 1969 season with career numbers of 70 goals, 108 assists and 988 penalty minutes in 603 regular season games. He was forced into retirement that year when a Toronto doctor removed cartilage from his right knee.

Willi Plett

2006-09-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

One of the rare players in NHL history to hail from South America, big Willi Plett was born in Paraguay, though raised in Ontario. He and his parents moved to Ontario when he was only 1½ years old. His parents were born in Russia but moved out from there when they were in their 20's during the World War II. Then they lived in Germany, Poland and South America before finally settling down in Canada. Willi's dad, John, worked in Canada as a bricklayer to support his family.

Willi didn't start playing competitive hockey until he was 13 years old. Up until that time he played high school football and lacrosse, two vigorous contact sports that aided Willi on the ice. Willi was never much of a skater but was a hard worker and a team player. He used his muscles in and around the goal cage and was hard to move away from the slot. Willi had a very short junior career and only played a handful of games for Niagara Falls and St. Catherines. He was regularly criticized for not using his size to his advantage. Despite that, someone from the Atlanta Flames scouts saw him and liked what they saw. The Flames drafted him with their 4th choice, 80th overall in 1975.

Willi started his professional career in CHL for Atlanta's farm team, Tulsa Oilers. Plett is quick to credit head coach Orland Kurtenbach for making him into an NHL player. Kurtenbach was a similar player to Plett. Both got off to late starts in their hockey careers, and both made it in the NHL due to their size and willingness to use it. It was Kurtenbach who convinced Plett to charge into corners aggressively, be the immovable object in front of the net, and be willing to battle with all comers.

In his first pro season in Tulsa he played well enough to earn a four game call up to Atlanta. During the 1976-77 season he started in Tulsa again but after 14 games he was called up to Atlanta and never looked back.

On November 12, 1976 he made his NHL season debut on the right wing on a line together with Tom Lysiak and Eric Vail. The "Downtown Connectors" clicked immediately and finished the season with 208 points, 95 of them goals.

Willi scored 20 goals in his first 35 games, while fellow NHL rookie Don Murdoch of NY Rangers (who scored 16 goals in his first 16 games), to create one of the most interesting races in the history of the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year. While Murdoch was slumping during the second half of the season, Willi continued playing strong two way hockey for the Flames. Willi finished his rookie season with 33 goals and 56 points in 64 games and won the Calder Trophy.

Willi had some stellar seasons in Atlanta / Calgary. His best season goal and point wise came during the 1980-81 season. He scored 38 goals and had 68 points.

He was a fan favorite in both Atlanta and Calgary because of his aggressive player. Yes, Plett was a feared heavyweight NHL fighter, but, save for his plodding skating, he was also an extremely good player.

"His greatest plus is his size. No one can forget he is out there running around. And my biggest defenseman can't handle him in front," suggest Atlanta coach Fred Creighton.

"He had one ability," says Cliff Fletcher, long time Atlanta/Calgary GM and one of Plett's earliest believers, "In all sorts of heavy traffic he could get the puck, snap off a shot real quick and most times it was pretty accurate. And he was big. I had to like that."

He was traded, on his birthday nonetheless, to Minnesota during the 1982 entry draft with Calgary's 4th rounder that year for Steve Christoff, Bill Nyrop and Minnesota's 2nd rounder that year.

Willi spent five relatively anonymous seasons in Minnesota. Despite once scoring 4 goals in a single game while in Minny, his role seemingly was reduced to that of pugilist more than all around player. The old Norris division featured some bitter rivalries and many brawls. His goal totals dwindled while his fighting majors and penalty minute totals increased. As he aged, the intimidating, ornery warrior found he less and less enjoyed the game.

Minnesota traded Plett to the NY Rangers for Pat Price on September 8, 1987. But before Willi played a game in New York he was claimed by Boston of the waiver draft. The veteran only played one year in Boston before retiring after the 1987-88 season. It almost became a very memorable season. He helped Boston reach the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the strong Edmonton Oilers team.

Willi played hardnosed hockey all the time and finished his 13 year NHL career with 2572 penalty minutes in only 834 regular season games, still ranking him among the all time leaders in PIMs. Willi could not only fight but also put the puck in the net. He had 437 points (222 goals and 215 assists) in 834 regular season games and 46 points (24 goals and 22 assists) in 83 playoff games. In addition, he retired with 466 NHL playoff penalty minutes, once an NHL record.

No, Willi Plett was never in the running for the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play, In 1980, he landed a huge bodycheck on Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren, and the ensuing fight touched off a bench--clearing brawl. In 1982, he was suspended for eight games for a sticks-winging incident with Detroit goalie Greg Stefan. In the 1984 playoffs, he went after Blackhawks goalie Murray Bannerman after being speared, touching off a bench-clearing brawl. The next season, Plett and Detroit's Greg Smith began to fight as the teams went to their dressing rooms after the first period, The ensuing brawl included a wrestling match between coaches Glen Sonmor and Nick Polano. In 1988, he received a five-minute head-butting penalty during a fight-fest between Boston and Quebec in which 219 minutes in penalties were doled out.

Willi Plett returned to Atlanta following his NHL days. He opened a car dealership, but later found his true post-hockey calling the Willi Plett's Sportspark in Atlanta--a golf course, driving range, baseball batting cages, and restaurant in one 15-acre complex.

Brian "Spinner" Spencer

2006-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

The life of Brian "Spinner" Spencer was turbulent, fast and tragic.

He grew up in the Canadian backwoods and as every kid in Canada he dreamed of becoming a hockey pro, spending many hours in the local rinks.

Brian's energetic gung-ho style was appreciated by his junior teams and coaches. He went on to play for the Calgary Centennials in the WHL 1967-68 and did quite well. The following season he played for both the Estevan Bruins and Swift Current Broncos (WHL), scoring almost a point per game combined with his aggressive in-your-face hockey.

Brian attended Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in 1969 but didn't make the final cut. He was assigned to the farm team in Tulsa where he played most of the season. He got his first recall to the Maple Leafs on December 9, 1969 but didn't play. He had to wait until March 14, 1970 before he made his debut (vs. Boston 2-1). Brian saw the odd shift in another 8 games that season.

The next season Brian was a regular in Toronto for most part of the season. Unfortunately tragedy struck, and it would haunt Brian for the rest of his life. Brian told his parents that he would be a second period guest during Hockey Night In Canada's telecast of the Leafs game against Chicago on December 12, 1970. Brian's parents were extremely proud to have a son in the NHL, especially his father Roy.

When Brian's father discovered that the CBC affiliate near the family's Fort St.James home was carrying the Vancouver-California game instead, he became enraged. He drove over two hours to Prince George Television station CKPG and held employees hostage with his pistol and forced them to cut the transmission power. After a short while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived and a shootout followed. Roy Spencer was shot and killed at the age of 57.

The death of his father hit Brian hard and it hurt Brian for the rest of his life according to people around him, although he tried not to show it. It was his father's dream to have one of his sons playing hockey. Brian's twin brother Byron did not make it, but Brian did, and it made his father almost burst of pride.

Brian split the 1971-72 season between Toronto and Tulsa. He was then left unprotected in the 1972 expansion draft and was picked by NY Islanders. Brian spent the next 1½ years on Long Island before being traded to Buffalo on March 10, 1974.

Brian had his best offensive production in a Sabres uniform when he had 41 points, including 12 goals, in 1974-75. Brian played well in Buffalo and was extremely popular with the fans. His hustle, aggressive play and ability to hit was something the fans loved. Brian developed to a pretty good all-around player.

Traded to Pittsburgh in September 1977, his offensive production fell as he became more specialized as a checking forward. Brian's last NHL season came in 1978-79 when he played 7 games for Pittsburgh. He then finished his playing career in the AHL (Binghamton, Springfield and Hershey) and retired after the 1979-80 season.

The story about Spinner Spencer should end here, but unfortunately his life after hockey became a mess. Brian moved to Palm Beach, Florida right after he retired. He met the wrong kind of people in Florida and got involved with drugs and crime. He moved in with a prostitute who worked for an escort service. She accused Brian of committing a 1982 murder against a Palm Beach Gardens restaurateur named Michael Dalfo.

Brian was arrested for a first degree murder in January 1987 but was acquitted in October 1987 after a 10-month trial. Needless to say, Brian didn't feel much better after that experience. In February 1988 Brian visited former Leaf teammate Jim McKenny, a friend of Brian who at the time was working as a Toronto sportscaster. Jim noticed how disillusioned Brian was.

"He walked down a lot of avenues people have never been. He experienced a lot of things people never have, " McKenny said later. " He thought he was the only bad person in the NHL, he felt he was the only person who failed. But I told him there were 200 other guys who messed up worse than he thought he had. I told him he shouldn't feel guilty. It's really tough to re-establish yourself after hockey. He was all alone. When he came here he was amazed at the interest of people. He was surprised people still cared about him. He thought he was the scum of the earth. But he really picked up when he visited Toronto. He wasn't your run-of-the-mill NHL'er. He was inquisitive about everything."

A book about Brian's life named Gross Misconduct: The life of Spinner Spencer by Martin O'Malley was due to be released and Brian was very happy about it. Finally his life seemed to turn around for the better.

But that never happened in Spencer's lifetime. On the night of June 2, 1988, Brian and his friend Gregory Scott Cook cruised around Riviera Beach, allegedly to buy a rock of cocaine. (which was later denied). After having made the buy they stopped a couple of blocks away when a stranger in a white car pulled up, walked to the driver's side window, demanded money (reportedly getting as little as $ 3) and shot the 38-year old Brian in the heart.

Cook, who escaped uninjured, rushed Brian to a nearby fire station. The paramedics took Brian to St. Mary's hospital in West Palm Beach where he was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m. June 3, 1988.

Brian's hectic life came to an abrupt end just as he was turning his life around. The curly haired Spencer was survived by his twin brother Byron, mother Irene, his two ex-wives, Linda and Janet plus his five children, Andrea, Nicole, Kristin, Jason and Jarret.

Hockey fans will always remember that curly hair and wide smile on his face when he hustled down the ice to nail somebody to the boards, his energetic style that earned him the nickname "Spinner". People will always remember "Spinner", on the contrary to what he always thought.

Gino Odjick

2006-08-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Tough guy Gino Odjick, a.k.a. "The Algonquin Assassin," ranks as one of the most popular fan favorites in Vancouver Canucks history. The usually quiet Vancouver faithful loved to boisterously repeat chants of "Gino! Gino! Gino!" whenever Odjick hit the ice, or, more often than not, whenever Odjick hit a member of the other team.

Odjick was far from the best player on the ice. He was perhaps the clumsiest skater I've ever seen, but he had a decent scoring touch. But make no mistake, he was there for two reasons - leadership and toughness.

Odjick was a leader. He was more popular among teammates than with fans. He would go to any length to help out a teammate, on or off the ice. When Mark Messier and Mike Keenan chased popular figures such as Trevor Linden out of town, Odjick was perhaps the only player to stand up against the new regime. Earlier, when Jeff Brown was suddenly dismissed for suspicious reasons of disorderly conduct, Odjick reportedly gave Brown a going away gift - two black eyes.

Though tight with most of the Canucks' brass, Odjick had a special bond with Pavel Bure. Bure, often accused of being aloof and disinterested in the team away from the ice, had a unique and unlikely friendship with Odjick. Bure was the superstar hockey player from Moscow with Hollywood good looks. Odjick, a full blooded Algonquin Indian who grew up in poverty on the Maniwaki reserve in Quebec, shouldn't have lasted as long as he did in the NHL. But the two were inseparable, and Odjick acted as the link between the team and its distant superstar.

"He came over from Russia, and was a Red Russian, very proud of his heritage, and when he came I knew the feeling he had. We were two people who came from completely different cultures than what we were put into," Odjick explained.

Odjick often played on a line with Bure, which came as little surprise. Odjick's only job on the ice was to protect Vancouver's star players, particularly the Russian Rocket.

Odjick did just that. He was never considered to be the NHL's heavyweight champion, but he was well respected in that circle, and always showed up. Too often he would jump into a fracas from behind, and occasionally he went berserk and crossed some lines.

That's what Odjick did best. In his very first game, he took on Chicago heavyweights Dave Manson and Stu Grimson. The chants of Gino started immediately. The only other time I remember Vancouver fans to be as excited about a NHL debut was when Bure played his first game. A cult hero was born.

Soon Odjick had established himself as a heavyweight contender, especially after divisional showdowns with the likes of Marty McSorley and Dave Brown.

And the rest of the Canucks truly benefited from Odjick's presence. Just ask Cliff Ronning.

"Having a guy like Gino around really makes all of us play bigger and tougher. We aren't afraid of initiating battles, because we known Gino is with us. There is a noticeable difference in team mentality since Gino's arrival," Ronning told the Vancouver Province.

Life in the NHL was a definite adjustment for Odjick, but more off the ice than on it. Growing up on the tiny, close-knit reserve did not prepare Odjick for life in the big city. He was constantly getting lost among the skyscrapers of downtown Vancouver, and was ill prepared for life as an NHLer. For example, suits and ties are the NHL norm, Odjick only had a sweater until Stan Smyl took him shopping. The reserve life left Odjick very sheltered. In a classic example, Odjick never had cable television on the reserve. Once in Vancouver, one fan held up a sign proclaiming "Gino is tougher than Saddam," of course referring to Saddam Hussein during the original Gulf War. The under-educated Odjick spent much of the night scanning the ice and asking teammates, trying to find this Saddam character in order to fight him.

By his second season, Odjick had fully adjusted to life in Vancouver. And he proved to be more than just a tough guy. He scored 29 points, including 16 goals, 5 of which were game winners. In fact, in total he played in 605 NHL games, including stops in Long Island, Montreal and Philadelphia. He scored a respectable 64 goals and 73 assists in that time, not to forget his walloping 2567 career penalty minutes.

Odjick had proven the Canucks right. His biggest supporters were Pat Quinn, Brian Burke and in particular Ron Delorme, a full blooded native scout in the organization. They all believe he could play, not just fight, in the NHL.

Odjick, who grew up idolizing native warrior Stan Jonathon of the Boston Bruins, had the same aspirations.

"That was the goal. I never wanted to fight just to see if I was tougher than one guy. I never wanted to be known as the toughest guy in the NH. I just wanted to known as a guy that took care of his teammates."

Like so many Canucks of the 1990s, Odjick was victim to the Keenan-Messier regime that tore apart the team. With Quinn and Burke gone, Odjick knew it was just a matter of time before many of the players, including himself and Bure, were moved too. Odjick's dismissal came in March 1998, soon after he publicly stood up for long time captain Trevor Linden.

Odjick was sent to the New York Islanders, who ironically were in Vancouver that week for a game. In that game, Odjick dropped the gloves against and easily defeated Jason Strudwick, the man he was traded for. Even though Odjick was now in an opposing uniform, the Vancouver fans gave one last rousing Gino chant, and said good bye to one of the most popular players in Canucks history.

Bob Probert

2006-08-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

During his prime Bob Probert was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the NHL. In fact many experts rank him as the greatest fighter in hockey history.

He quickly built a reputation as a feared fighter who rarely lost. He had some legendary battles with Bob McGill, Tie Domi, Troy Crowder, Todd Ewen and Craig Coxe.

"Those old Norris Division rivalries back then sure were a lot of fun," he recalls

As his reputation spread across the league, he quickly developed an intimidating aura about him. He would play along side the great Steve Yzerman, but instead of watching what amazing trick Stevie Wonder would come up with next, I often found myself focusing in on what his right winger was up to.

That's how good Probert was. I rarely enjoy a hockey fight, it is not why I watch the game. But when I watched Detroit back in the late 1980s and 1990s, I was eagerly anticipating what Bob Probert would be up to on any given night. To watch him do his job was truly an event.

Years would go by, and like most heavyweight champs he became the benchmark for the younger and stronger players, most of whom idolized Probert, to establish their own reputations. He rarely backed down, and always held his own. And he always gave those young guys a chance to make a name for themselves.

"Probie was the epitome of a tough guy,'' Peter Worrell said. "He had a long career. I'm glad I'm not him. If you were waiting to prove yourself as a tough guy, you had to prove it with Probie. Now there's no legitimate No. 1 guy."

``I've got a lot of respect for him. He was tough as nails. The fights from his early days were scary to watch.''

All in all, Probert's 16 NHL season career featured an amazing 231 career fights, and his 3300 PIMs ranked fourth all time when he retired.

Lost in the bloodshed was the fact that was Probert was a very good hockey player. He was a top line player with Detroit for much of his stay there, often riding shotgun with Yzerman and Gerard Gallant. Five times in his career he scored at least 14 goals despite sitting out at least 237 minutes in penalties. In his best year was 1987-88 when he scored 29 goals and 62 points despite accumulating an astonishing 398 PIMs. That year he was invited to the mid-season all star game, and assisted on a goal by Wayne Gretzky. He was dubbed by some members of the media as the most intimidating combination of power and skill aside from Mark Messier.

In total he scored 163 goals and 221 assists for a solid 384 points in an 935 contests. Had he not faced so many suspensions, he would have easily topped the magical 1,000 game mark.

He was not the one-dimensional goon that so many of his contemporaries were. He established that he could play the game well, but he never shied away from his policeman duties. He was not only a better player than the other goons, but he was a better fighter. He had the most amazing balance on skates, and rarely went down. He also had that glare in his eyes that screamed "if looks could kill" that only enhanced his feared reputation. Probert entered every altercation with a huge psychological advantage.

Unfortunately for hockey's ultimate bad boy, Probert's life has been consumed with a bigger fight that he has never been able to win. Alcoholism and drug use plagued Probert while he played and after he retired. He was arrested six times for driving under the influence while he played in Detroit. He was also convicted of smuggling cocaine across the Canadian-USA border, a crime he served 90 days in prison for. He was also suspended by the NHL for life because of the incident, but had the ban lifted over a year later when he checked out of a substance abuse program. Despite his return, part of his prison sentence stated he was forbidden from leaving the United States, meaning he could not play road games in Canada let alone return home to southern Ontario until approximately Christmas, 1992. When he joined Chicago in 1994 he would crash his motorcycle in another drinking and driving incident and was suspended for the entire season.

Trouble has continued to follow Probert in retirement. But in recent years he really cleaned up his act. He had his demons and his problems, but he was a good man with a big heart.

That heart failed him on July 5th, 2010. While out boating on Lake St. Clair, he collapsed from chest pains. Authorities administered CPR upon the boat's arrival on shore, but to no avail. By the time Probert reached the hospital he was pronounced dead. He was just 45 years old.

