NHL's 20 Most Hated Players Since 2000

Like any sport, the NHL has its fair share of hated players, and while several of these players stand up and answer to those who want to fight them, others do not.

There are many reasons players can be hated by fans, the media and their fellow players, some of which include unsportsmanlike acts, diving and pest-like play.

Let's look at the 20 most hated NHL players since 2000.

Colby Armstrong

Colby Armstrong is a very annoying player on the ice and someone who you don't want to play against. His chirping and physical play bothers opposing players to the fullest.

Daniel Carcillo

Chicago Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo is one of the most annoying players in the NHL, who gets under the skin of many opponents. He's also a very dirty player, and he's been suspended multiple times, including this season.

Right now he is recovering from an ACL injury.

Trevor Gillies

Multiple suspensions and dangerous play on the ice has made New York Islanders forward Trevor Gillies one of the more hated players in recent memory.

Chris Pronger

Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers is one of the best defenseman in the NHL, but his eight suspensions have created some enemies for him.

Despite the astounding number of suspensions on the ice, Pronger is one of the most physical and imposing players in hockey.

Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand is one of the biggest pests in the NHL and has taken a few dirty shots in his career. His hit on Sami Salo of the Vancouver Canucks earlier this month was uncalled for and resulted in a five-game suspension.

It's safe to say many hockey fans outside of Boston really don't like Marchand.

PK Subban

PK Subban is hated in Boston, that much is clear (see video), but around the league, Subban doesn't have a great number of fans, either.

His diving is laughable and really takes away from the great amount of talent he has.

Todd Bertuzzi

Todd Bertuzzi became an NHL villain forever when he assaulted Steve Moore back in 2004. Some think Bertuzzi shouldn't even be in the league following that incident, and it's clear not many players respect him because of the incident with Moore.

Sean Avery

Sean Avery embellishes, annoys and just irritates the heck of out of NHL players, so you can easily imagine why he's one of the most hated hockey players.

His antics have made him so undesirable that he currently doesn't have a job with an NHL team. His incident with Martin Brodeur (see video) really angered a lot of players, fans and media.

Patrick Kaleta

Patrick Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabres is one of the most despised players in the NHL because of his dirty play and overall level of physicality.

Anyone who headbutts another player isn't going to be liked by his fellow players.

Matt Cooke

Say what you want about Matt Cooke, but the man shouldn't even be in the league because of all the injuries and suspensions he's been a part of.

He ended Marc Savard's career with a vicious elbow in 2010 and has dished out many more dirty hits since then.

Steve Ott

Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars is certainly one of the most hated players in hockey, thanks to his elbows and dirty hits. He's been suspended before, and he even got into an argument with Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette at an intermission break earlier this season.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is well liked by many fans, not just those who support the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he also has a fair amount of haters, too.

Crosby dives and embellishes more than most superstars, but there's no doubting he's a once-in-a-generation talent and a certain Hall of Famer.

Milan Lucic

Milan Lucic is not a dirty player, but his hit on Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller earlier in the season did not win him any fans among goalies. The fact that he wasn't suspended also angered many people.

Lucic was suspended earlier this season for one game following a hit on Zac Rinaldo of the Flyers.

Scott Nichol

Scott Nichol of the St. Louis Blues is a hated player because of his head shots and his repeated crossing of the line when it comes to physical play.

This season, however, he hasn't been as dirty as in past years.

Chris Neil

Ottawa Senators enforcer Chris Neil is one of the most physical players in the NHL, but he often crosses the line with elbows and sometimes dirty play. Neil is not afraid, however, to back up his tough play by dropping his gloves.

Jordin Tootoo

Jordin Tootoo is a huge cheap-shot artist and has been suspended for a few illegal hits. Tootoo has repeatedly gone over the edge with his physical play and isn't even afraid of hitting opponents from behind.

Tie Domi

Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tie Domi was an extremely physical player, and he was often a dirty one, too. He took part in over 300 fights in his NHL career, and he rarely backed down from a challenge.

He was loved in Toronto, but in many other cities, Domi was a player fans loved to hate. Domi has been suspended by the NHL three times.

Mike Richards

Mike Richards is a tremendous offensive player, but his physical play has angered some people during his career. He knocked David Krejci out of the 2010 playoffs with a broken wrist, and he often plays the game on the edge.

Max Lapierre

The Vancouver Canucks forward is often a disgrace to hockey with his antics, including unsportsmanlike gestures, diving and pure annoyance.

Max Lapierre is certainly one of the most hated players in hockey.

Darcy Tucker

Darcy Tucker might be one of the most hated NHL players ever because of his dirty play, on-ice antics and even attacking players sitting on the bench.

Coaches and players hated playing against Tucker.