Most everyone else on this list will be bigger than Saku Koivu. They will be fighters and hitters and all-time penalty minute leaders. But Saku Koivu earns a spot in the 50 toughest hockey players because of a different kind of toughness, one that even the most fearless enforcer would never want to have to display. Not long before the season began, Koivu experienced erratic health problems and violent vomiting.
Doctors would diagnose Koivu with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, an illness that threatened not only his NHL career, but also his life. Amazingly, Koivu not only beat the disease, he managed to return for Montreal's final three games of the season. This Finnish warrior proved his toughness in a way that most hockey players will never have to. Like Koivu, Craig MacTavish may not have conventionally earned a spot alongside the NHLers who will follow him in this list, but his distinction in the sport is too good to pass up.
When the NHL made helmets mandatory in , the league included a grandfather clause that allowed active players to choose not to wear them if they wished. MacTavish was a spritely 21 year-old at the time and chose not to don the new domes. For young fans watching the NHL in the '90s, MacTavish seemed a strange traveler from a distant, ancient world.
Weber is one of the younger additions to this list, but he is on the fast track to becoming one of hockey's legendary tough guys. We all know about his blistering slapshot and his occasional unchecked aggression, but the most impressive part of Weber's toughness is his durability.
He averaged over 26 minutes of ice time per game last season, and has played at least 78 games in each of his last four seasons. Weber may not be an iconic aggressor quite yet, but there are few men in the NHL right now who look forward to facing him on the ice. Hasek's brains have always been more intriguing than his brawn, and he doesn't come off as a goalie with a Patrick Roy-level of toughness. However, up until very recently, Hasek was still playing the game. Goaltenders rarely have this kind of longevity, and the Dominator was reportedly considering an NHL return as recently as this past season.
Hasek is 47 years old and has played 28 seasons of professional hockey in his career, and it would have been 29 without the NHL lockout. Laperriere is seen here sporting a full face mask that he had to wear for the postseason as a result of taking a shot to the face in the first round against the New Jersey Devils, the second time that season that Laperriere suffered such an injury.
Post-concussion symptoms as a result of the errant puck would ultimately drive Lappy to an early retirement, but he had left his mark on the game. Laperriere was known by every team he played for as a true warrior, a player who was willing to sacrifice the body to a fault. Mario Lemieux faced a situation very comparable to Koivu's when he was forced into aleave of absence after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and would retire early as a result of chronic back problems.
Amazingly, he overcame all these health issues to become hockey's seventh-leading scorer of all-time. Mario has consistently shown toughness in his personal life, on the ice, and in an executive role, when his commitment to the fledgling Pittsburgh Penguins kept the team in western Pennsylvania and allowed for the resurgence in popularity that came with the arrival of Super Mario's successor, Sidney Crosby.
The journeyman defenseman played a fearless game despite his mid-range size, and he currently sits 13th all-time on the penalty minutes list with 2, Despite dealing with various injuries that prevented him from ever playing a full season in the NHL, Owen Nolan remained in the league from until The hard-nosed winger was the epitome of a high-scoring power forward, playing a style of game that sent him to crash the corners and the crease, using his solid frame to muscle his way to as many as 84 points per season.
He played for seven different teams in his NHL career, and the journeyman left a lasting impression on seven different cities in his time. Playing on Avalanche teams that featured the likes of Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Rob Blake, Adam Foote was an easy player to overlook, but he quietly did his job better than anyone else. While the rest of his teammates were making headlines and capturing hearts in the hockey world, Adam Foote was clearing out the crease in front of Patrick Roy and giving up his body to block shots.
He would eventually succeeded Sakic as team captain and remained in the NHL until the season. Tocchet had more than his fair share of offensive talent, but aggression was where he truly shone.
Fans from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to Phoenix recall and appreciate the tough-guy attitude of one of the better power forwards of the '80s and '90s. Standing at 6'6" and pounds before he even managed to put his skates on, Stu Grimson was destined to be a big-time enforcer during hockey's heyday for fighters.
Grimson bounced around the NHL, beginning his career in Calgary and ending it in Nashville, and despite career games, Grimson has a whopping 39 points to his name.
But the Grim Reaper was never put out onto the ice to score goals; his mission was to throw punches. Jeff Beukeboom's career was cut short by the effects of post-concussion syndrome, but before having his bell run one too many time, the towering defenseman made his impact on the NHL. Beukeboom won four Stanley Cups in his career, helping his team by delivering devastating hits in the defensive zone and keeping the crease clear for his goaltender.