Dan Maloney

2006-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

"I never counted the number of fights I've been in or how many I won or lost. It doesn't matter how many fights you win, anyway. It's how many times you show up for them that counts." - Dan Maloney

This Irishman may have been quiet and soft-spoken off the ice but on the ice he was anything but. Dan Maloney was a charismatic leader who always stuck up for his teammates. As a result he was he was always popular in the dressing room wherever he played.

Dan grew up in Barrie, Ontario as the youngest of nine children. He played his junior hockey for the Markham Waxers and the Toronto sponsored London Knights. There he played on the same line as future Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler. In his final junior season Dan chipped in with 31 goals and 232 PIMs in 54 games.

The Chicago Black Hawks liked Dan's rugged play and claimed him in the 1970 amateur draft (1st choice,14th overall). Dan quickly established himself as one of the leagues premier pugilists. He won some memorable fights as a rookie, but he also contributed offensively. Over the years Dan fought the toughest players and won many of his fights, even though a serious shoulder injury slowed him down a bit in later years. He was never afraid to drop 'em. His fearless attitude was his greatest ally in the NHL trenches.

Late in the 1972-73 season, Chicago was in desperate search for a veteran center. Chicago's own superstar center, Stan Mikita was out with a broken left heel. Chicago offered Toronto Dan Maloney for future HOF'er Norm Ullman but Ullman had a clause in his contract which gave him the right to veto any deals. Ullman refused to join the Hawks, so instead Dan went to Los Angeles in exchange for Ralph Backstrom.

Dan's stint in LA lasted little over two years. He had a career high 66 points (27goals and 39 assists) in 1974-75. Bob Pulford, the coach behind the Kings bench, considered Dan to be one of his key players. But when owner Jack Kent Cooke signed free agent Marcel Dionne from Detroit, Dan and defenseman Terry Harper were shipped to Michigan as compensation in 1975.

"Losing Maloney was a big blow to what we were trying to accomplish in LA. He was our leader, a much respected player," Pulford said.

In his first season with the Red Wings Dan equaled his career high 66 points In Detroit he quickly became GM Ted Lindsay's favorite player and became the team captain. Lindsay, who himself was one of the toughest players of his era, appreciated Dan's similar style of play.

On November 5, 1975 in a game between Detroit and Toronto, Dan pounced on Maple Leafs defenseman Brian Glennie from behind. He dropped Glennie with a punch, hit him several more times, then repeatedly lifted and dropped Glennie by the scruff of his neck, causing his head to strike the ice. Glennie was hospitalized with a concussion.

Dan was charged with assault to cause bodily harm for his attack. He was the first NHL player charged under the 1976 crackdown on hockey violence ordered by Ontario Attorney-General Roy McMurtry. Dan was eventually acquitted of the charges by a jury in this widely publicized two-week Toronto trial in the summer of 1976. However he wasn't allowed to play in Toronto for the next two years.

Ironically enough Toronto is the place where Dan would be traded to in 1978. The complicated deal saw Dan go to Toronto with Detroit's 2nd round choice (Craig Muni) in the 1980 Entry Draft for Errol Thompson and Toronto's 1st (Brent Peterson) and 2nd (Al Jensen) round choices in the 1978 draft and Toronto's 1st round choice (Mike Blaisdell) in the 1980 draft.

The first player who greeted Dan when he entered the Maple Leafs dressing room for the first time was Brian Glennie who had no hard feelings towards Dan for the incident that took place almost three years earlier. Dan of course welcomed the opportunity to play for Toronto.

"I was making Detroit my year-round home and enjoying my life there, where I felt a part of the community," Dan said back then. "The Wings were building with young players. But moving to the Leafs was a great chance for me, jumping to a club that's a contender with a good shot at some big things. "If I had to be traded, Toronto is the spot I would have wanted to come. My hometown is Barrie, which is 40 miles away, and my family is there."

Not only Dan was excited to land in Toronto, Leafs GM Jim Gregory said. " A big need on our team was a tough, aggressive left winger and no one filled the bill better than Maloney."

Coach Roger Neilson said "With Dan, Tiger Williams and Pat Boutette on our team, left wing is probably our toughest position, physically."

Bruins coach Don Cherry, a noted expert on hockey's tough guys, was envious.

"At the time the trade was made, I said that it was a good one for the Leafs. They picked up a good, tough, experienced winger who fitted right in with what the team was trying to do."

Dan was immediately reunited on a line with his junior line mate Sittler and Lanny McDonald and helped Toronto reach the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time in 11 years. Dan eventually played in Toronto until his retirement in 1982.

Dan was certainly no speed demon on his skates, but he worked very hard to improve his skating. He lacked the natural scorer's touch around the net and had to work hard for everything he accomplished. His strength wasn't only his right and left fists but also his overall work ethic and leadership qualities. Dan was a really good cornerman and stood his ground around the enemy net.

Butch Bouchard

2006-07-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

A giant, monstrous defenseman of his era, or any era for that matter, Butch Bouchard was a standout with some strong Montreal Canadiens teams. The former Habs captain played much like a modern day Derian Hatcher or Zdeno Chara, although he lacked the mobility of the modern game.

A Montreal native, Bouchard never dreamed of playing for the Canadiens. In fact, he never owned his first pair of skates or hockey equipment until he was 16. Growing up very poor in the midst of the Great Depression, Bouchard would rent skates (5 cents) for games and simply would go without equipment other than a stick. If he couldn't find a nickel, he would be the goalie in his boots.

At age 16 he took a huge family loan of $35 so he could acquire the necessary equipment to play junior hockey in Verdun and later with the Jr. Canadiens. He was a highly coveted player because of his unbelievable size and strength. He played in the NHL at 6'2" and 205lbs, which was giant-like in the 1940s NHL. He wasn't just naturally big, but incredibly strong. Since his early teens he enjoyed weight-lifting. Without the money for proper equipment, he would press railway ties with added steel plates and bale wire for weight. In a time when weight training was almost unheard of in the NHL, Bouchard was hockey's strongman.

"It was like he was chiseled out of stone," remembered Dickie Moore. "He had biggest shoulders and smallest waist I had ever seen."

Bouchard joined the Habs in the midst of World War II. He was exempt from military duty because in his late teens he was considered an irreplaceable farmer, as he showed his entrepreneurial side by producing and selling over 100,000 pounds of honey a year all while playing hockey and attending school. Bouchard, who would start one of Montreal's most popular restaurants later in his hockey career, kept the revenues from the apiary to build a house for his parents and family. So stingy was Bouchard that instead of paying for transportation for the 50 mile journey from his home to St. Hayacinthe for training camp, he rode his bicycle.

And what an impression he made. In his first training camp he did not shy away from physical play, hammering even Montreal's most respected veterans.

"I wanted very much to make that team."

He did make the team as a rookie in 1941-42, quickly earning himself a reputation as a hardnosed and energetic rearguard, even though he was a plodding skater.

"I was a determined, enthusiastic, young fellow in those days" recalls Bouchard many years later. "That's what you need to make a success in life. You work hard, you're enthusiastic, and very disciplined at your game."

That attitude won him many fans in Montreal's brain trust, and they stayed with him despite his poor skating. Bouchard worked very hard at studying the game and learning the perfect positioning and to play within his limitations. As a result, he became of the game's all time best.

And with those words, Bouchard carved out a nice career for himself.

It wasn't until 1942-43 that Bouchard became a key player in Montreal, coinciding with the departure of star rearguard Ken Reardon to military service. By 1943-44 Bouchard was a top the hockey world, being named to the Second Team All Star squad on defense. He would be a first team all star the following 3 years. By 1947-48 he was named captain as the legendary Toe Blake had to step down to injuries. He continued to be an important part of the Habs' great success until 1956 when injuries finally forced him out of the game.

"Age caught up with me. I was 36. With a bad leg I was surprised I played that much. According to the doctor I should have quit when I was 29 years old."

The knee injury really slowed Bouchard.

"I wanted to play" said Bouchard, who took the then-unusual step of buying a stationary bike to rehab his knee. "I had been an all star 5 times before the injury. After I got hurt, I couldn't make it. I was playing good hockey but not all-star outstanding."

In his later years he split his year between sunny Florida in the winter and his son's farm in the summer. His son is Pierre Bouchard, who of course went on to be a physical defenseman in the NHL himself, though not as good as his dad.

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

2006-06-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz's reputation tended to precede him. He is often looked upon as baddest man in NHL history. He set the NHL record for most PIM in a season with 472 in 1974-75. He led the NHL in PIM in his first 3 NHL seasons and 4 times in total. He epitomized the Broad Street Bullies - also known as the Philadelphia Flyers - during their reign of terror to the Stanley Cup in both 1974 and 1975.

But hey, Hammer wasn't that bad of a guy! He was just doing his job. In fact, he despises hockey violence. After retiring from hockey he wrote in his autobiography ``I love hockey, and wish reckless violence wasn't part of it.'' He also criticized the Flyers style of play and resented having to fight Bobby Clarke's battles.

In fact Schultz, nicknamed "Hammer" because of a devastating right hand, wasn't even the Flyers top goon. He was great against lesser-fighters but had trouble when he tangled with the true heavyweights such as Tim Horton, Larry Robinson and Tiger Williams.

Dave didn't do much fighting at all as a kid playing hockey in Saskatchewan. It wasn't until his coaches suggested he could reach the big time a lot faster with his fists rather than his finesse that Dave transformed his game to slashin' and bashin'.

But Dave also proved he was a pretty decent hockey player for those who were willing to look past his penalty antics. He scored 20 goals in 1973-74 - the first year that the Flyers won the Stanley Cup. This despite sitting in the penalty box for a league high 348 minutes. He was also an effective defensive forward.

Schultz left the Flyers in the summer of 1976. The arrival of fellow rough-housers like Jack McIlhargey and Paul Holmgren, Schultz was traded to Los Angeles for some draft picks. He was moved on to Pittsburgh the following year. With the Kings and Penguins in 1977-78, he led the NHL in penalty minutes for the fourth and final time. His 405 penalty minutes that season made him the only player in NHL history to break the 400-minute mark twice.

Schultz finished his career with the Buffalo Sabres in 1980. When all was said and done, the big left winger from Waldheim Saskatchewan played in 535 games and scored 79 goals. He added 121 assists for 200 NHL points. In the playoffs Hammer added 8 goals and 20 points and 412 PIM in 73 games en route to earning two Stanley Cup rings.

His single-season penalty-minutes record, which still stands today, is as unthinkable by today's standards as it probably was back then. He also holds the record for most penalty minutes in one playoff game, with 42 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 22, 1976. Going head to head with his archrival, Dave 'Tiger' Williams, Schultz picked up one minor penalty, two five-minute majors, a 10-minute misconduct and a double game misconduct.

While Hammer understood his role and knew it was necessary, he was never really comfortable with it. But he knew if he didn't do it he'd almost certainly be out of a NHL job.

"The fighting gave me notoriety," he recalls. "That part I loved, but (it) never came naturally to me. I had to think about it all time. I would sit there the afternoon of every game thinking about who I was going to fight and visualizing the fight. It was nerve-wracking. I was always afraid of that one punch, the one that would knock me out of my career. Fortunately, it never happened, I had some well-publicized losses but I never really got the whipping that would destroy my confidence and value.

"It was different then, the rules were such that you could really help your team if you scared the right (opponent). I knew what the Flyers expected and I just totally got caught up in it. I was this did from Rosetown, Saskatchewan, suddenly a hero in a city of two million, making all this money and being afraid of losing everything. I knew it was a special time and how lucky I was to be part of it. I did what I had to do to keep it going."

Dave, an interesting guy who's interested ranged from rock and roll (he once cut a record called "Penalty Box") to building model ships, now owns his own limousine service.

Stan Jonathan

2006-06-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

To understand how Stan Jonathan inherited his second-to-none work ethic, you just have to look at his childhood.

Jonathan was raised as the sixth child in a family of 14 on the Six Nations' Reserve in Ontario. Life was hard although his dad - one of his biggest boosters - earned a good living on "the high steel". Stan himself actually worked on the high steel, as a rigger, building apartment and office towers in the U.S. and Canada. This of course was a very hazardous job.

"I did it for four summers from the time I was 16. I was scared the first couple of times I went up. But soon I learned it wasn't all that dangerous if you followed the safety precautions. But it's just like hockey: Get careless and you can get hurt," Stan said.

Stan worked hard, and always got the job done, whether it was at the construction site or on the ice. And he received high praise.

"Stanley reminded me of my pet dog, Blue, a bull terrier. They were both relatively small but enormously tough. I liked Stanley so much that I took a beautiful painting of Blue from home and had it hung directly above Jonathan's locker."

These words come from Don Cherry's autobiography "Grapes". And in the book he continues:

"One day Stanley's father was visiting Boston and was introduced to me in my office. 'You've got a great son there, Mr. Jonathan,' I said. 'He reminds me of my dog, Blue.' Old man Jonathan was aghast. Comparing his son to a dog. Well, this big Indian stared at me until I thought I was going to get scalped. I had a lot of fast explaining there or I would have gone the way of General Custer. If I had had the time I would have explained to Mr. Jonathan that Blue was not only my pet, but also my alter-ego."

It's easy to understand Cherry's fondness for this little fireplug who some consider to be the best pound for pound fighter of all time. Just 5'8" 175lbs, this full-blooded Tuscarora Indian played the game like a human bowling ball. He loved to hit anything in sight and loved to get hit as well. Stan was a strong aggressive checker and a streaky scorer. He went after rebounds with reckless abandon. He wasn't fancy but he worked very hard and made things happen all the time when he was on the ice.

When Stan played junior hockey for the Peterborough Petes (QMJHL) between 1972-75 he showed a lot of scoring potential, collecting 176 pts (69 goals and 107 assists) in 204 games. Stan's big break came when Don Cherry and Bruins general manager Harry Sinden went to Oshawa late in 1975 to check up on Boston's No.1 draft pick Doug Halward. As it turned out Halward was injured in the game that they went to see. Instead, as the game progressed Cherry noticed a feisty little player named Stan Jonathan.

"I couldn't help noticing this rugged little Indian. He didn't play an exceptional game, but there was something about him that made me take notice," Cherry said, and continued. "I didn't say much about Jonathan to Harry, but I filed his name in the back of my mind for future reference and at draft time I called Harry aside and said: "Do you think you could get me one hockey player?"

"Harry was not as impressed as I was and bypassed Jonathan on the first, second, and third picks. We finally got him the fourth time (in the 5th round) around and sent him to Dayton Gems of IHL. A year later he made our team. Of all my discoveries, Jonathan is the one in which I take the most pride."

In Dayton (1975-76) Stan played for a $8,000 salary and did it very well. He led all playoff scorers with 13 goals and 21 points in 15 games. The following season Stan managed to crack the Bruins lineup and immediately became a crowd favorite in Boston. In his first NHL fight he completely destroyed Chicago's defenseman Keith Magnuson who was a big, willing 2nd tier fighter. Some of his other victims included Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Andre "Moose" Dupont.

But Stan didn't just fight. In his first year he led the NHL in shooting percentage (23.9 %) as he scored an impressive 17 goals on 71 shots.

Late in his rookie season Stan was placed on Jean Ratelle's left flank. Ratelle, a future Hall of Famer, was a textbook player who used to feather his passes over to his wings.

"Who wouldn't want to play for a centerman like Jean Ratelle?," Stan said as a rookie. "Ratelle just has some fantastic moves. There's one Jean makes coming in on the defense. Really it puzzles the defenseman. If they move at him one way, he dumps a pass to me or to the right side. If the defense plays wide for the pass, well then Jean just keeps going in on the goalkeeper. Incredible!" Stan said admiringly.

In his sophomore season (1977-78) Stan had a 22,3 shooting % (among top 10 in NHL) scoring a career high 27 goals and 52 points in 68 games.

Stan is however mostly remembered for his classic and brutal fight on May 21, 1978. It was game 4 of the Stanley Cup final between Boston and their archrival Montreal. Right from the start of the game Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman wanted to deliver a "non-nonsense" message. So he sent out a bunch of big fellows: Pierre Bouchard (6'2", 205 Ibs), Gilles Lupien (6'6", 210 Ibs) and Rick Chartraw (6'2", 210 Ibs) among others. Cherry countered with Terry O'Reilly, John Wensink and Stan Jonathan.

At the 6 minute mark of the first period it was obvious that all hell would break lose. Stan and Pierre Bouchard were side by side. Stan gave Pierre a "gentle" shot. After that they dropped the gloves and started swinging. At the same time Lupien and Wensink squared off. At first it looked like the much bigger Bouchard was going to win the fight as he connected with the first blows. But Stan shook them off like water and took Bouchard's best shots without blinking. The guys traded punches at a tremendous pace. Stan who was leading with his right then suddenly switched to his left and caught Bouchard off guard. Stan carved into Bouchard's face with a series of lefts until the helpless Canadien crumpled to the ice, his nose and cheekbone broken, his face a bloody mess. Bouchard's reputation and career was never the same after that brutal fight.

Stan's junior coach Roger Neilson was in the stands that night.

"Jonathan is a little like boxer Joe Frazier," Neilson said that night. "He'll take two punches to get in one of his own - and the one is a dandy."

Hall of Famer George Armstrong, also a Native Canadian, liked Jonathan.

"Hey, I've known Stanley and his folks for years. Stan will fight, yes, but he doesn't look for trouble. He won't back away when it comes, either. He's a good, tough hockey player. And he'll score his share of goals, too. Besides, you just can't beat us Indians."

It seemed that Stan thrived during the games against Montreal. In one of his finest efforts he scored a hat trick against Ken Dryden during game six of the 1979 semi-finals. Stan's fearless style of play gave him some injuries as well. In 1978-79 he missed 47 games due to a fractured wrist and shoulder injury.

Stan lasted six full seasons in Beantown before getting traded to Pittsburgh on November 8, 1982. He played 19 games for Pittsburgh and finished the rest of the season in Baltimore (AHL). Then in April 1983 the Penguins returned the rights to Boston. Stan never played for Boston again and opted to retire instead, only 28 years old.

Stan always thrived on hard work. Something he learned from an early age.

"With a family as large as mine, we had to have rules. And hard work was one of them. If you wanted something badly enough, you had to work for it," Stan said. He sure did, earning every minute of his playing time.

A player like Stan Jonathan today would have fan clubs and be one of the most popular players around. Enforcers today would swallow a lot of blood from the fists of this Tuscarora Indian.

Red Horner

2006-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Frank Boucher won the Lady Byng Trophy (most gentlemanly player) seven out of eight seasons and got to keep the trophy permanently.

If there ever will be an award for the most penalized player then it might as well be called the "Red Horner Trophy". Red was the most penalized player eight years in a row between 1932-40. He also was the most penalized player in the playoffs twice (1936 & 39) No other NHL player have ruled the penalty box more than three times in a row and four times in total. Reginald "Red" Horner's 167 minutes in 43 games 1935-36, stood as an NHL record for 20 years.

Red, who played his junior hockey in the OHA with the Toronto Marlboros, explained how he got to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

" I was playing hockey for two teams back then. The Marlboros played on Friday nights and I also played in a brokers league on Saturday afternoons - both at the old Mutual Street Arena. After a game one Sunday, Mr. Smythe (coach / GM Conn Smythe) approached me and said, ' Kid, enough with this amateur stuff; come play with us.' I'd only seen two pro games and I told him I'd have to speak to my parents first. A few days later, he picked me up at my parents' place in his Stern's Knight Roadster and took me down to the Mutual Street rink. He introduced me to the rest of the players and paid me $2, 500 for the balance of the season."

Red wasn't known for being overly aggressive as a junior but took on the role as a policeman on the Leafs team almost immediately. He said that it was never ordered by Conn Smythe but that it was merely understood.

" We had some smaller players on the team and someone had to protect them, " Red said, " I was that someone."

Red will always be remembered as the guy who was Eddie Shore's intended target when the nearly-tragic Ace Bailey incident occurred at Boston Garden on December 12, 1933.

Many years later Red remembered that night vividly. " Eddie (Shore) was a great defenseman but he wasn't having much luck against us that night. He repeatedly rushed the puck and we kept thwarting him at the blue line. After one particular rush, I sent him sprawling to the corner in our zone. Ace Bailey, my defense partner, stood at our blue line as the play moved back into the Boston end. Eddie mistook Ace for me and flipped him over backwards. Ace landed on the side of his head and began to convulse. This didn't sit well with me and I told Shore he couldn't get away with stuff like that. Then I punched his lights out. That was some kind of scene: Ace unconscious at one end of the ice, and Shore out cold at the other end. "

Ace Bailey underwent life-saving brain surgery and never played hockey again.

Red was a solid 6' and 190 Ibs (some sources suggest he was as big as 6'1" and 200 Ibs), which was an intimidating height and weight back then. He had many hard-fought battles with his opponents throughout the league. His most notable rivalries and battles were with Nels Stewart, Hooley Smith and Bill Cook.

Red made his NHL debut at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 3-2 Leafs loss, on December 22, 1928. In only his second game, against the Montreal Maroons he broke his hand when Nels Stewart slashed him over the wrist. Red said that Iit kind of set the tone for the years which followed.

Red was not only a very tough player, he could play good hockey as well. In 1933-34 Red scored 11 goals, only Earl Seibert had more goals among the defensemen (13). And in 1937-38 he led all defensemen in assists (20) and points (24). His playmaking was very good and although he wasn't a graceful skater he could break as fast as anyone except the true speedballs like King Clancy and Howie Morenz. Red was also a fine leader and was Toronto's captain between 1938-40, an honor Red considered the highest of his playing career. He retired after the 1939-40 season.

Although Red was the "badman" of the NHL he received the highest honor in the game by being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965, which further underlines the fact that he was a very fine player.

Conn Smythe said of Red: "Because of his courage and color he was one of the best drawing cards in the league. Truly, he helped establish NHL as a popular attraction."

After retiring, Red founded the Canadian Coal Corporation, a business he remained with until 1972.

"When oil and gas came along, that spelled the end of the coal business but it sure was profitable for many years, " Red said.

Red Horner was one of the toughest players ever in the NHL, during an era when tough was REALLY tough.

Wendel Clark

2006-05-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Every so often a player comes along who simply captures the hearts of every fan in the city. He may not be the most talented, but he wears his heart, and the Blue and White Maple Leaf, on his sleeve. His worth is immeasurable yet greater than any statistics. A perfect example would be Toronto's #17 - Wendel Clark.

Wendel Clark was drafted 1st overall by the Maple Leafs in 1985. He was chosen over skillful winger Craig Simpson, who, along with defense prospect Craig Redmond, reportedly would have refused to play for the circus-like Leafs and their ring leader Harold Ballard if they were selected by them.

Clark, a simple farm boy arrived in Toronto and almost immediately took the big city and the league by storm. He was a very successful defenseman in junior hockey, but like teammate Gary Leeman was converted to a winger at the NHL level with great success. The Leafs were desperate for any help on left wing they could find, and despite having only played approximately 20 games on the side in junior, coach Dan Maloney moved Wendel up.

Described by King Clancy called the best Leafs rookie in 50 years, Wendel wasted no time to establish himself in the NHL. Very quickly he made it known that he was a tough and abrasive customer. His gung ho attitude was shown not only in the dressing room but on the ice. His spirit and enthusiasm fired up his team and the old Maple Leaf gardens on many nights. But he was not a natural winger and struggled to learn his position, although not many observers noticed that. His shortcomings were lost in the excitement of his intimidating physical style and his frequent fisticuff activities. Wendel Clark was nothing short of a superhero, taking on any and all of hockey's villains while attempting will the good guys to victory.

Clark's arrival ushered in new era of hope for the Maple Leafs and their loyal, long suffering fans. He represented a little bit of every one of them, regardless of age. Modern Leaf fans had not seen reckless abandon and the desire to succeed since the hustling Tiger Williams left town in the early 1980s as part of Harold Ballard's reign of error. Clark appealed to older generations, too. Veteran fans, who grew up with the Leafs as perennial Cup threats in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, were reminded of the days of Teeder Kennedy or George Armstrong. Perhaps most importantly, he attracted his own legion of fans that breathed new life into Leaf Nation.

Despite Clark's best efforts, the lack of a supporting cast in those late 1980s meant the lean years for the Leafs would continue through to the next decade. Wendel took the losses very hard, and critics said he did not use his above average hockey skills enough to his advantage - even though they loved his all out style. To make matters worse that physical style led to many injuries. He missed significant time with reoccurring back, knee, rib and shoulder problems. Clark, one of the leagues' best body checkers, played in only 207 out of a possible 400 games from 1988-1992.

As Wendel matured, the Leafs got much better. Wendel learned to rely on his skating and puckhandling abilities - he had an incredible wrist shot - and cut down on the rough tactics without giving them up altogether. He learned to pick his spots and rely on his sizeable reputation. Players seemed to be afraid of Clark despite his fragile history. He was able to take advantage of the extra space the opposition would give him, and return to his goal scoring ways.

As the 1990s came along, Wendel was named the 15th captain in team history, and the resurging Leafs, thanks in part to Doug Gilmour who ultimately replaced Clark as the emotional on ice leader of the club, became not only respectable, but a league power.

Clark was able to erase a poor 1992-93 performance with an excellent playoff - including 10 goals and 20 points as the Leafs fell just short to Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings en route to the Stanley Cup finals. Clark was at his best during these playoffs. Perhaps his signature moment came in game 2 of the series against the Kings. L.A.'s evil Marty McSorley dared to rock the Leaf's new leader Doug Gilmour with a vicious body check. Clark answered by challenging McSorley to one of the most famous bouts of all time. The two warriors slugged away until neither man could fight no more.

During the 1993-94 season Clark picked up right where had left off in the previous post season, scoring a career high 46 goals and 76 points. Again the Leafs almost made it to Stanley Cup finals, but came up short against their Canadian rivals in the Vancouver Canucks.

On June 28, 1994 Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher shocked the city by dealing Clark to the Quebec Nordiques in a six-player deal that saw the highly talented Mats Sundin come to the Leafs. There was certainly mixed reaction to the trade as Clark was one of the all time favorites in Toronto's hockey history, yet it turned out to be a brilliant deal as Sundin would go on to become the Leafs best player for years to come. The Leafs were looking to move Clark while he was extremely marketable given his career year and recent run of good health. Clark, a soft spoken man who rarely expressed his emotions off the ice in public, even broke down and openly wept at the accompanying press conference.

Over the following years Wendel bounced around with several teams, and became more reliant on his shot as he abandoned his physical game almost out of necessity in order to remain healthy and extend his career.

Wendel actually returned to the Leafs twice after the big trade for Sundin. The first time was in March of 1996. The trade was applauded by sentimental Clark fans, but widely questioned by media and fans. The Leafs sent young star Kenny Jonsson and a first round pick which turned out to be Roberto Luongo for the aging Clark. Clark was able to quiet the questioning when he scored 30 goals the following year, but he missed much of the rest of his time in Toronto due to groin surgery. He was subsequently allowed to test the free agent waters in 1998.

Clark signed with Tampa Bay and proved he still had what it took to play in the league - scoring 28 goals before the trading deadline. At the deadline Tampa Bay auctioned off their only prize scorer for some future help. In a terrible site for Leaf fans, Clark would don the red and white of the hated Detroit Red Wings for the remainder of the season. Clark had made a name for himself back in the 1980s by battling with hated Wings - never backing down from the likes of Bob Probert.

Wendel quietly wound up his career in 1999-2000 with an ill fated trip to Chicago before resigning with the Leafs to end his career where was at his best - with the Maple Leafs of Toronto.

Wayne Cashman

2006-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

When Wayne Cashman dies, it would be only too fitting that he be buried in the corner of the cemetary.

"Cash" was a fierce cornerman for 18 NHL seasons, all with the Boston Bruins. Often playing on a line with Ken Hodge and Phil Esposito, his job was to go into the corners and battle for the loose pucks. Using his size and feared reputation, more often than not he would come out of the corner with the puck and set up either Hodge or Espo with a good scoring opportunity. Though he put up decent offensive numbers himself, Cash's performance over the years could never be measured by statistics.

Opponents thought twice about getting into the corners with Wayne.

Wayne's teammate Derek Sanderson remembered the battles in the corners.

"You could see a guy go into a corner after the puck, and just before he got to it, he stopped and flinched a bit when he saw Cash. That's when you knew you got him on the ropes," Sanderson said.

The Cashman-Hodge-Esposito line scored an incredible 140 goals and 336 points in 1969-70. That was an NHL record at that time. Combined they weighed well over 600 pounds together, which made them tough to play against.

A veteran Boston hockey writer observed:

"Early in the game, the other side is bouncy and fresh. But by the second and third periods they're so tired of trying to wrestle these fellows around that they just don't have the strength to hold them off. Which is one big reason the line came up with 336 points in 1969-70."

A good playmaker, Wayne also served as the Bruins policeman. In the age of "Big Bad Bruins," Wayne was the biggest and baddest. If the opposition even looked at Esposito or Bobby Orr the wrong way, "Cash" would be the first to intervene.

After Espo and Orr left Boston it was Wayne who took over the role of a leader.

"Back in the days of Orr and Esposito," said Bruins GM Harry Sinden late in Cashman's career, "Cash was a follower. Now he's a helluva leader on the ice and back in the room."

Goalie Ron Grahame agreed with Sinden.

"Cash is a real team player. On the ice he's leading by example and off the ice he's more vocal than anyone else, yapping at us to keep it going."

While he is best known for his physical dominance in the corners and in fights, Wayne was also a very good player. He scored 20 or more goals on eight occasions. His tenacious forechecking was an integral part of the Boston offense and it's safe to say that the scoring exploits of Espo or Orr wouldn't have been as impressive if they didn't have a guy named "Cash" doing their dirty work for them.

Wayne played all 1,027 games with Boston between 1964 and 1983. He never changed his game - playing every one of his 1,027 games with tremendous desire. Wayne had injuries which would have sidelined most players for weeks and even months. For most of his NHL career Wayne was bothered by a bad back. He once played almost an entire season with a ruptured disc in his back.

Some players even tried to take advantage of that and go for Wayne's back.

"A few guys went overboard. I don't mind them taking good, legitimate shots at me, but I didn't appreciate the ones who went for my back. There's no point in naming them. They know who they are anyway, and some day their time will come," Cash said in 1973 when the cheap shots at him were at an all time high.

And Wayne usually got even with those players.

He was actually the last player from the "original six" era to retire. He was a member of two Stanley Cup champions in 1970 and 1972, and was in the finals five times.

Wayne also played in the classic Summit Series 1972, even if it only was for two games. Before one of the games, he made a little impromptu speech in the locker room.

"Tonight you guys just concentrate on playing your own games," he said, "and I'll play the Big, Bad Bruin."

"When someone clobbered Clarke, I clobbered him right back," Cash said. "When someone speared Henderson, I speared him right back - even though I didn't like the idea of spearing. I didn't know if these people understood English or not, but I'm sure they got the message. I just let them know if they were going to play that way, I was going to dish it back."

Classic Wayne Cashman.

Following his playing career, Wayne turned to coaching. He served as an assistant coach for a long time before finally getting a chance to be a head coach in 1997 (Philadelphia). However only 61 games into his rookie season he was replaced by Roger Neilson. Always the team man, Wayne agreed to stay on as an assistant coach in order to help Neilson prepare for the playoff run.

Wayne's humility after being fired by the Flyers sums up Cashman the man - a great person who would do anything it takes to help out his team. Wayne did that for 18 NHL seasons and he continued to do that long after his playing days.

- Special thanks to Pat Houda

Clark Gillies

2006-05-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

Clark Gillies was born and grew up in Moose Jaw which at that time had a population of approximately 36,000. His dad was a department store salesman and Clark had an easy childhood. In the summer he played baseball and in the winter hockey.

Clark was actually so good at baseball that he played three seasons of minor-league baseball with the Houston Astros' farm team in Covington, West Virginia, where his season-high batting average was .257. Later on he once impressed the New York Mets as a power hitter when he took informal batting practice at Shea Stadium. But luckily enough for all hockey fans Clark decided to pursue a hockey career instead.

He played three seasons of junior hockey for the Regina Pats (WHL) where he had three very solid seasons, collecting 79, 92 and 112 points. His last season culminated in a Memorial Cup win, the championship of junior hockey. Clark recalled the years in Regina.

"My first year in Regina I had a lot of fights, over 200 minutes in penalties (248 including playoffs). I gained a little respect. I was a big kid, and it just came naturally. I didn't want anybody to push me around. I had to establish a base for myself. I think it helped me the last two years. The second year I didn't have too many problems and the third year was relatively quiet - five, six, 10 fights."

What Clark developed in Regina was confidence. Clark also went on to be a massive 6'3" and 215 Ibs. His size, toughness and leadership qualities made NY Islanders draft him 4th overall in the 1974 entry draft.

Clark immediately made an impact in the NHL by scoring 25 goals and 47 points. Although Clark got little support for rookie of the year honors in 1974-75, many hockey people still felt that he was a far superior player to Eric Vail, who won the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

As a rookie, Clark took on Dave Schultz in the Stanley Cup semifinals against the eventual champions Flyers. Schultz had just set a new NHL record with 472 PIMs and was the "terror of the NHL" at that time. Clark destroyed Schultz and sent everyone around the NHL a clear message. Nobody messes with Clark Gillies or the up and coming New York Islanders.

Clark quickly blossomed to a key player in the NY Islanders quest for the Stanley Cup. He scored over 30 goals in six of his next seven seasons and had point totals of 61, 55, 85, 91, 54, 78 and 77. In the late 1970's and early 80's he was one of NHL's premier left wingers and was a 1st team All-Star in 1978 and 79. He was also the MVP in the 1979 Challenge Cup series vs. the Soviets. And when Canada was trounced 8-1 against the Soviets in the 1981 Canada Cup final, Clark scored the only Canadian goal and was the only player on the Canadian squad who really gave 110 % until the end.

He didn't dazzle you with his speed or his stickhandling. He had a hard shot, but his best trademarks was his great two way play, hard work, leadership and the respect opponents had for his fists. Clark didn't have to drop em' very often, but when he did there was virtually nobody who could beat him. Clark destroyed the reputation of quite a few so called enforcers.

He once knocked out tough guy Ed Hospodar that left him in a pool of blood with a broken jaw...all this with one single punch! He also gave solid beatings to such great fighters as Terry O'Reilly and Al Secord. But he was in no way an enforcer himself.

"I never thought about fighting or myself as an enforcer or a policeman. I was on the ice to do a job, score some goals and mainly stop the other guys from scoring. Fighting never was a priority to me." Clark said.

For many years Clark played on the so called "Long Island Lightning Company" line. His original line mates on that line was Bryan Trottier and Billy Harris who was later replaced by Mike Bossy. The trio of Gillies-Trottier-Bossy couldn't be stopped on most nights and struck fear into opponents. Clark always used his size and strength to his advantage while Bossy and Trottier conducted their magic with the puck. He was most effective when he positioned himself in front of the net to screen the goalie.

Clark was also a great leader, and a proud member of the NHL captain's fraternity. Clark was only 22 years old when he was selected to replace 36-year old veteran Ed Westfall as a captain on February 3,1977. Westfall had been NY Islanders only captain since 1972 at that time.

"It was time for a younger man to take over the job" Westfall said. "Clark was the right man. He gets along with everyone and is the type of player who can lead others. He can be closer to the younger guys on the team."

The other guys considered for captaincy at that time were Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin. The young Trottier (20) at that time fully agreed with having Clark as a captain.

"He's just big and everybody likes him. Everybody looks up to him. His hustling gives us a lift out there. He hasn't got a hated bone in his body. He's easy to talk to and he holds a lot of respect among the other fellas." Trottier said.

Clark played for the NY Islanders until 1986 and led them to four consecutive Stanley Cups. He was a vital part of the NY Islanders machinery and a great fan favorite.

In 1986 NY Islanders exposed Clark in the waiver draft. He was picked up by Buffalo Sabres and played two more years for the Sabres before hanging 'em up in 1988. He retired with 958 games under his belt, and 319 goals, 378 assists and 697 in his pocket. More importantly he has 4 Stanley Cup rings on his fingers, thanks in large part to his 94 points in 164 playoff games.

Clark Gillies was the power forward of the 1970's and 80's. He did not only bang in goals from the slot, but he was great in the corners, a very good two-way player, could fight, worked hard, had fine leadership qualities, had a huge heart and was a winner. GM's today would kill to have a guy like Clark on their roster.

Tim Hunter

2006-05-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tim Hunter only scored 138 points in over 800 NHL games, but was a player every team in the NHL would have killed to have.

"I was a player with not a lot of talent but came to play every night and played very hard, hated to lose and loved the game and loved to win."

Tim had no measurable finesse skill to speak of. He was at best an average skater. He had no speed or agility on skates but had excellent balance, which aided him in the physical game. He could do little with the puck in terms of shooting, passing or handling. Most of his goals came by crashing the crease or accidentally deflecting off his shin guard.

While Tim lacked the skills to do the finesse game, he excelled at the physical game. He was as big and strong as they come. He did some good work along the boards and in front of the net. And of course Time was a willing and good fighter, and occasionally would use his lumber in a not so legal manner.

Tim had a small and well defined role on the ice, but it is impossible to over exaggerate the importance of his contributions off of it. He was a great team player - excellent in the dressing rooms. The Calgary Flames became a powerhouse in the 1980s, and Tim's fingerprints are all over that. His wit, humor, support and leadership helped to mold a group of individuals into a top flight team. It is Tim's off ice contributions that were the most important contribution he made to his hockey team.