He played the game, and he played the game hard, literally up until the point that his body could no longer take it. Amazingly, Gino Odjick sits 17th on the all-time penalty-minutes list, despite the fact that he only played career NHL games.
Few players have made a bigger tough-guy impression in such a short span of time. His fisticuffs became a mainstay for teams like the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he put up three separate seasons with more than penalty minutes.
Calgary's captain wowed hockey fans in the early s, becoming the increasingly-rare breed of player who simultaneously specializes in scoring and the more aggressive elements of the game. Iginla won the Art Ross Trophy in , but he is just as well known for his ability to lead by example.
Iginla has never been shy about dropping the gloves or throwing the body around, and though his career is starting to wind down, he remains one of the true gems of the sport.
Standing at 5'9", Bryan didn't strike one as the typical stay-at-home defenseman, but his style of play was so outstandingly aggressive that it became easy to forget what he lacked in size. Zdeno Chara is the complete antithesis of Bryan Watson. Chara is the biggest player in NHL history, standing 6'9" tall and serving as one of hockey's most imposing defensive players.
Instead of playing an overly aggressive game, Chara is actually more on the reserved side; his size just makes him manhandle any opponent easily. Few goalies will appear on this list due to the nature of the position, so you can bet your bottom dollar than the few who make it on here are truly and wonderfully insane.
Rob Blake became a shining example of leadership in hockey during his tenure in the league, but he also became widely known for his toughness.
Blake was a shot-blocker extraordinaire, and used his pound frame to keep his goaltender's lines of sight open. Blake was the epitome of a composed, yet aggressive defenseman: as mentally tough as he was physically tough.
He threw his body in front of hundreds of shots, played through an assortment of injuries including a broken kneecap and returned to action a few games after taking a skate to the face for stitches. A true warrior with elite skills and athleticism who added 49 points in 81 playoff battles with another 91 PIM.
Red Horner was a physical defenceman who patrolled the blue line between and The Hall of Famer from Lynden, Ontario retired after appearing in games while racking up points on 42 goals and assists and serving 1, minutes in penalties. Horner accrued an additional PIM in playoff action and also added another 17 points in 71 outings. The defenceman played with the Maple Leafs, Oakland Seals and Detroit Red Wings from to and racked up points in contests as well as minutes in penalties.
Baun had another PIM in the postseason to go along with 15 points in 96 games. At 6-foot-3 and well over lbs. The left winger finished his career with goals and assists for points in games and also served 1, minutes in penalties. Gillies was also a fine playoff performer and helped the Islanders win four Stanley Cups with 94 points in contests and another PIM.
Former Buffalo Sabres captain Jim Schoenfeld was one of the most underrated defencemen in history. Schoenfeld played 14 years with the Sabres, Detroit and Boston and scored points in games to go along with 1, minutes in penalties and a plus rating.
He served PIM in 75 playoff games, added another 16 points and rarely lost a fight. His most memorable bouts were with Bob Probert and the right winger had enough skill to score goals and assists in 1, games while serving 3, penalty minutes. Domi was the enforcer for several teams during his day including the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets along with the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
He served another PIM in 98 postseason encounters and chipped in with 19 points. Neely served 1, penalty minutes, but had plenty of skill to chip in with points on goals and assists. Neely hit hard and punched even harder when he had to drop the gloves and managed to score 50 goals in 49 games during the campaign. He also appeared in 93 playoff contests where he had 89 points and another PIM. Clark is another tough guy who started his NHL career in Toronto.
The defenceman-turned-winger was the number one overall draft pick in and quickly learned a reputation as a fierce fighter and body checker. Clark had one of the best wrist shots the league has ever seen and hit the goal mark six times during his career which lasted until His tough-playing style resulted in numerous injuries, but Clark managed to play games with goals and assists.
During an illustrious 10 year career, he finished up with career goals and penalty minutes. This player is debatable, I personally saw this player several times in the sixties and seventies. Eddie Shack was one of the most rugged players of his era. In his six-year careers mostly as a Penguin, he also spent time in Toronto, Boston, and Detroit.
He will be remembered as an excellent two-way player and teammate. Follow me on Twitter bphaneuf for more great content! Avid Boston sports fan.
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