Hunter was originally drafted by the Atlanta Flames in the third round of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. It wasn't until the 1983-84 campaign that Hunter made the NHL for his first full season, and registering his best offensive numbers (11 + 11 for 22 points). By this time of course the Flames relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Tim Hunter's home town.

Tim never really dreamed of playing in his hometown as the NHL wasn't there when he was a kid, but he did appreciate that opportunity. Tim became a mainstay in Calgary as much as Lanny McDonald or Paul Reinhart.. Tim of course played the role of enforcer. Most often he could be found on the 4th line right wing, although he occasionally played on left wing and defense - a position he had trained as a junior with the Seattle Breakers.

Hunter played in Calgary for parts of 11 seasons and left the Flames as the club's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 2,405. He was an assistant captain with the team for a long time, including when the Flames captured their first Stanley Cup in 1989.

Though he will always be remembered as a Flame, he did play with some other organizations as his career wound down. He joined the Quebec Nordiques for the 1992-93 season before being claimed on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks half way through the season. Tim spent parts of four seasons with the Canucks and was an inspirational leader in helping Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994. He left the Canucks after the 1995-96 season and signed with the San Jose Sharks for the following year where he finished his career.

Hunter finished his playing career with 62 goals, 76 assists and 138 points and 3,146 penalty minutes in 815 regular season games while collecting 13 points in 132 playoff contests.

Tim stepped behind the bench to become an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals following his playing days. Its a natural progression for Tim, who as a player practically did a similar job anyways. Only know he gets a little less ice time during games!

No biography of Tim would be complete without mentioning his nose. It s one of the most well recognized in the business. One would think by looking at it that this former NHL tough guy must have had his nose broken a dozen times, but Tim says he has never had a broken nose!

Reggie Fleming

2006-05-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite quotes was from Gordie Howe when he talked about tough left winger Reggie Fleming.

"Is Reggie Fleming a hard-nosed player?" a reporter questioned Mr. Hockey.

"I don't know. I never felt his nose," quipped Howe.

While we don't know if he had a hard nose per se, we can answer the reporter's question for him - yes, Reggie Fleming was a very hard-nosed player.

He was a highly effective utility forward though he originally was a defenseman. Born in Montreal, Fleming spent most of his junior and minor league career playing defense. However due to his small size (5'8" 170lbs) he was converted to a left wing for much of his NHL career. With his decent speed and physical, hustling style he was an extraordinary penalty killer. Another reason for his great penalty killing was he was a superb defensive forward, as many players are once they are converted from the blueline to the forward position. Fleming already had a great understanding of defensive positioning by the time he moved up.

He was also a pesky player. He loved to get under the skin of the opponents, disrupting them from their game, thus giving his team a much better chance of victory. The opposition hated him, but Chicago fans loved him.

Fleming started his career with his hometown Montreal Canadiens, but only saw limited action in just 3 games. Most of his first 2 pro seasons were spent at the minor league level, as a defenseman.

Reggie was part of a 9 player (mostly prospects/minor leaguers) trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer of 1960. The trade was definitely great news for Reg, as he became an NHL regular the following season for the next 11 years. It was in Chicago that he was converted to left wing, though also saw time along the blueline when need be.

In his first year in Chicago teammates nicknamed him "Mr. Clean" because of his bullnecked, crew cut appearance that resembled the mascot for the famous cleaning product. But in actuality Fleming was one of the NHL's dirtier players. He would lead the league in penalty minutes in 1965-66 and had a career total of 1468 PIM in 749 games. In one game in his rookie season, Fleming set an NHL record (since bettered) for most penalty minutes in one game against the New York Rangers. A bru-ha-ha escalated after Ranger goalie Jack McCartan whacked Reg with his goal stick. Every player on the ice got involved but it was Fleming who earned 37 minutes in penalties based upon a two-minute minor penalty, two more five-minute penalties and a ten-minute misconduct penalty, plus a game-misconduct penalty!

Fleming played 4 solid seasons with the Blackhawks "Gashouse Gang." That was the nickname given to the Hawks because of their rough, physical style of play. But in 1964 the Hawks traded Reg with Ab McDonald to Boston in exchange for Dougie Mohns. He responded with his best NHL season in Boston, scoring 18 goals and adding 23 assists. In his previous 4 years in the league, Fleming only scored a combined total of 21 goals and 26 assists, so this was definitely a breakthrough year for the winger. The Bruins at the time were the cellar-dwellars of the league and Reg had a chance to play a more significant role while with the B's.

In the middle of the 65-66 season Reggie was traded to the New York Rangers for John McKenzie. The deal was one of a few significant moves by the Bruins which helped to build up the B's to the Stanley Cup championship calibre teams of 1970 and 1972.

Fleming would enjoy 3 1/2 seasons of solid play on Broadway. In 1969 he was traded to the expansion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers of course would go on to become hockey's "Broad Street Bullies" just a couple of years after Fleming's departure. Needless to say the Flyers acquired Fleming for his veteran leadership and to lay the seeds of what was to come in Philadelphia.

Fleming's stay in Philly was short as the following season he was selected in the Expansion Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He played admirably for the Sabres but 1970-71 proved to be Fleming's swan song in the NHL.

Fleming continued to play minor league hockey for parts of 6 years after his NHL days were over. Two of these seasons were spent in Chicago with the WHA's Cougars.

Fleming will forever be remembered as one of hockey's most ferocious competitors.

Harold Snepsts

2006-05-23T19:17:00.001-07:00

While he played in short stops with the Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, the mustachioed and helmetless Harold Snepsts will forever be remembered as the robust though anything but graceful blue liner with the Vancouver Canucks for a combined 12 NHL seasons.

Harold was a hugely popular player on the west coast, perhaps the most popular ever. He was a cult hero in the old Pacific Coliseum, where fans would boisterously chant "Haaar-Old! .... Haaar-Old!....Haaar-Old!" over and over. Even in the later years of his career when he would revisit Vancouver as a member of another club, the fans would cheer for their hero.

Snepsts making the NHL was an odd-defying feat. Edmonton Journal writer Mark Spector might have put it best when he wrote "Harold Snepsts was the ultimate diamond in the rough. Light on the diamond, heavy on the . . . well, you get the picture."

Harold had no real finesse skill to speak of. He was a down right terrible skater. He seemingly ran on the ice instead of gliding in strong strides. He had little speed and even less mobility. This made him prone to being beaten one-on-one by a fleet footed enemy. Harold also was an adventure with the puck. Over time he learned to almost avoid handling the puck. If he did have to play it he'd most likely just fire it out of the zone. However because he often played with his back to the play, he was often intercepted.

What Snepsts could do though was extremely valuable. He intimidated the opposition. You would think twice before traveling to the slot in front of the Canucks net, as Harold would punish you with enjoyment. He loved to hit and did so with great aggression and authority. In his younger years he was a willing and good fighter, though. Essentially he was on the ice to add size and aggression, and to keep the other team honest.

One of the reasons why Harold lasted over 1000 games in the National Hockey League was because he was as popular with his teammates as he was with the fans. He had a legendary sense of humour and was a great leader. The great character he showed every day of his career was an immeasurable contribution that far outweighed any amount of goals or bodychecks he collected.

Harold was born and raised in Edmonton. His long road to the NHL began as a simple desire to play indoors during the cold, unforgiving Edmonton winters. As an 11 year old, Snepsts, who like many top bantam players of that day desired to play for the local Maple Leafs Athletic Club.

"I was playing for Beverly Heights (a local club team) and that was the elite - to make it to the Maple Leafs and the indoor rink," said Snepsts. And while he had to scrape and claw his way just to stay on the team.

"After I turned 12 I barely made every team I played on," said Snepsts.

Snepsts graduated from the MLAC to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League.

"Initially, you were just happy to play Bantam AA. Then as you started playing there, you realized that a good portion of the guys that made the Oil Kings were from the Maple Leafs."

But it wasn't that easy for Snepsts, who was nearly cut from the Leafs juvenile team.

"Harold Snepsts was the worst skater on the team, but he could run like crazy on the ice," said coach Jim Stewart

"It was a fine line between being cut from that team and not making the Oil Kings, to not making professional hockey at all," Snepsts said.

Yet Snepsts persevered and did stick, and did graduate to the Oil Kings.

"He was tough, he had the size and he loved to practice but I still thought he was a long term project. When I look back on my NHL and junior career and all the players played with and against, I would have to say Harold fell into the category of the guy you thought was never going to make it." said junior and NHL teammate Darcy Rota.

But he did. He was brought in for his toughness, and he supplied it amply. In one legendary fight, Snepsts tangled with Clark Gillies, a future NHL power forward. "We fought, we stopped, then we fought again. We both ended up with black eyes," remembers Snepsts fondly. .

Snepsts was a NHL prospect because of his size and toughness, but even he knew he was a long shot.

"All I wanted was to get drafted anywhere and get a tryout." he said. His wish was granted when he became the third-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1974 entry draft.

After his initial training camp with the Canucks he was sent to the minor leagues, though by midseason was recalled permanently to the NHL. He would be a standout in his own style of defense in Vancouver, and twice represented the Canucks in the mid-season all star game, including in 1977 when the game was held in Vancouver. The crowd went wild when they introduced the local folk hero.

"Dirty Harry's" career highlight came in 1982 when the Canucks made an unexpected run at the Stanley Cup. Harold was incredible that spring, but unfortunately is remembered for a mistake that perhaps cost the Canucks a win in game one of the Stanley Cup finals. In overtime, Harold fired a loose puck straight up the middle, in a desperate attempt to clear the puck. Except the puck landed right on the stick of the great Mike Bossy. Bossy, perhaps the best pure goal scorer ever seen in the NHL, quickly put the puck behind Richard Brodeur to clinch game one. The feisty Canucks deserved to win that game, and while it is unlikely that it would have made a difference in the series with the dynastic Islanders, it was too bad they lost as they seemed to lose some momentum as well..

He played 10 seasons with the Canucks before being traded to Minnesota for Al MacAdam in 1984. The Canucks thought Snepsts was dispensable because of age, injuries, and because promising youngsters like Rick Lanz, Michel Petit, Garth Butcher and J.J. Daigneault were in the system.

It is interesting to review the comments of general manager Harry Neale on the day he made the deal. Said Neale: "I think we may have done Harold a favor. If we had let compassion come into our decision and kept him it might not have been best for either party. He is going to a good team that wants him. We haven't exactly sent him to hell . . . It wasn't going to be long before one of the young defencemen nudged him out of here anyway . . . He will get a new lease on life with a new team."

He stayed only one season in Minnesota and had to wait to get to Detroit to become reborn. He signed as a free agent with the Red Wings in 1985, and became a cult hero in Motown as well.

"I learned an awful lot in Detroit what a veteran should do to help turn a club around," he says. "We had about six old guys and it is unbelievable what you can do to help the young players. There is a lot of pressure on them to succeed right away and sometimes they didn't know where to turn. You just have to tell them their time will come. Talk to them in the dressing room and on the road and give them some confidence."

After 3 years in Detroit, he was released of his contract and seemed destined to retire. However he did desire to return to Vancouver, and publicly said he will only play with the Canucks. The Canucks were interested as well, as new general manager Pat Quinn had been critical of the lack of leadership and experience in Vancouver in the previous couple of years.

Snepsts signed and played almost two full years in Vancouver. He was instrumental in teaching one of the brightest youngsters in Canucks history. He was the road trip roommate of 18 year old phenom Trevor Linden. Linden would go on to become one of the best players in Canucks history, and is even better known as one of the nicest guys off the ice. Both accomplishments have a little Snepsts magic in them.

Snepsts, along with Rich Sutter, were unexpectedly traded at the the 1990 trading deadline to the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks were looking for a youth movement and sent the two veterans to St. Louis. Harold enjoyed his end of his season in St. Louis so much that he decided to return for one more year for the 1990-91 season. He had two goals left - to play in 1000 NHL games and to drink from the Stanley Cup.

While his thirst was never quenched, he did become the 70th player to appear in 1000 NHL games. That's an amazing fact for a player who based on his skill level likely never should have played in any.

There was a party for Snepsts on the night of his 1000th game. Snepsts, who scored the game winning goal against Detroit in his 999th game (just his 4th goal since 1984!), said "With this body, I'm just trying to get to 1,001." Ironically, Snepsts hurt his hip in game 1001 and never finished the game.

He ended his career with 1,033 games, 38 goals and 195 assists. He also had 2,009 penalty minutes, the equivalent of 33.5 games in the penalty box.

"I'm done," Snepsts said "All I have left to do now is remember all the great players I played with and all the friends I met. Thankfully, I played that long."

Cowboy Bill Flett

2006-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Back in 1974, Cowboy Bill Flett was on top of the universe. He was a tough-as-nails right-winger with the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers. He fought many battles in his hockey career, and won most of them.

However Cowboy fought the biggest battle in his life, and lost. Bill Flett died on July 12, 1999.

It started out back in 1993 when a severe ulcer attack almost claimed his life. Years of voracious drinking caught up with Flett, who soon sought the help of Edmonton Oiler GM Glen Sather and owner Peter Pocklington. They helped Flett check into a Betty Ford clinic and cleaned up his act.

Despite not touching a drink in over 6 years, Flett was about to pay yet again for his previous drinking habits. In May 1999, Cowboy went to a hospital with what he thought was a severe case of heartburn.

"Which I couldn't understand, getting heartburn because I don't have a heart,'' joked Flett.

Although he says he hadn't touched anything stronger than non-alcoholic beer in recent years, Flett's previous lifestyle of hard partying and heavy drinking finally caught up with him. He was informed by doctors that he had become so violently ill, he could have died had he not immediately gone to a hospital.

It turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Two operations later, his condition was considered to be stable, but he was in dire need of an immediate liver transplant.
"The gall bladder problem has caused liver failure, which is the stupid thing to me. If I had drank ... but I haven't even snuck one," sighed Flett. "Nothing stronger than non-alcoholic beer."

Eighteen days later, Bill got the needed liver transplant. However complications from the surgery took Flett's life at the age of 55.

Bill Flett was born in Vermillion, Alberta in July 1943. Before long Bill began to play hockey. Bill's father, C.M. Flett, played professional hockey in Los Angeles and Spokane in the old Western League and with Baltimore of the Eastern League.
Bill inherited his father's love of hockey, but he also took a liking to rodeos as a kid.

"They have rodeos for kids, and I started riding as a teen-ager, " Bill said. "All the guys played football, hockey, and baseball together during the school year and rode in rodeos together in the summer. We tried wrestling steers, riding broncos, and roping calves from quarter horses."

It now becomes obvious how the nickname "Cowboy" came about. If you ever met the man off the ice it was pretty obvious too. He wore typical cowboy attire including his trademark black hat with a feather in it. Add to that his common cowboy boots, jeans and thick black beard, and Bill Flett looked like he should be fighting cattle, not NHL tough guys. Bill even wore his cowboy boots on the golf course, and later in life wore spurs on his skates for old timer hockey charity games.

For much of the mid-1960s Flett was a much traveled minor leaguer who benefited greatly from NHL expansion in 1967. After graduating from the SJHL's Melville Millionaires, Bill traveled through several minor league cities. Making stops in Rochester, Charlotte, Tulsa, Denver and Victoria before landing with the expansion Los Angeles Kings in 1967-68.

Cowboy played 4 and 1/2 seasons in Hollywood, proving to be an early fan favorite in the non-traditional hockey market. He showed a good offensive upside too, scoring 26 and 24 goals in his first two seasons in L.A. However his production slowly fell as the Kings aged, and was traded to Philadelphia in 1972.

It was a great move for Flett. In his first full season in Philly, Flett scored a career high 43 goals and 74 points while playing often on a line with superb playmaker Bobby Clarke. The next year, 1973-74, Flett's production fell to just 17 goals as he was moved to another line, yet he helped the Flyers win their first Stanley Cup. In game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, Flett assisted on two of Bobby Clarke's goals including the game winner. This was the first time in six and half years that the Flyers beat the Bruins in the Boston Garden. The Flyers gained home ice advantage and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The team's first and the NHL's first expansion team to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

Flett didn't have long to celebrate the victory. The Flyers moved Flett to Toronto shortly after the season was over. Flett, who was originally property of the Toronto Maple Leafs, only played one season in Toronto before joining the Atlanta Flames for two years. He later joined the WHA Edmonton OIlers where he regained his scoring touch in 2 1/2 seasons in the WHA.

Flett returned to the NHL when the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979. However he appeared in only 20 games as he suffered badly broken ribs. He decided to retire and accept general manager Glen Sather's offer to become a scout.

Flett scored 202 goals and 215 assists in 689 NHL games. He also added 103 goals in 195 WHA games. Not bad for a man who once said that if he didn't make the NHL in 4 seasons he'd return to Alberta and become a full time rancher.

"I believe cowboys are the toughest athletes in the world," Bill once said. "A cowboy has no guarantees, no contracts. He pays all his own expenses, all his own entry fees. He rides healthy and rides hurt. Rodeo cowboys have a pain tolerance that is hard to believe. I thought hockey players were tough until I rodeoed."

Bobby Clarke

2006-05-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

No hockey player worked harder than Bobby Clarke, the tenacious leader of the Philadelphia Flyers for 15 enjoyable years. As a result, no one personified the Philadelphia Flyers better.

A wonderful talent blessed with great vision and playmaking skills, Clarke is better remembered for his physical talents - a relentless work ethic, a powerful leadership presence, and an unquenchable thirst to win complete with a willingness to do anything it took to capture victory.

As a result Clarke is immortally beloved in Philadelphia and remembered as one of the all time greats in hockey history. However hockey fans elsewhere love to perpetuate his status as one of hockey's most hated villains.

Growing up in the small Manitoba mining town of Flin Flon, all Clarke wanted to do was play hockey. However playing professional hockey must have seemed like a remote dream to Clarke when at age 15 he learned he had diabetes. However his love of the sport wouldn't let this deter him, and he went on to dominate the Canadian junior leagues.

Despite the setback, Clarke compiled back-to-back scoring titles in two full seasons in Flin Flon, accumulating 168 and 137 points, respectively during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons. Clarke is such a legend in western Canadian junior hockey that the Western Hockey League named the trophy awarded to its top scorer in Clarke's honor.

Despite his obviously bright hockey future, teams shied away from Clarke in the annual Entry Draft because of his ailment. Despite doctor assurances from the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota that diabetes would not interfere with his career as a professional athlete, every team passed on Clarke. Even the Flyers, who drafted Bob Currier 6th overall, passed initially. But Philadelphia eagerly snatched him with the 17th overall pick, and his diabetes quickly became a non-issue.

Clarke immediately stepped in and succeeded. By the time he turned 23 years old, he was named captain of the Flyers - the youngest player in league history at that time to be so honored. The same year he won his first of three Hart Trophies as league MVP. And his 104 points made him the first player on a non-Original Six team to reach the 100 point mark.

Clarke was absolutely essential to the Flyers two Cups in the 1970s, the first time an expansion team won the prized trophy. Dave Schultz called him the "heart and soul of our club." Coach Fred Shero said there would be no championships in Philadelphia without Bobby Clarke. Clarke played with so much determination and all of his heart and soul, and he demanded it from every single one of his teammates.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say he Clarke was the Pete Rose of hockey, a Charlie Hustle on skates. It could be game in the middle of January and up or down by 6 goals, but Clarke played every shift as if it was overtime in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

His super-human will should not overshadow his high skill level. Clarke was an incredible defensive player. He was almost always the guy to take the big faceoff, kill a key penalty or defend a lead in the last minute of play. As the statistics suggest, Clarke was a great playmaker as well. Twice he led the NHL in assists, and had 852 in total in his career, compared to 358 goals.

Clarke was also a key member for Canada in international hockey events and he seemed to have great dislike for the great Soviet teams. He was a key player in the 1972 Summit Series. In fact he and Phil Esposito are the two players who get the most credit in that series, other than Paul Henderson of course. Clarke was also a key member of the 1976 Canada Cup championship team.

Clarke however has always been associated with some violent acts against the Soviets. In 1972 he broke the ankle with a deliberate slash to the boot of Valeri Kharlamov, the Soviets chief scoring threat. Clarke also introduced the Soviets to "Broad Street Bullies" hockey in a 1975 exhibition game between the Stanley Cup champs and the Soviets. In that game the Soviets left the ice because of the rough play. As a result Clarke is particularly disliked overseas, and his actions became inaccurate stereotypes of Canadian hockey.

Clarke played until the conclusion of the 1983-84 season. He retired with career totals of 1144 games, 358 goals, 1210 points and 1453 PIMs. In addition to his three Hart Trophies, Clarke also won the Masterton, Pearson, Patrick and Selke Trophies, making him one of the most decorated hockey players in history.

Following his playing days Clarke stayed very active in hockey, serving as general manager in Philly, but also with Florida and Minnesota. His winning record as a manager is impressive, although the Stanley Cup continues to elude him as an executive.

Dave Semenko

2006-05-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

Dave Semenko is best known as Wayne Gretzky's "bodyguard" but in all fairness he was much more than that. In fact he was a big part of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty years of the 1980s.

"Sammy," a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was one of Wayne's best friends and probably the most popular guy in the Edmonton Oilers dressing room. Everybody liked Dave. He would do anything for his teammates and on many nights he was the only guy who stood up for them.

Dave wasn't the best skater around but he always worked very hard to improve on that. His main strength was when he parked in front of the opponent's goal. That's where he lived up to another of his many nicknames - "Cement." When he camped in front of the net, nobody moved him. It was like trying to move a rock.

Dave grew up idolizing Bobby Orr. Even though he wasn't nearly as talented as the great Orr was, he compensated for that with his tremendous heart.

As a junior he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings between 1974-78. Dave was selected by Houston in the 1977 WHA draft as well as by Minnesota in the NHL (25th overall). He opted to sign in the WHA, but it was with Edmonton rather than Houston, as the Aeros traded his rights to the northern Alberta city.

Semenko adjust to the professional hockey lifestyle nicely over the next two years. By the 1979-80 season, however, the WHA had folded. Even though Sammy's Oilers would join the NHL, the Minnesota North Stars still held his NHL rights, and reclaimed the heavyweight scrapper.

Glen Sather and the Oilers must have really realized Semenko's potential and impact on the young Oilers, and traded away 2nd and 3rd round draft picks to reacquire him before the start of the season. One of those draft picks turned out to be high scoring Neal Broten, but the Oilers were happy with their lovable Sammy back in the fold.

Dave wouldn't score often, just 65 times in 575 NHL games, to go with 88 assists for 153 points. Wayne Gretzky had better single season scoring campaigns than Semenko had in his entire career! But that's not why Semenko was on the team, it could be argued that without Semenko's presence, Gretzky might not have been able to quite reach the scoring levels he did.

Dave became something of a policeman on the Oilers team and on many nights was challenged by big raw-boned rookies who wanted to prove they were tough. One night, rookie Dave "Killer" Carlson challenged Dave who calmly just looked at him and said: " How did you get your nickname, Killer? Did you shoot your dog?"

Kevin Lowe called Semenko "the Gretzky of the tough guys."

"The question has often been asked, how tough was Sammy? Pat Price would tell stories about the Gassoff brothers and Lee Fogolin had a few about Battleship Bob Kelly. Slats never forgot John Ferguson, and then there was Dave Schultz and the Broad Street Bullies. But the general consensus had it that Sammy was the toughest of all. He was in a class of his own; he didn't beat guys up, he'd destroyed them. He employed a combination of sheer strength, sheer power, and sheer quickness, but mostly power. He wasted players with just two or three punches. And all this, although he never really had a mean streak in his body!" added Lowe

Dave had plenty of humour and he loved to tease his coach Glen Sather who he didn't get along with all the time.

Once Sather gave his players a training program for the off-season with push-ups, sit-ups and running among the things to do. One day he called Dave to check up on him.

"It sounds like you're in pretty good shape" said Slats.

"No, problem. I'm doing your program." replied Sammy. "The push-ups and sit-ups are ok, but the running is not going too well."

"Oh, so you have trouble with your knee again ?"

"No, that's not the problem. It's the wind, it stops me from lighting my cigarette."

When Wayne Gretzky won the 1983 All-Star MVP award he gave the car he won to Dave to show him how much he appreciated his work on the ice as well as his friendship off the ice.

"He probably had the most inaccurate image of anyone in the game. He was known as a goon or a rock-head, but the ironic thing was he was pleasant, witty and gentle. I mean, he would never hurt anyone, and it used to always surprise us when he actually would fight. You knew he had to be mad to actually get into a fight because he was such a nice person" recalls Gretzky.

But on December 12, 1986 Dave got traded. When Sather told Dave that he had traded him to Hartford the big winger couldn't keep his emotions inside him. He cried and several of his teammates cried as well. Seeing the most popular and well liked guy on the team be traded was a hard blow to the Oilers players. They lost a lot of the team chemistry from that moment on.

Dave went on to play one season in Hartford and then finished his career with a one year stint in Toronto 1987-88. Dave returned to Edmonton though and became a scout for the team.

When Wayne Gretzky's number 99 was retired on October 1,1999 Dave was one of the few guys selected to share the moment with Wayne on the ice.

Everybody loved Dave except for those who had unpleasant encounters with his fists.

Ron Hextall

2006-05-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

I remember one particular discussion with a fan about Ron Hextall. We were discussing how all the great goaltenders throughout history somehow revolutionized the art of goaltending. With Ron's incredible puck handling ability, this fan said "Hextall revolutionized the game with his puck handling ability. He took it to a new level and was like a third defenseman back there. Too bad he forgot how to stop the puck late in his career."

While his comments were tongue in cheek, they are kind of accurate.

Ron Hextall's career started out like gangbusters. As a rookie he challenged Grant Fuhr for top status as the games best goalie in the late 1980s. He was incredible and made the Flyers a true Stanley Cup threat. Over time Ron's play leveled off to the point where he continued to play solidly, but was a victim of his own early success. Ron was unable to duplicate or better his accomplishments as a youngster. In a game that demands that you take your play to a higher level every year, many fans soured on Hexy's abilities as a #1 goaltender. He became a favorite target of fans and reporters in the late 1990s as Ron developed a tendency to give up weak goals from time to time. The Flyers were supposed to be a great Cup threat, but goaltending, be it Hexy, Garth Snow or John Vanbiesbrouck, was considered to be the weak point of the team.

While many fans will remember Hextall for his late career tendency to give up soft goals, he should be remembered as one of the most exciting goalies to watch, at least during his early years. He excited fans in a way that Dominik Hasek or Tony Esposito did. Fans will also remember Hexy for his uncontrollable temper. He set an NHL record for goaltenders with 113 PIM in 1988-89. Memorable skirmishes with Edmonton's Kent Nilsson and Montreal's Chris Chelios always stick out in the minds of many hockey fans.

Hextall in a way revolutionized a game. He certainly wasn't the first goalie to handle the puck, but he was so good at handling and shooting the puck. Teams couldn't dump and chase against the Flyers because Hexy would roam behind the net to stop the puck and then lift it over everybody into the neutral zone where a quick Flyers forward like Brian Propp or Ilkka Sinisalo was waiting to pounce on a loose puck. Also, Hextall was the leader of strong Flyers teams of the late 1980s. The Flyers came oh so close to knocking off the might Edmonton Oilers. Hextall's fiery play definitely characterized that team, something which is extremely rare for a goaltender to do.

Ron of course comes from a famous hockey family. Ron's grandfather is Hall of Famer Bryan Hextall. Sr. Bryan Hextall Jr. was Ron's dad, who also played in the NHL, as did Ron's uncle Dennis Hextall.

But right from an early age Ron wanted to be a goaltender.

"I remember going to my dad's practices, sitting behind the glass and watching the goalie the whole time," said Hextall in Dick Irvin's great book "In The Crease." "I can't explain it, can't pinpoint it. I twasn't like I watched a certain guy one time and sai "I want to be a goalie like him." It was there from the start."

Although he and his brother were rink rats at the NHL practices, Ron never actually started playing hockey until he was 8 years old. At that point his hockey was played in Pittsburgh where his dad played for the NHL Penguins. Later Hextall would play low quality hockey in places like Atlanta and Detroit before his dad retired from hockey and returned to his native Brandon, Manitoba when Ron was 12.

The family bloodlines and the hanging out with NHLers must have made up for the lack of regular hockey training as Hextall made it to Major Junior hockey. The Brandon Wheat Kings were a pretty weak squad during Ron's tenure, which oddly enough Ron credits as a major reason for his development. A goaltender faces lots of shots while playing for a bad team, and can really develop. Where a goalie playing for strong team may have strong junior statistics, but isn't nearly as good a goalie or is behind in his development comparitively.

The Flyers selected Ron in the sixth round (119th overall) of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, but it wasn't until 1986-87 when he made his NHL debut, playing in 66 games and posting a league-leading 37 wins, a career-high. He played in the 1987 All Star game, a rarity for a rookie. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team and won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender. In the playoffs Ron's fiery play backstopped the Flyers to the '87 Cup Finals where he was named as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Most Valuable Player in the playoffs despite the fact that the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers in a memorable 7 game series. Despite all this, somehow Hextall didn't win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, as a young Luc Robitaille notched 45 goals in his rookie campaign.

Hextall seemingly came out of nowhere to accomplish one of the greatest individual seasons in hockey history. He was surprised to even make the team. The Flyers had Bob Froese, who had been runner up for the Vezina Trophy the season before, and cagey veteran Chico Resch returning. Coach Mike Keenan played a bit of a hunch by starting with the rookie, and it obvioiusly paid off.

Despite playing just one NHL season, Hexy was named to Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup. Hexy and the Islanders Kelly Hrudey never played however as Grant Fuhr went the distance. But it was still a definite honor for the big goalie. In 1987-88, he again played in the NHL All-Star Game and was awarded his second Bobby Clarke Trophy as the Flyers' Most Valuable Player. Ron would win that award again in 1988-89 when he posted his third straight 30 win season.

1987-88 was also memorable because Ron fired the puck into an empty net to become the first goaltender in NHL history to actually shoot the puck to score a goal. Nearly 10 years earlier Billy Smith was credited with a goal when he was the last player to handle the puck before the Colorado Rockies accidentally put the puck into their own goal. Hexy's goal came against Boston on December 8th, 1987. On April 11, 1989, Hextall duplicated this feat by scoring the first goal by a goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Hextall downplays the importance of the goals.

"Everybody wanted it more than I wanted it. As much as I thought, yeah, it would be great, it would be fun, this and that, I didn't think it was that big a deal when I actually scored the goal. It was a thrill and when I look back it will still be a thrill. But it won't be in my book of the greatest memories of my career. I doubt if either of my goals will be there."

1989-90 was not a good season for Ron. He appeared in only 8 games. He was forced to sit out the first 12 games of the season due to a suspension for an incident in the previous playoffs. Hextall charged Montreal's Chris Chelios in a memorable battle in game 6 of the Wales Conference Finals. Ron later was felled by nagging groin and hamstring injuries, resulting in his most disappointing season ever.

"It was an awful feeling for me to sit out," confessed Ron to Dick Irvin. "I remember thinking that there I was, 25 years old and my career might be finished. I'm not a real spiritual guy but I must admit I said a prayer or two just to play until I was 32. At that point I was scared, very scared, that I was finished."

Hexy returned in 1990-91 to play 36 games, but some say he was never quite the same after his battle with the injuries. The stats support that argument, as Hextall struggled for the next two seasons. But in all fairness the Flyers team had deteriorated to the point where they were no longer playoff contenders.

Hextall's life changed on June 20, 1992 when the Flyers and Quebec Nordiques shook the hockey world with perhaps the biggest trade ever. Hextall was traded to the Nordiques with Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, first round picks in the 1993 and 1994 drafts, and $15 million in exchange for the rights to a young phenom named Eric Lindros.

Hextall had a good season in Quebec, He went 29-18-6 and played a big role in turning around the once sad-sack Nords and bringing them back to the playoffs.

"Until the playoffs we had a great year," said Hextall of his lone season in Quebec. "We had 104 points. I still don't know what the hell happened in the playoffs. I played good for 4 games and then the wheels fell off. But overall we had a fun year. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

However Hextall's stay in Quebec lasted exactly one year as on June 20, 1993, he was traded with Quebec's first-round draft pick in 1993 to the New York Islanders in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick and a first round draft pick in 1993.

In 1993-94, Ron played 65 games for the Islanders, one game shy of his career high. He also compiled a career-high five shutouts with an impressive 27-26-6 record on an average Isles team.

On Sept. 22, 1994, Ron returned to city of brotherly love. He was traded with the Islanders' sixth round choice in the 1995 draft to Philadelphia in exchange for Tommy Soderstrom. Ron celebrated his return by posting a league and career-best 2.17 goals-against average in 1995-96. He also posted 31 wins that year, the second highest of his career.

Towards the end of his career, Ron played more of a backup role. He shared the nets with Garth Snow for a couple of years before becoming a true backup to John Vanbiesbrouck in 1998-99. At the end of 1999, Hextall was bought out of his contract by the Flyers. The Flyers were looking to make room for a younger goalie to be brought up in their system.

Ron played in 608 NHL contests with a decision record 296-214-69. He had 23 shutouts and career goals against average of 2.97. He led the NHL in wins once and in GAA once. He is also the most penalized goalie in hockey history with 584 minutes, plus another 115 in the playoffs. He even scored 2 goals!

All in all fiery Ron Hextall will be remembered as a great competitor and a very good and entertaining goalie. He epitomized Flyer's hockey.

Tiger Williams

2006-05-23T19:14:00.001-07:00

Golf has Tiger Woods. But hockey fans know that there is only one Tiger.

While Weyburn, Saskatchewan's David Williams might not have the same grace as the golf prodigy, his competitiveness is second to none. It is this competitive zeal and likeability that makes Williams not only a fan favorite, but a legend of the game.

Asked how he got the nickname Tiger, Williams credited the trademark to his very first hockey coach John Norman. "I've had it all my life," Williams said. "It was partly because of my personality and partly because of the way I played when I was a kid."

The beauty of the beast known as Tiger Williams is that he played the same way as a kid as he did in his 14 year NHL career - full out and all heart. And he does the same thing today in every single project he is involved with.

The role he played for his entire career would be that of the enforcer, one whose job was to protect the more skillful players. Tiger is best known as the NHL's all time penalty minute leader. In 14 seasons he accumulated 3966 minutes in the sin bin, plus another 455 in the playoffs, also a record. That's 74 hours, or more than 3 complete days in the box! Tiger would probably insist that he didn't deserve half of those penalties, yet in all likelihood he deserved even more.

Though a tough way to make a living, Williams offers no apologies for his vocation.

"If I had to do it again I would probably do it the same way," he said. "The thing is, anybody can pretend they can pass the puck, shoot the puck and play on the power play. If you want to find out how great of an all-around player you are, go stand toe-to-toe with some guy 6-3, 230 pounds and then go play the next shift. Not many guys can do that."

When asked who was his toughest match, the always entertaining Tiger once quickly responded by rolling his eyes and saying "All of them!!!" Although he did have lots of respect for a certain breed of tough guys.

"The guys who I have the most respect for would be the Terry O'Reilly-type of guys. Not only were they tough, but they played every third shift and played 80 games a year. Those are the guys who rank very, very high," admitted Williams.

Williams says it's tough to rate today's modern punchers, but he figures nobody's been much tougher than Dave Semenko.

"When Sammy hit you, he just rocked ya."

Though known for his on-ice antics (he once rode the stick like a witch's broom after scoring a big goal) and famous fisticuffs, lost in the Tiger Williams story is that he was a pretty good hockey player when he wasn't in the penalty box.

In four seasons with Swift Current of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he twice scored over 100 points in a season. And back then, he even considered offense his ticket to the professional ranks.

"I always scored a lot," said the NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes. "When I started in '74, we didn't have many physical guys in Toronto. We had a lot of highly talented guys and I just started pitching in in that area. Then one thing leads to another in the NHL, and you get slotted into whatever script they think you should be in."

Tiger, at age 16 dropped out of school to get a job to help support his family, was surrounded by some nice talent in Swift Current, namely Terry Ruskowski, Bryan Trottier and Ron Delorme

A second round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tiger's first impression on the Leafs' brass was not a strong one. He was recruited by the legendary Johnny Bower, who fought hard for his drafting despite suspect skating ability. The Leafs did take Tiger, but in his first training camp general manager Jim Gregory was quoted as saying "He not only can't skate, he can't fight!" after Tiger was sucker punched by Keith Magnuson of Chicago - one of hockey's true heavyweights.

Despite this set back, Tiger went down to the Leafs farm team in Oklahoma and worked as hard as he did on the farms in Saskatchewan. By January he had earned his ticket back to the NHL. This time around, he was here to say.

As mentioned earlier, Tiger accepted his role of providing a physical presence. He scrapped and fought and put his body through an immense toll. By doing so his teammates played better. They were inspired by Tiger's effort. Tiger was also the kind of guy who would tell you if he didn't think you were working hard enough, and teammates began to work their collective butts off as they didn't want to be accountable to Tiger.

The Leafs gradually became a strong team by the late 1970s, thanks largely to the big line of Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald and Williams. But soon the Leafs would hire Punch Imlach as general manager. Imlach was the architect of the Leafs glory days in the 1960s, but this time around the franchise went the complete opposite direction due to bad trades and hirings.

One of the causalities was the ever popular Williams. He was popular with everyone except Imlach. In early 1980 he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

If Tiger isn't best known as a Leaf then it is as a Vancouver Canuck. He has a love affair with British Columbia that is only matched by Beautiful B.C.'s love affair with him.

Tiger enjoyed his best season as a Canuck. In 1980-81 he led the entire league in penalty minutes with 343 minutes. Despite this, he scored 35 goals -and 62 points while representing Vancouver at the NHL All Star Game!

Tiger was a huge part of the Canucks Cinderella run at the Stanley Cup finals in 1982. His feud with Billy Smith in that final series is now stuff of great legend. He wasn't counted on as heavily for offense as he was the year before, but he contributed 3 goals and 10 points in 17 post season games, plus an unthinkable 118 PIM!

Unfortunately Tiger's offensive contributions dried up the next two years, while at the same time the Canucks were entering their lowest point in franchise history.

By 1984-85 Tiger was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. Some suggested the reason for the trade was because Tiger was writing an autobiography, but he insists it was because he couldn't agree on a contract with the Canucks.

Tiger didn't finish the year in the Motor City though, as he was traded to sunny Los Angeles at the trading deadline. Tiger would enjoy two good season in the City of Angels before finishing out his career with an injury plagued season in Hartford.

In total he scored 241 goals and 272 assists for 513 points in 963 games. Those are numbers that suggest that he was much more than just a goon.

Now that he is out of hockey, Tiger excels is many other aspects of life. He still loves the game and plays in charity events regularly. The gloves stay on during old timer matches, but he still serves a bit of a policeman if there is a local idiot trying to make a name for himself.

An equal love now is the British Columbia outdoors and hunting and fishing. Its amazing that he is able to get in as much recreation time as he does, as he is extremely successful in the business world. He has shown a great business sense in several different ventures. He came a long way from the days when he was a kid a can of Coca-Cola was a luxury. Tiger also likes to give back to the community, and is a big supporter of the Special Olympics

Despite the fact that Tiger's name is associated with violence in hockey, truth of the matter is he is one of the most entertaining and liked hockey players of all time, and a good role model for kids today. Tiger has this to say to young kids:

"I don't care if you are playing in old-timers hockey or in the NHL, the game deserves for you to be the best you can be that night. Life is too short to go through it half-assed."

Eddie Shore

2006-05-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins have had a long tradition of having the greatest defenseman in the game of hockey. Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, Brad Park, to name a few. But the whole trend started with Eddie Shore.

He was born (November 25,1902) and grew up in the farming community of Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, and didn't pick up hockey until a relatively late age (18 or so) His father was a strict (but fair) man who laid ground for Shore's toughness later on in his life. Eddie Shore's first sporting loves was baseball and soccer. His brother, Aubrey, was the family hockey player, and it wasn't until Eddie had enrolled at Manitoba Agricultural College in Winnipeg and had been told by his big brother, 'You'll never make a hockey player,'' that he began to take the game seriously.

Shore joined the Boston Bruins in 1926 and went on to personify the most vigorous aspects of the rough and fast game of hockey. His explosive temper was only matched by his incredible talent. While setting up offensive plays he would literally knock down any opponent that got in his way. This of course led to many hard fought and legendary battles. American Hockey League president Maurice Podoloff once observed, ''Eddie Shore did not walk; he stalked'

Hockey of course always has been and always will be a religion in Canada. When the all-Canadian National Hockey League decided to expand to the American cities of New York, Boston, Detroit and Chicago, there was doubt as to its ultimate fate.

"In order to succeed," said Frank Boucher, a star in his own right with the New York Rangers, "the league needed a superstar of extraordinary dimensions."

Eddie Shore was the right man, and at the right time. The "Edmonton Express" put professional hockey on the American map almost single handedly.

Absolutely fearless and unbelievably talented, Shore was indestructible. Perhaps the best way to describe him would be to say he was an early day Gordie Howe who played on the blueline. It certainly wouldn't be a stretch to say that. No one who hit as hard as he did was ever hit harder - or more often - in return. In his heyday, opponents seemed to save all their energy
in order to deal with Eddie Shore. ''He was bruised, head to toe, after every game,'' recalled Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt, a four-year teammate.' Everybody was after him. They figured if they could stop Eddie Shore, they could stop the Bruins.''

Shore's style was all his own. Pugnacious and downright mean, he was also very skilled. '' Most people of the day would skate down the side,'' said Schmidt. ''But Eddie always went down the middle of the ice. People bounced off him like tenpins"

Almost as amazing was his ability to play the entire game! He would average 50-55 minutes a contest. Well, at least in games when he wasn't spending that much time in the penalty box!

Not only was Shore a mean and fearless player but he was also a hard-nosed and savvy negotiator who held out on several occasions for more money. He knew what he was worth and that he was the number one attraction in the league. Bruins coach and GM Art Ross always had mixed feelings about Shore because of the hard times he would give him as a negotiator.

Ross who was a genius always had a show-biz flair, and Shore was a willing accomplice. One year he actually had the other Bruins take the ice first before bringing Shore out last to the accompaniment of ''Hail to the Chief.'' Shore would skate onto the ice in a matador's cloak, which would then be removed, Gorgeous George-style, by a valet.

With Shore, it was always business first, and in 1939, he startled everyone by purchasing the AHL Springfield Indians while he was still playing for the Bruins. What he did was that he played for both Springfield and Boston. This move of course infuriated Art Ross who couldn't stop Shore from doing that so the only way to get rid of the "problem" was to trade Shore. So on January 24,1940 Shore was sold to the NY Americans. A typical week for Shore was a game in Springfield on a Saturday, the Americans on a Sunday, Springfield on Tuesday and Wednesday, and New York on Thursday.

He played against his old Bruins teammates for the first time on March 9,1940. It was his fifth game in six days, despite that he played 35 minutes as the Americans won 4-2 The guy was 38 years old !

Eddie Shore removed himself from the playing ranks after that season, but went on to become a successful (and many times hated) owner in the AHL:

Turner Sports vice president Kevin O'Malley, a Springfield native whose father was the Springfield Indians' PA man for many years, got to see things most Springfield folks never saw. ''After many a practice had ended,'' O'Malley said, ''Eddie Shore would get out there and give his entire team skating lessons. He would critique the form of every player.''

That was a typical Eddie Shore thing.

Even the great Milt Schmidt recognized this. ''He tried to change my style when I was a rookie,'' Schmidt explained. ''He was very much a stand-up skater, and he hated it that I was a stooped-over skater. But he had a theory about everything.''

Shore's business attitude was the stuff of legend. When you worked for Shore, you worked for Shore. ''It's true that when the ice show was coming in [to the Eastern States Exposition] he would have players blow up balloons,'' said Schmidt.

''He always made the players change the light bulbs in the rink,'' added O'Malley. ''I can still see them out there on those giant circus ladders.''

Anyone who crossed him paid the price. O'Malley especially remembered one occasion. ''There was a concessions guy named Lee Morse. He was in his mid-30s, and he weighed about 220,''
He said something to Eddie one day, and Eddie just knocked him cold.''

Another typical Eddie Shore story.

And if one of the local high schools booked the rink to practice from, say, 5 to 6, that did not mean 4:59 to 6:01. You got in the locker room at 5 and you were done with all your business by 6. ''Otherwise,'' chuckled O'Malley, ''it was water off, lights out, and he was out the door.''

There are hundreds of Eddie Shore stories to tell and they are all part of his legend. His toughness was almost legendary even before he had played in the NHL. One time when he played for the Edmonton Eskimos his leg was cut deeply by a skate that required 14 stitches. He was told by the doctor to stay off the leg, yeah right, the next game Shore played full-out and popped all the stitches ending up with his hockey pants soaked in blood.

Or when he played for the Melville Millionaires against Winnipeg in a championship game, his coach told him to not take a penalty no matter what happened. Shore was targeted for the entire game and lost six teeth, suffered a broken nose and a broken jaw and got knocked out a couple of times. After having played a full 50 minutes he was knocked out a third time and was helped off the ice unconscious. He never did draw a penalty...

In the NHL it started right away with his knockdown-dragout fight with teammate Billy Coutu and how he found his own doctor to sew his ear back on. Or when he missed the team train to Montreal, hired a cab to take him there, took over the wheel when he decided the driver wasn't making good enough time, crashed the cab, hiked to a farm house, persuaded the farmer to hitch a sleigh to take him to the nearest train, arrived in Montreal 22 hours after he left Boston, and scored the game's only goal.

And then there is the unofficial record that Eddie holds that is sure never to be beaten - most fighting majors in a single game.

On November 23, 1929 the Boston Bruins were playing the Montreal Maroons. Eddie Shore got five fighting majors in that game, something that has never been equaled to this day, and since a player automatically gets tossed out from the game after three fights, this record seems to stand eternally.

Shore, who's reputation was the only thing more feared than his fists, got into a fight with the Maroons' Buck Boucher. At the completion of the fight he picked up his stick and proceeded to butt end Dave Trottier, who just happened to be the nearest Maroon. Understandably, the Maroon's spent the rest of the night trying to even the score with Shore. Even though he was extremely fatigued and bruised, Shore never once backed down.

The game had to be stopped in the third period so all the blood could be scraped up. Trottier, Siebert and Shore all ended up in the hospital. Eddie Shore had a broken nose, lost four teeth, had two black eyes a gashed cheekbone, cuts over both eyes and a concussion.

By the way, Boston won the game 4-3.

The All-Star game is played today, in a roundabout way, thanks to Eddie Shore, even though the circumstances leading to it weren't all that pleasant.

On December 12, 1933 at the Boston Garden, Boston played against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Eddie Shore was tripped by Francis "King" Clancy in the Toronto zone. As he was skating back, he mistakenly checked Toronto's Irvine "Ace" Bailey from behind, it was a devastating body check intended for Clancy as a retaliation for the trip earlier. Bailey fell and hit his head on the ice and fractured his skull, he lay twisted and twitching in a seizure-like state Bailey had two brain operations and hovered between life and death for 10 days. Bailey eventually recovered but his hockey career was finished. Shore didn't show much remorse. He wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type. He was a hockey player's hockey player, perfectly willing to
endure pain if it meant he could inflict his fair share, although the Bailey hit was an accident.
At that time Shore received a record 16 game suspension for the incident.

The injury resulted in the NHL creating an all star squad to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in a benefit game for Bailey and his family. The game was played in Toronto in 1947. The Leafs, wearing jerseys that said "ACE" across them, would end up losing to the NHL All Stars. It would become the annual mid-season All Star Game.

The hit would plague Shore's reputation as a goon and perhaps hindered him from the true acclaim he deserves. The Hockey News recently named him the 10th best player of all time.

He is the only defenseman to ever win the Hart Trophy on 4 occasions. He also was on an NHL all star team 8 times, and was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams in 1929 and 1939.

When the topic of greatest defenseman is brought up, almost everybody says Bobby Orr, a worthy recipient of such acclaim It is such a shame that most people today did not get to see Eddie Shore play. If we had, then perhaps we would all unanimously agree that Shore was the greatest defenseman of all time. Regardless, he is one of the all time Legends of Hockey.

He was a legend as a player and a legend as an owner, and no other individual in the sport's history can make that statement

We could go on mentioning a lot more of the hilarious stories that Shore was involved in as a player and coach, but that could make an entire book. His 978 stitches, 4 broken noses and 5 broken jaws gives us a pretty good picture of his playing style and toughness.

Brent Sutter

2006-05-23T19:13:00.001-07:00

Brent, brother No.4 out of the magnificent Sutter six, had 18 NHL seasons under his belt. Oldest brother Brian had 12, Darryl 8, Duane 11, and youngest twin brothers Rich 14 and Ron 18. Together the sextet from Viking, Alberta played a combined 81 seasons in the NHL, which is a good indication of their toughness and resilience.

Brent wasn't any different from his five brothers. He possessed the same trademarks as all of them. To sum up the Sutter brothers there are a few words that immediately comes to mind. Persistence, heart, leadership, grinder, mucker, fighter, team-player and winner. Most of the qualities that any player needs comes to mind when we think of a Sutter.

Duane, Brent's older brother (No.3 on the Sutter tree) personified a Sutter when he said:

"The way we've been taught to play hockey is to give everything we've got for each shift. We go out there to do our jobs all over the ice and, if we score or set up a goal, great. But we don't build our games around scoring."

Indeed, the Sutters never put personal achievements ahead of the team. Brent was no exception. He played for the Red Deer Rustlers in the AJHL between 1977-80 where he scored 285 points in 179 games. He then played for the Lethbridge Broncos where he scored 280 points in only 101 games.

NHL scouts knew that Brent had the same favorable trademarks as his older brothers. NY Islanders, who already had Duane on the team, eagerly snatched up Brent with their 1st choice, 17th overall in the 1980 entry draft.

By 1981-82 Brent was a regular on the Stanley Cup champions, playing 43 games during the regular season and was an instant success, scoring a point per game, including 21 goals while at the same time collecting 114 PIMs playing feisty in your face "Sutter type" of hockey. He and linemates Duane Sutter and Clark Gillies were one of the top lines heading into the playoffs, but after Brent made a rookie mistake he was bench for much of the playoffs. He spent most of his time sitting on the bench while taking the occasional shift on the 4th line until the final 2 games of the Stanley Cup finals. It was a great learning experience for Brent.

In 1982-83 Brent had a more defensive role and scored 40 points during the regular season. But then in the 1983 playoffs Brent played on a line with brother Duane and speedster Bob Bourne and they formed the best line of the playoffs. Together they scored a fine 70 points, including 27 goals, in 20 games. Brent himself had 10 goals and 21 points in the 20 games, and was taking many of the key faceoffs for the Isles. This line was a big reason why the Islanders won their fourth straight Cup.

In 1983-84 Brent scored 34 goals and played another Cup final. This time the NY Islanders lost to Edmonton though, ending perhaps the most impressive dynasty in all of hockey.

Brent's fine play won him a tryout for the 1984 Canada Cup team. Oldest brother Brian was also invited but was eventually one of the last players cut from the team, something that Glen Sather later said was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, to tell a hardworking guy like Brian that he was cut from the team.

Brent made the team and formed one of the best lines of the tournament together with his NY Islanders teammates Mike Bossy and John Tonelli, who was the Canada Cup MVP that year. Canada won the Canada Cup, making Brent's early career accomplishments nothing short of sensational. Two Stanley Cups, three trips to the finals and one Canada Cup victory after only three seasons. Brent would go on to win another two Canada Cup titles in 1987 and 1991.

Al Arbour who was very impressed with the lines play in the Canada Cup left the line intact at the start of the 1984-85 season. The line continued with their torrid pace throughout the season. Sniper Mike Bossy had 117 points, John Tonelli, the tenacious left winger had 100 points and Brent Sutter chipped in with a career high 102 points including 42 goals in 72 games despite the fact that his shoulder was separated at the tail end of the year.

That season was Brent's finest from an offensive standpoint. Brent's consistency was remarkable and the following seasons he had 55, 63, 60, 63, 68 and 53 points for the Islanders despite nagging shoulder injuries. He would become the Islanders team captain in 1987

In the early 90's the Islanders were just a shadow from the glory days and Brent was traded to Chicago on October 25, 1991 together with Brad Lauer for Adam Creighton and Steve Thomas.

Brent scored a total of 60 points that 91-92 season and helped Chicago reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 21 seasons. Chicago eventually lost to Mario Lemieux and the powerful Penguins in four straight games.

Brent's scoring exploits tailed off soon thereafter, however he continued his defensive excellence. He drew the major checking assignments and took all of the crucial face-offs.

Brent truly was a leader wherever he played. Everybody looked up to him. Often he played hurt but he still worked harder than anyone else on the team. He never quit, no matter what the score was. In each and every of his 1111 regular season games and 144 playoff games he played his heart out in typical Sutter fashion, making his parents, brothers, teammates and millions of hockey fans proud of a hockey player who at all times put his team ahead of himself.

After retiring from the game in 1998, Brent returned to Red Deer where he guided the junior expansion team Red Deer Rebels to the Memorial Cup by 2001. He not only coaches and manages the team but also owns it and runs a successful hands-on farm as well. Sutter also became legendary in this country for leading Canada to back-to-back undefeated gold medals at the World Junior Championships.

Like his brothers Brian, Duane and Darryl, Brent is highly regarded as a coach and one day be back in the NHL running a bench. He probably could have any NHL coaching job he wants, but his love of junior hockey may keep him in Red Deer for some time to come.

Duane Sutter

2006-05-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

There have been some pretty famous family connections in hockey history. The generations of Patricks and Conachers and Howes and Hulls and Hextalls rank as hockey royalty. But probably the most famous family in hockey is Viking Alberta's Sutter family. Six brothers - Brian, Duane, Brent, Darryl, Rich and Ron - went on to play long careers in the National Hockey League.

Duane was nicknamed Dog. But it wasn't due to his dogged play, but rather a name from his childhood. His mother called him "Dog" because as a child he would constantly whine and cry! When younger brother Brent joined Duane on Long Island, he quickly became known as "Pup," a name that would stick with him for his entire career.

Easily the most out-going of the clan, Duane Sutter was a first-round draft pick of the NY Islanders in 1979 (17th overall). It was great timing for Duane as he joined the Islanders just in time to play on four consecutive Stanley Cup winners at the start of the ‘80s.

But it almost never happened.

The morning of the draft, Islanders GM Bill Torrey called to say he was planning on selecting him.

"Thanks but no thanks," Duane recalls saying. "I don't want to play in a big city like New York with all those skyscrapers."

Torrey must not have known what to think of the response, but he decided to draft Sutter anyways. It is a good thing too, as he was a key part of the championship dynasty.

Duane applied the typical Sutter style of play immediately. He banged. He crashed. He fought. He blocked shots. He sacrificed for his teammates. He was a leader. He won.

But he added a little extra spice his brothers were not really noted for. He yapped.
Claiming to be heavily influenced by his favorite movie, "Slap Shot," no one was safe from his verbal assaults. He would often be in the middle of an after-the-whistle scrum, chirping away at opposition goaltenders, or defensemen, or coaches or referees.

Affectionately known strictly as grinder, and unlike brothers Brian, Darryl, Brent and to a lesser degree Ron, never showed a lot of offensive upside. This was despite his NHL debuted where he scored 2 goals and 3 points against the Edmonton Oilers.
However he scored 20 goals only once, but that was fine with his teammates. Often playing on a line with brother Brent, Duane brought so much to the table that could never be measured by statistics.

Like all the Sutters, he earned twice his paycheck just because of his heart and determination. Although he dreamed of playing in the NHL all star game, there was little chance a player of his stature could ever make it there. Yet he was at least as valuable, and in many cases more valuable, of a hockey player as almost any of the annual all stars.

Perhaps Duane could have had a chance to play in an NHL all star game, like Brian and Brent did, but Islanders coach Al Arbour never really gave Duane the prime ice time needed to achieve offensive statistics needed for such an honor. Duane often was depressed about his lack of ice time, particularly in his early years.

In the summer of 1987 the Isles decided to move Duane to Chicago in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick. By this time the Isles dynasty days were over and the Isles were unloading some of their veterans in exchange for some youthful prospects and draft picks. Unfortunately Duane was in this group.

While Duane continued to play that Sutter dogged style in Chicago, his offensive contributions were left behind on Long Island. Duane only scored 18 times in 3 years. He became much more of a role player in Chicago, although by this time he had matured about his role and it didn't bother him if he didn't get the ice time. Duane was happy to be there, partly because his brother Darryl was there and partly because he knew he could have an impact on the team. And he did.

Duane Sutter appeared in 731 NHL games, recording 139 goals, 342 points and 1,333 penalty minutes. Like brothers Brian and Darryl he retired prematurely due to injuries.

Duane initially returned to Viking to raise his family, but he got back into the game as a scout. Soon enough he wanted to get into the coach game like his brothers Brian and Darryl (plus Brent at the junior level). He spent three years as an assistant coach before he was named head coach of the Florida Panthers in 2000 for about a year.

Darryl Sutter

2006-05-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

Darryl Sutter was the second of the Sutter brothers to go through junior hockey and make it to the NHL. But for a time it didn't look like he'd ever make to the big leagues.

Following in Brian's footsteps, Darryl had a fantastic junior career with the Red Deer Rustlers in the AJHL and followed that up with a solid season in the WCJHL with the Lethbridge Broncos. He was expected to be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round of the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, but when he wasn't drafted until the 11th round (179th overall), Darryl all but gave up on the NHL.

Darryl, who had turned down full college scholarships to play junior hockey, was so ticked off at the entry draft snub that he opted to play the following season in, of all places, Japan. One of the owners of the Lethbridge Broncos was Japanese and invited Darryl to come to Japan and play professionally over there.

It was certainly an interesting experience for Darryl. There was only one other Westerner on team called Iwakura Tomakomai. His name was Doug Johnson of Edmonton, but since has married the two didn't spend much time together off the ice. That meant Darryl was rather lonely. Some of the older Japanese people and even some of his teammates didn't like him being around, mostly because he didn't really follow their strict cultural guidelines. For example in Japan it is custom to bow to the older generation. After practices, younger players were to bow to the older players before heading to the dressing room. Darryl just skated off.

Darryl never regretted his Japanese trip. He got away from his troubles and learned a lot about himself over there. He made some nice money too, and in the process rewrote the Japanese record book for hockey.

When Darryl returned to Canada in February of 1979, the Hawks asked Darryl to finish out the season with their farm team. Darryl, who grew up a Hawks fan, fit in nicely and impressed the Hawks. They subsequently signed him to contract, and Darryl's NHL dream was back in focus.

Darryl had a tremendous training camp in 1979-80 with Chicago. The camp was memorable for his multiple run-ins with legendary Hawks tough guy Keith Magnuson. Magnuson had had several famous battles with Darryl's brother, Brian Sutter of the St. Louis Blues, in the previous couple of years, so he decided to test Darryl out. Darryl, in typical Sutter style, never backed down even if he didn't fare quite as well as Brian did. That instantly impressed the coaching staff and Magnuson.

Aside from 8 games that season, Sutter never made the Hawks. He was sent to the farm team to apprentice with the New Brunswick Hawks. He had a tremendous season capped off by being named the AHL rookie of the year. The following year he would make the Hawks for good - never returning to the minors.

Darryl's best season was his rookie NHL season of 1980-81. He scored 40 goals and 62 points. Although he had probably the softest hands of the family, Darryl knew that he would have a tough time duplicating 40 goals again. The Hawks were a weak team and many of Darryl's goals came with the game already well in hand for the other team. Plus Darryl played a lot with excellent center Tom Lysiak, who was winding down his fine career.

There was little doubt that Darryl could score goals though. Darryl was on pace to score another 40 in year 2, but he missed half the season when he took a Doug Wilson slapshot to the face, crushing his cheek bone and eye socket. He would score 31 goals in 1982-83.

That year proved to be his last injury free campaign. Over the next 4 years Darryl constantly pushed the 20 goal despite playing in an average of 50 games a year, many of those games in great pain.

In 1984-85 Darryl was the talk of the playoffs as he scored 12 goals in 15 playoff games, breaking Bobby Hull's team record for goals in the playoffs in the process.

Sutter had a chronic knee problem which cost him many games and ultimately his career. It was too bad that his knee didn't prove to be more durable, as he was probably the best goal scorer among the Sutter brothers. He was also the most injured. Besides the serious face and knee injuries, Darryl also had had surgery to repair his ankle, elbow, ribs, nose and shoulders.

Darryl retired prematurely at age 29 due to the knee injuries. He played in 406 NHL games and recorded 161 goals, 118 assists and 279 points

Like his brothers, Darryl stayed in hockey after his playing days were over. Darryl immediately stepped behind the bench as an assistant coach with Bob Murdoch and later Mike Keenan. By 1988-89 Darryl accept a head coaching post with the Hawks IHL farm team in order to get some head coaching experience, but he returned to Chicago as an assistant from 1990 to 1992.

From 1992-95 Darryl served as head coach of the Hawks, but he stepped down as coach to spend more time with his 2 year old son Christopher who suffers from Down's Syndrom. He served as the team's assistant general manager until 1997.

Despite his loyalty to the Hawks over the years, Darryl left the organization in 1997 to join the San Jose Sharks as their head coach. He took the struggling expansion franchise to respectabilty as he was only the second coach in NHL history (Al Arbour of the New York Islanders was the other) to guide his team to improved point totals in five consecutive seasons. Despite a franchise record 44 win season and the franchise's first divisional title, Sutter was let go after a slow start in 2002.

Sutter was not unemployed long. Just a few weeks later he took over the Calgary Flames job, and later would add the title of General Manager. He guided the Flames to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004, and remains as one of the most successful coaches in the National Hockey League today.

Rich Sutter

2006-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Rich Sutter was no different than any of his 5 brothers who also played in the National Hockey League. All six brothers played the exact same style - hardnosed, mucker and grinder, forechecker, role player, pest, and, above all, winner.

However Rich probably had to play even harder than the rest of his brothers to stick in the National Hockey League. He was probably the least skilled of the six and he was mislabeled early in his career due to an unfortunate incident in Pittsburgh. Yet he understood his limitations and made up for the shortcomings with the family's characteristic hustle and desire.

Rich was drafted 10th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1982. Six selections earlier Rich's twin brother Ron was chosen by the cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. That marked the highest drafting of twin brothers until 17 years later when the Sedin twins Daniel and Henrik were drafted 2nd and 3rd overall.

Every team in hockey wanted a Sutter, except for the Penguins apparently. They soured on Rich quickly. They said he had a bad attitude. Rich was disappointed with his ice time early in his rookie season, and let the Penguins management know that he would rather be playing in junior than sitting on the bench in the NHL. From that point on no matter what Rich Sutter did, it wasn't enough for the Pens. He was traded in early October of his second season as a pro. The whole Pittsburgh chapter is messy, as some of the Pens management team bad mouthed Rich to the point where they were potentially ruining his career. Rich was bitter and even to this day he doesn't like to talk about it.

Like the Sedin Twins, Rich and Ron were quickly reunited. After just 9 games total in Pittsburgh, the Flyers traded for Rich in a deal involving lots of draft picks. Ron went on to a long career in Philadelphia but Rich's stay was relatively brief, playing three years with his brother.

Rich cherished his short time in Philly, and not just because Ron was there. He made some great friends and loved the city, But he was shocked when in the summer of 1986, he was sent to Vancouver in a deal for J.J. Daigneault.

Sutter enjoyed 4 years in Vancouver, posting 20, 15 and 17 goals in the first three years respectively. Sutter, who played both wings, often found himself on a line of midget bangers with Steve Bozek and a veteran Stan Smyl. The trio became known as "Club Chaos" or "Hack-Smack-and-Whack - in no particular order."

Those were lean years for fans of the Vancouver Canucks, but Sutter's endless hustle was always appreciated. Unfortunately, the most memorable moment of Sutter's stay in Vancouver, and maybe his whole career, was a serious injury. On October 23, 1988, Sutter was the victim of viscious high sticking incident with the Oilers Mark Messier. Sutter was entering into the Oiler zone by cutting across the middle of the ice. Messier, deciding to play oral surgeon skated by with his stick at head level and clotheslined Sutter. Sutter broke several teeth, ultimately losing four. Sutter spent hours in the dentist chair. The Canucks team dentist even noted that he had to remove hockey tape which was embedded in Sutter's mouth.

Richie, who was tremendously popular among Vancouver fans, was traded with Harold Snepsts, the ultimate Canuck cult-hero, to St. Louis late in the 1989-90 season. He spent the next three years in St. Louis, the first two with his brother Brian as the head coach. The last two years in St. Louis Rich was reunited with Ron as the Blues traded for his rights too.

Prior to the 1993-94 season, the Blues placed Rich on waivers and he was picked up for relatively nothing by the Chicago Blackhawks. It was another unique situation for Rich as he played with his other brother Brent and both were coached by brother Darryl! Rich either played with or for all of his NHL brothers except for Duane.

Rich's final season was the lock-out shortened year of 1995. It wasn't a great year for Rich either. He bounced from Chicago to Tampa Bay before ending up in Toronto. He retired after the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs.

Rich scored 149 goals and 166 assists in 874 hard played games. He added 1411 PIMs.

Rich has been doing some scouting since retirement, although like his brothers he too would like to get into coaching. He once even was quoted as saying that he'd like to join twin Ron and run a team together!

Ron Sutter

2006-05-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ron Sutter was the last of the Sutter brothers to leave the ice surface of the National Hockey League.

Ron was the highest drafted Sutter ever, going 4th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1982 despite missing part of his final year of junior with a broken ankle. When healthy Ron terrorized the WHL with linemates Troy Loney and twin brother Rich, who is technically older by a few minutes.

Ron was never expected to put up great offensive numbers, although he would put up decent numbers during his Philly days. Instead, he was the guy who would try to shutdown the opposition's top player such as Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. Sutter's defensive excellence was recognized around the league. In 1985-86 he finished as runner up to Chicago's Troy Murray in league voting as the best defensive forward.

Because of his tenacity, defensive excellence and natural leadership ability, Ron was instantly compared to Bobby Clarke - the Flyers Legend. Those comparisons were ultimately a little lofty as Ron's game lacked offensive polish, although Ron was certainly a key member of the Flyers during the 1980s.

The Flyers had some great years in the 1980s, and twice made the Stanley Cup finals, only to fall short to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The Flyers had the likes of Tim Kerr, Mark Howe and later Ron Hextall in their lineup. Those were some good exciting times to be a Flyers fan.

The 1987 Stanley Cup finals in particular are most memorable. Considered by many as one of the greatest championship series ever played, the Flyers pushed Gretzky's Oilers to the limit. The series took a full seven games to complete.

Had Ron Sutter been fully healthy, the Flyers might have had just enough to knock off the dynastic Oilers. Ron missed half of the season and the start of the playoffs with a stress fracture in his lower back. Despite the debilitating injury, Sutter came back to for the playoffs and played through immense pain.

Pain was nothing new to any of the Sutters. They're all-out style of play led to many injuries. In addition to the back and ankle injuries already mentioned, some of the more serious injuries Ron had to battle through in his career include broken ribs, pulled hip flexor, right knee ligament damage, abdominal pulls, seperated shoulders and the always troublesome groin pull.

Of course none of these injuries altered the way Ron would play, which likely made it tough for Mother and Father Sutter to watch hockey. Twins Ron and Rich played for Philadelphia, and brothers Brent and Duane played for the New York Islanders. The two teams had a fierce rivalry, and of course you knew that the 4 brothers would be a big part of anything that happened during a game.

By 1988 Ron began enjoying his best years offensively. The Flyers were starting their downward cycle and as a result there was more playing time for Ron, which meant more offensive opportunity. He played often on a line with Brian Propp and Rick Tocchet. By December Ron became captain of the team, taking over from Dave Poulin. It was a great compliment to Ron, as he epitomized what Flyers hockey is all about.

By the early 1990s the Flyers were going through their leanest years since they were an expansion team. The house was cleaned including Ron, who was traded to St. Louis in the deal that brought Rod Brind'Amour to Philadelphia. Ron was reunited with twin brother Rich in St. Louis and for one season the two played under head coach Brian Sutter. At least it was getting a little easier for mom Grace and dad Louie to choose a team to cheer for!

Ron played well in St. Louis until 1993-94 when he was traded to Quebec. His stay there was brief, as was his next stop. By 1996 he found a home with the San Jose Sharks for 4 years, but was strictly a 4th liner. In 2000-01 he signed with the Flames by mid season. He was clearly not the player that he used to be, but he was a good influence in the dressing room and a good faceoff man.

Ron Sutter played 1093 games, registering 205 goals, 328 assists and 533 points, not to mention 1352 PIM.

Brian Sutter

2006-05-23T19:10:00.001-07:00

Hockey has a long history of great families achieving great things in the National Hockey League and in hockey in general. The Patricks, the Hulls, the Howes, the Espositos, the Mahovlichs.... - the list goes on and on - but no one can top the Sutter family of Viking Alberta. The hard working farming family of Grace and Louie Sutter sent 6 sons to the National Hockey League!

The Sutter brothers are of course known for their work ethic. Simply put, no one who ever skated a shift in the National Hockey League ever outworked a Sutter.

"That's the type of player I was. I wasn't very talented so I had to work hard. I wasn't a good skater, I wasn't good with the puck, so I had to work hard to make up for it" Brian said, although it could have been equally said about any of his family members

Brian is the oldest of the six brothers who made it to the NHL, but he isn't the oldest brother in the family. Gary Sutter (no, not Gary Suter) is two years older than Brian and is the only one of the seven Sutter brothers who didn't play in the NHL. A rushing defenseman who idolized Bobby Orr, Garry perhaps was the least "Sutter-like" of the Sutters, but all of the brothers will tell you that he was the most skilled of the 7. He was invited to major junior training camp at the same time as Brian, but he shocked the Red Deer Rustlers when he turned down the offer in order to stay home with his girlfriend and work on the farm.

That meant Brian had to go to Red Deer and later Lethbridge alone, which was not easy for the youngster. But Brian stuck with the team and became the heart and soul of the team. Budding superstar Bryan Trottier was the MVP, but Brian was every bit as important.

Being first of the brothers to go to junior, Brian did more fighting than any of the brothers, but by doing so he would set the tone for all of his brothers, all of whom followed Brian to Red Deer and Lethbridge when they were old enough to play junior. The others were able to come in and the Sutter folklore had already been around the league once. As long as they never backed down, and no Sutter has ever done that, they were assured of a slightly easier time in junior than Brian.

Brian was rewarded for every drop of blood and every bead of sweat when he was drafted in 20th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1976. Not bad for a kid who openly admits he never expected to do anything other follow in his father's footsteps and work on the farm. It was a great move for the Blues too. Other than Bernie Federko, perhaps no player symbolizes the St. Louis Blues. He played 12 seasons in the NHL, all with the St. Louis Blues, 9 of them as a captain. When he retired he became the head coach.

It wasn't easy for Brian at first by any means. Brian rarely played in his first two years in the league. When he did play he mostly fought. He had some classic battles with Terry O'Reilly, Gordie Lane and especially Keith Magnuson. By fighting he again helped set the stage for his brothers who would follow him to the NHL. But he also impressed the Blues with his heart and his desire, plus his good defensive play. Soon the Blues were using him more and more.

By 1978-79, his third year in the league, he scored 41 goals and 80 points. And he did that without changing his physical game one bit. From that point forward he would be a consistent 35 goal, 70 point threat, as well as someone who would spend 200 minutes or so in the penalty box each season.

The 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons were tough on Brian. He bled St. Louis blue, yet the season was a tumultuous one for Blues fans as the team owners - Ralston-Purina - allowed the Blues to go bankrupt and it was said the Blues were all but officially moving to Saskatoon, although the NHL never allowed any move. The Blues were in limbo until Harry Ornest stepped in as the new owner. His pockets weren't overly deep however. The Blues only kept 25 players under contract and took no frills travel and accommodations in order to meet their bills. Players such as Joey Mullen were traded away because of the financial situation. Brian, who by this time was team captain, somehow kept the team together during all this and playing their heart out. Brian led by example and had his two best seasons during this time - scoring a career high 46 goals in 1982-83 and a career high 83 points in 1983-84.

Things got better for the Blues franchise shortly, but by 1985-86 things hadn't gone as nicely for Brian. Years of rugged play finally caught up with the usually durable winger who stood just 5'11" and weight around 170 pounds. He had broken his scapula that season, a rare hockey injury. He hurried back to the game, and reinjured it, costing him about half the NHL season. He felt better the following season, but had little strength due to the recovery process. Doctors wouldn't let him play anymore than the 14 games he did dress for. Sitting out those games was probably the toughest thing Brian had ever gone through in hockey - not because of the pain he was in, just because he was forced to sit and watch his teammates and he wasn't able to help out at all.

Brian made a full recovery in 1987-88, but was placed on a checking line with Rick Meagher and Herb Raglan. Brian thrived in the reduced role. He didn't care that he wasn't on the top line. He was just glad to be back on the ice. And he gave it his usual 100%.

Brian had played out his option year in '87-88 in order to return to the game, which left his status somewhat in limbo come the offseason. Brian never expected his career to change the way it did that summer though. Head coach Jacques Demers also ran out his contract and signed a lucrative deal with Detroit. That left the Blues without a coach. The Blues reportedly were after Mike Keenan as coach, but things never worked out there. So they turned to their captain, and asked Brian to coach the team. After some careful consideration, Brian agreed to retire and become the Blues head coach.

Brian would coach the Blues until 1992, and achieved a higher level of success with Brian behind the bench than they did when he was on the ice. This was partly due to the superstar accomplishments of Brett Hull, who thrived under Sutter as coach. Brian even won the Jack Adams award in 1991 as the NHL's top coach.

All coaches get fired, usually sooner rather than later. Brian knew this would happen sooner or later, thus ending his long relationship with the Blues. That came in the summer of 1992, but Brian wasn't unemployed long. He went on to coach the Boston Bruins for 3 years. He also coached the Calgary Flames from 1997-2000 and was named head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001.

Brian had a great deal of influence on his younger brothers, so much so that you'd have to think things might have been different had Brian not been the first to junior and then the pros.

"He works so unbelievably hard in the summertime", Duane said, and continued. "I worked with him at a hockey school over the summer and I couldn't believe how hard he was working. It was because of him that I had such a good rookie camp and made the team (NY Islanders). He just works his ass off all the time. The harder he's worked, the more he's improved."

Brian retired with 303 goals, 333 assists and 636 points in 779 games plus 1786 well earned penalty minutes. The Blues retired his jersey number 11 back in 1988 and are forever grateful for Brian Sutter's contributions to their franchise. He is considered to be one of the top coaches in the game today, as is his brother Darryl. Perhaps all 6 Sutters will again be in the NHL at the same time, this time all as coaches? Not likely you say? We'd agree, except this is the Sutters that we are talking about.

Eddie The Entertainer

2006-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Eddie Shack is one of the most colorful characters in a long list in NHL history.

Eddie's magnetic personality, desire and fearlessness made him a crowd favorite. Eddie was known for his fisticuffs, and make no doubt about it, that's why he made the NHL. He feared nobody. His battles with AHLer Larry Zeidel and many NHLers, most notably Gordie Howe, are legendary.

Eddie's brutal stickfight with Larry Zeidel, one of the toughest guys in the AHL in the era of "old time hockey" is a classic. Both were thrown out of the game, they went to their respective dressing rooms, showered, then came out to watch the rest of the game in the stands. Zeidel spotted Eddie sitting the front row of the stands, and ran after him to resume the fight. The two of them fought again, and Zeidel rationalized it by saying that "Shack was going to the NHL and I'm staying in the AHL and I probably won't get another shot at him".

Eddie could also be dirty if he wanted to. Once when Chicago Blackhawk Pat Stapleton swerved to hip-check Eddie, he took two knees in the back and Eddie's stick across his head. Stapleton had to crawl 25 feet across the ice to get to the bench.

Eddie could also use his head. During a game against the Montreal Canadiens, he took offence at Henri Richard's style. "He was out there zippin' around like he didn't have a care in the world, so I decided to bring him down to us," Eddie once said. After Eddie got a couple of shots in, Henri grabbed his arms. "We'd take two steps over here, two steps over there," Eddie said. "I said piss on this and I banged him with my head." Richard left the game with a cut over his right eye requiring six stitches. Later in the game Eddie nailed Jean Beliveau into the boards, knocking the hockey legend out for two games. During his second stint with the Leafs, Eddie injured two Rangers on one play. He elbowed Rod Gilbert and cross-checked Phil Goyette in the head, leaving both men unconscious on the ice.

As a teenager Shack was working in a coal mine and as a butcher when he decided to try out for the Guelph Biltmores. He figured he could always return to the meat cutting business, but he wanted to give hockey, his one true passion, his full shot.
Shack not only made the team but became its star. He played in the Royal City from 1952 to 1957, leading the Biltmores to an appearance in the Memorial Cup tournament in 1957.

At the time the Biltmores were a feeder team for the NHL New York Rangers. The Rangers were impressed enough to promote him to their farm team in the AHL, the Providence Reds. With a good scoring touch and his aggressive play in the corners, Shack would spend only one season in the minor leagues.

In the following two seasons in Manhattan Shack established his reputation for exuberance and zest but not for scoring. With just 16 goals over two years, the Rangers gave up on Shack. They initially tried to make a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that involved Red Kelly, the transaction was cancelled when Kelly refused to report to New York. He was finally traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs later that year in exchange for Pat Hannigan and Johnny Wilson.

Moving to the Leafs was the perfect move for Shack as he fit in with the team right away. In his first full season with the team, the Leafs brought home the Stanley Cup and won three in a row from 1961-62 to 1963-64. Shack scored a Cup-winning goal and later told the press that the puck had gone off his behind and that he was just trying to get out of the way! Shack won another cup with Toronto in 1967 before being traded to the Boston Bruins the next season.

Shack moved around to several other teams including the L.A. Kings, Buffalo Sabres, and Pittsburgh Penguins before ending up back in Toronto as a Leaf. He retired from the game with four Stanley Cup rings and having made three consecutive All-Star appearances from '62 to '64.

It was Eddie's magnetic personality that the fans remember most. "We want Shack" was a regular chant in Maple Leaf Gardens. Eddie, living up to his nickname "the Entertainer," would occasionally stand up from his spot on the bench and lift his arms to encourage the fans to do chant louder! Another favorite move of his was to entertain the fans even when the game was over. If he was called as one of the game's three stars, he'd enthusiastically rush out to center ice, do his trademarked pirouette, and then enthusiastically skated off! The fans loved it! The fans loved him!

One night Toronto was getting trounced 10-0 late in the third and Eddie had never left the bench. The fans, to fight boredom started the chant, "We want Shack !" Coach Punch Imlach finally relented and told Eddie, "Get on the damn ice." Eddie leaped over the boards, raced around the ice to warm up and he had the fans in hysterics. They lined up for the face-off then Eddie called time and hustled over to the bench. "Coach I forgot to ask, did you want me to go for a win or a tie?"

Critics scoffed at Eddie the Entertainer. But he brought to the team a totally unique intangible. He knew how to work the fans. They loved him and he loved them. He knew how to liven up the fans which in turn would liven up his team, which ultimately helped his teams win some games.

Shack was known as a tough guy and a joker, but he was one of the greatest ambassadors the game has ever had. He became the spokesperson for countless firms and products.

Lost in all the showmanship is the fact that Shack was actually a pretty decent hockey player. He was actually a scorer in junior, but was turned into a checker when he turned pro. He played 1047 games and recorded 239 goals and was an integral part of four Stanley Cup championships.

While Shack will never get a vote as one of the greatest players of all time, but make no doubt he is a legend of hockey. . In fact Shack's status is more Legendary than many of the players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. While Shack the player might not be qualified for eternal greatness in Hockey's Hall of Fame, his incredible combination of toughness, leadership, character and showmanship may never be matched again.

Shack continues to be one of the most popular cult figures in the game long after his retirement. A regular nomad on the travelling alumni circuit, Shack is easily recognizable, either as a player or as a referee, thanks to his trademark black cowboy hat and his rollicking laugh.

Listen to CLEAR THE TRACK, HERE COMES SHACK

John Ferguson

2006-05-23T19:09:00.001-07:00

John Ferguson is known througout hockey circles as perhaps the toughest hockey player in the modern day NHL. He is often considered to be hockey's first "goon" or "designated sitter." Critics claimed he was only there to protect the smaller skilled players on the Montreal Canadiens. However the colorful and feared left winger was also a very solid hockey player.

His first game was in 1963 in the Boston Garden, and he played a huge role in the outcome of the game. He played on a line with Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion and his job was obvious - to thwart the Bruins bigger players from taking liberties against the Habs superstars.

The main concern from Montreal coach Toe Blake was with Boston's "Terrible" Ted Green, who played "with the heart and guts of a pitbull" and was generally considered to be hockey's toughest player. Green was well aware of the rookie known as Fergie and was willing to test him. Just 12 seconds into the game the two collided and dropped the gloves. Ferguson landed three quick blows numbing Green and instantly taking the title as hockey's unofficial heavyweight champion, a title he never relinquished until he retired.

Ferguson had more to prove that night though. He had the hands of a brawler but would ultimately show that he knew other tricks with those hands as well. He ended up with 2 goals and an assist.

Fergie wasn't the biggest player in the league. He stood at 5'11" and played at 190 lbs. He also never accumulated rediculous penalty minute totals. His highest PIM in a season was 156, which is pretty low compared to today's pugilists.

Fergie played exactly 500 games in the NHL, scoring 145 goals and 158 points for 303 points. He average 18 goals a season, and in 1968-69 reached a career high 29 goals and 52 points.

Ferguson not only wanted to have a long and successful hockey career, but he wanted to be known as hockey's toughest player. When he was hockey's unofficial heavyweight champ, he was offered a chance to fight Canadian heavyweight boxing champion George Chuvalo. Chuvalo was one of a very few people to last 12 rounds with Muhammad Ali. The bought never happened as the Canadiens refused to give Fergie permission to fight.

He was a key member of 5 Montreal Stanley Cup Championships. Make no doubt he made those who played with him a better player. Small and speedy guys like Geoffrion, Cournoyer, Beliveau, and Henri Richard played a lot bigger knowing Fergie was behind them.

Many were surprised Ferguson retired after just 8 NHL seasons. While Fergie diplomatically claimed he had many business opportunities awaiting him, he later revealed the real reason he retired from the National Hockey League - he was afraid he'd kill somebody.

"I was beginning to worry about doing some serious damage to someone" said Ferguson in Brian McFarlane's book "The Habs."

Hockey fans loved Fergie because he played with heart and emotion that all fans demand. Hockey today could use another John Ferguson.

Terry O'Reilly

2006-05-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Boston sports fans love their sports heroes unlike any other city. Larry Bird. Bobby Orr. Ted Williams. Carl Yastremski. Bob Cousy. Terry O'Reilly.

Terry O'Reilly?

Terry O'Reilly wasn't the best skater, or the best scorer, or the best playmaker. In the storied history of the Boston Bruins he is far from the best player to ever wear the black and gold, but no one played harder or endeared himself more to the Boston faithful.

His Irish heritage certainly didn't hurt either.

A less-talented version of Cam Neely, O'Reilly was the heart and soul of the Bruins. He out-hustled every opponent, crashed and banged with reckless abandon, and played every shift as if it was game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

Don Cherry said "Terry typifies our team. He's tough, really tough, and that's the way I like em'. I know a coach isn't supposed to like one player more than another, but I can't help it in regard to Terry O'Reilly."

He is the first person who comes to mind when someone uses the phrase 'a true Bruin'," says Harry Sinden. "He was the model of a Bruins player to his teammates and fans alike and that phrase is a high compliment because of Terry."

Terry started out as a goalkeeper until he was 13. Perhaps that explains his plodding skating style that everyone said would prevent him from ever turning pro. As a junior Terry had problems initially sticking with the Oshawa Generals. He turned down a scholarship offer with St. Louis University in order to prove the Generals wrong. Soon enough his desire and leadership qualities were so strong that he not only became a regular, but also the team captain and best player.

The Bruins selected him with their 2nd choice and 14th overall in the 1971 draft. Throughout his career it was always Terry that was the first player on the ice when his team practiced and the last off. This devotion and dedication paid off later on in his career when he became the captain for the Bruins.

Terry played mostly on checking lines the first couple of seasons and scored 27, 35 and 35 points before getting 23 goals and 50 points in 1975-76.

In 1976-77 O'Reilly discovered a solid chemistry with center Peter McNab. The line, often featuring Al Secord on left wing, became a serious offensive threat. O'Reilly would crash and bang in the corners and more often than not would come out with the puck. He showed nice hands and hockey sense, setting up 41 goals, often by McNab, and collecting 55 points. The following season saw O'Reilly set career highs as he led the Bruins with 61 assists and 90 points. His hard work earned him two trips to the All-Star games in 1975 and 1978.

His strong offensive play continued through the end of the decade, but it is his abrasive physical game that was always his meal ticket. To his credit, Terry never forgot that, although injuries finally caught up with him in the early 1980s.

"Taz" had a great sense of humour and was always quick to offer a joke on himself, downplaying his talents and often pointing attention to his skating ability or lack thereof. When traveling between the games you seldom found Terry without a book in his hand. He was always reading something, best sellers, fiction or non-fiction. He was also a serious chess player and an avid antique collector who liked to scour through many of the antique shops around New England. While playing he continued his education part time at Boston University and the University of Toronto.

Terry quit after the 1984-85 season to the dismay of the Boston fans who had taken the "Irishman" to their hearts during his career in Beantown. Injuries, most notably a knee injury that cost him much of the the 1982-83 season. He later coached the Bruins but quit to spend time with his children.

O'Reilly had a total of 606 points (204 goals and 402 assists) in 891 games and an excellent career +/- rating of +212. He not surprisingly remains the Bruins all time leader in penalties with 2095 minutes served. Terry is the prototypical NHL player who was successful because of passion, grit and a lot of hard work more so than talent.

How important was he to the Bruins? Take a look up in the rafters. Hanging by the retired jerseys of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, and Eddie Shore is O'Reilly's number 24. There is no greater honor in the city of Boston.

"Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe

2006-05-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Gordie Howe was once quoted as saying "Hockey is a man's game." In the game of hockey, Gordie is the man.

Hall of Famer Bill Gadsby claimed "He was not only the greatest hockey player I've ever seen, but also the greatest athlete."

The right winger was a giant in his time at 6'1" and 205 lbs. He had the build of a heavyweight boxing champion. And he knew how to fight.

Part of the legend of Gordie Howe is his unmatchable toughness. He had "windshield wiper elbows" and like to give "close shaves" to anyone who dared to challenge. Ask any hockey experts who they'd choose as the toughest NHLer ever, and most would put their money on Gordie Howe against anyone else.

Those who knew Gordie away from the rink would never believe his on ice instincts.

"Despite an even temperament and a real distaste for combat, there is a part of Howe that is calculatingly and primitively savage," Mark Kram wrote in Sports Illustrated in 1964. "He is a punishing artist with a hockey stick, slashing, spearing, tripping and high-sticking his way to a comparative degree of solitude on the ice."

Gordie had a nasty habit of never forgetting and always getting even. One hockey legend serves as a fine example of this would have been an exchange with Maple Leaf defenseman Bob Baun. In 1957, Baun knocked Howe down with vicious intent. Howe had to be helped to the bench. 10 seasons later in 1967, Baun was playing for Oakland and was defending Howe on a one-on-one rush. Howe took a shot and the follow through of the stick caught Baun in the throat. Baun was down on the ice bleeding. Howe mercilessly stood over him and said "Now we're even."

While few in the game were tougher than "Mr. Hockey," even fewer were more talented. In his prime in the 1950s and 1960s he was routinely described by coaches as the smartest player, the finest passer, the best playmaker and the most unstoppable puck carrier in the game. Aldo Guidolin, an opponent of Howe back in the early days, understatedly remarked "Gordie plays a funny kind of game; he doesn't let anyone else touch the puck!"

Gordie Howe not only outperformed everybody, but outlasted everybody. Gordie played from 1946 until 1980. In his last season he was a 51 year old grandfather playing with and against players the were old enough to be his son! Howe played 33 seasons in the pros. One with Omaha of the USHL, 26 in the NHL (25 with Detroit) and 6 with the WHA.

While Wayne Gretzky has since dwarfed all of his statistical achievements, Howe dominated the game over many different eras.

His credentials speak for him. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1963. He led the NHL in scoring in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1963. He finished in the top 5 of NHL scoring in 20 consecutive seasons. He was a 21 time All Star.

During the 1950s the standard argument was "Who's better? Howe or Maurice ("The Rocket") Richard. Upon The Rocket's retirement, Richard admitted Howe was the best. "Gordie could do everything" he said.

When it comes to who is the greatest player of all time, one of Howe's chief rivals is the Boston Bruins stand out Bobby Orr. Howe was already a NHL star when Bobby Orr was born in 1948, and was still in the big leagues when Orr retired in 1979. No skater can compare to Howe when it comes to the test of surviving time.

It's too bad the New York Rangers did not have a crystal ball. They were the first NHL team to discover him, and at age 15 invited him to their junior training camp in Winnipeg. A homesick Howe performed poorly and wanted to go back to the family farm in Saskatchewan. The unimpressed Rangers never thought twice about it, and let the quiet kid go without signing him to their organization.

The next year, a Red Wings scout discovered him and invited him to the team's training camp in Windsor, Ontario. A more mature Howe impressed, as the Red Wings acquired his playing rights. Two years later, at 18, Howe was playing in the NHL.

Howe did not set the league on fire right away. Howe spent more time establishing his physical reputation in that time, scoring a total of only 35 goals but dropping the gloves with any and all comers. The Red Wings were able to convince him that he would be better served to stay out of the penalty box, the ambidextrous shooter scored 35 goals in 1949-50, second in the NHL to Rocket Richard's 43.

A playoff game in March 1950 defines the essence of Gordie Howe. It happened in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Red Wings bitter rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs. The result almost ended his life, never mind his hockey career. Teeder Kennedy was carrying the puck when Gordie attempted to intercept him. A fraction of a second before impact, Kennedy pulled up, catapulting Gordie head first into the boards. He laid crumpled on the ice with a fractured skull. He was considered extremely lucky to survive such a blow and was told he'd never play hockey again. The next year he was the league's scoring leader by 20 points. It was the first of four consecutive Art Ross trophies as scoring champion.

His 1951-52 MVP season was even sweeter. After leading the NHL in scoring (86 points) and goals (47), he led Detroit to an 8-0 record in the playoffs in its sweep to the Stanley Cup.

In 1952-53, Howe became the first player to score at least 90 points, notching 95, with a career-high 49 goals. The Red Wings, who were upset by Boston in the first round of the playoffs that season, rebounded by winning the Cup in 1954 and 1955, giving them four championships in six years. The Wings enjoyed one of hockey's greatest dynasties, but it proved to be Howe's last Stanley Cup.

Howe would continue to dominate in this six-team, 70-game era. He became the NHL's career scoring leader in 1960 when he passed Richard's 946 points on Jan. 16, 1960. In 1962-63, Howe won his sixth MVP and scoring championship (86 points). On Nov. 10, 1963, he became the league's all-time leading goal scorer with 545, passing Richard again.

In 1968-69, in the second year of expansion, Howe achieved his first 100-point season. On the day before his 41st birthday, he scored four points in the season finale to give him 103.

Gordie retired from the Detroit Red Wings in 1971 to take a front office job. But after two years of inactivity, Gordie made one of the most astonishing come backs in pro sport history. At the age 45, he signed with the Houston Aeros of the WHA where he was teammates with his two sons Mark and Marty. The Howes lead their team to the WHA title twice under his leadership.

In 1977 he and his boys joined the WHA's New England Whalers. When the Whalers joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, Gordie made his triumphant return to the NHL at the unthinkable age 51! He drew capacity crowds as the fans wanted to see the 50 year old grandfather play against the young stars like Bryan Trottier, Marcel Dionne and Wayne Gretzky. In the Whalers first year they made playoffs. Then-Whalers president Howard Baldwin credited Howe, who scored 15 goals, with that feat. Howe wasn't exactly in his prime at that age, but he didn't look out of place on many nights either.

Over a period of 32 years (combining NHL and WHA totals) Gordie Howe scored 1071 goals 1518 assists and 2589 points. Only Wayne Gretzky's career totals are better. Howe was a gifted power forward, an accomplished defensive player, a feared giant and the only player to have dominated three different eras - postwar NHL, the Golden Era of the 1960s and the Expansion Era.