20 NHL Brawlers We'd Love to See in MMA

The NHL's most polarizing characteristic is the pure ethical vigilance allowed between the whistles. As the Stanley Cup nears, the energy, attitude and overall grit steadily rises until a club is crowned Champion.   

While the NHL's labor force display the most challenging athleticism in the modern sports world, the most intriguing aspect of fighting is the easiest marketing ploy for the executive office to expand fan bases league wide. 

Here are the 20 toughest NHL brawlers we'd love to see in the octagon...

Related Lists:

20 Greatest Goalie Fights of All-Time

15 Greatest Fighting Fails of All-Time

20 Dirtiest Players in the NHL

@kevry88 on twitter 

Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers

Tale of the Tape: 6'2'' 183 pounds

Class: Light Heavyweight

Simmonds' hit-first mentality helped propel his Philadelphia Flyers past the Stanley Cup favorites in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.

He plays a rough style of the game but has certainly proved his dominance when dropping the gloves - a style that would be interesting to see in a mixed martial arts setting.  

Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 225 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Los Angeles Kings fans would be the most eager to pay for a ticket to see Ryane Clowe in an MMA fight after his whole "cheating" incident. 

The Sharks heavyweight never hesitates to chirp his opponents, let alone record game misconducts for fighting the league's toughest opponents.  

Ray Emery, Chicago Blackhawks

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 196 pounds

Class: Light Heavyweight

Emery hails from an intense boxing background in Southern Ontario and is by far the toughest goalie in the League—his No. 5 goalie fight of all-time serves as visual evidence for the rest of the league to keep in mind.  

Paul Bissonnette, Phoenix Coyotes

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 216 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Aside from his "fourth-line for life" mentality on the ice, Biz Nasty is one of the most hilarious characters to hit the twitter world. @BizNasty2point0 is sure to give you a glance at the lighter side of life in the NHL. 

He may get minimal ice time for the Desert Dogs, but it is certainly enough to rack up the penalty minutes for his pugnacious nature. 

Bissonnette would be one of the more hilarious characters if placed in an MMA fight, though he wouldn't hesitate to hold his own in the Octagon. 

Jody Shelley, Philadelphia Flyers

Tale of the Tape: 6'3", 230 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

It's clear Philadelphia Flyers left-winger Jody Shelley is on the roster for his physicality, not his goal scoring. He is a perfect fit for the bruiser role on the Flyers and even fought the biggest man in the league—6'10'' Zdeno Chara. 

Shelley would be an extremely perfect fit for any MMA pairing, the depth of his resume serving as a perfect indication. 

Deryk Engelland, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 202 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland was a big part of the infamous "line brawl" at the end of the Pens 2012 Stanley Cup run against the hated Philadelphia Flyers. 

Engelland has one of the toughest jobs on his team: sticking up for heavily criticized team Captain Sidney Crosby. That is, of course, if Crosby doesn't risk his post-concussion issues on his own.

Throughout the 2010-11 campaign, the hard-nosed defenseman racked up 123 penalty minutes in just 63 games.  

If the Penguins were asked to sacrifice a team member for the MMA, Deryk Engelland would be the man for the job. 

Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames

Tale of the Tape: 6'1", 210 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Calgary captain Jarome Iginla is known more for his goal-scoring than fighting. However, he has been one of the most consistent power forwards in the last decade.

His unique talent allows for him to serve as Calgary's top scoring threat while often being referred to as one of the league's toughest forwards. 

Earlier this season, Iginla participated in a rare double "Gordie Howe hat trick"—recorded when a player scores a goal, registers an assist and engages in a fight.  

Douglas Murray, San Jose Sharks

Tale of the Tape: 6'3'' 240 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

San Jose Sharks defenseman Doug Murray weighs-in at an incredible 240 pounds - one of the heaviest in the league. 

Simply the ability to compete at this size is unique as it is, however Murray is highly respected after being named to the blue-line unit for Sweden's Olympic squad in the 2010 Winter Games.

His thunderous hits echo throughout San Jose's raucous HP Pavilion, however the real energy is spawned following the sight of the giant dropping his gloves.

Daniel Carcillo, Chicago Blackhawks

Tale of the Tape: 6'0", 203 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Daniel Carcillo's Chicago Blackhawks certainly missed his physical nature in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs as he has not laced up his skates since January 2nd (knee surgery).

When Carcillo is on the ice, however, he is regarded as one of the most rowdy players in the league. 

Heading into his seventh season in the NHL, Carcillo will look to bring the lumber anywhere his snipers Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane need it.   

Brandon Prust, New York Rangers

Tale of the Tape: 6'0", 192 pounds

Class: Light Heavyweight

The New York Rangers No. 1 tough guy entered this season fresh off his most productive year. With his confidence budding, Brandon Prust managed to ignite an extremely talented and underrated Rangers offense equipped with weapons such as Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan.

Prust holds down the majority of the physical aspects of the game for the Broadway Blue Shirts having fought some of the league's best instigators.  

George Parros, Anaheim Ducks

Tale of the Tape: 6'5", 228 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

The "Fighting Duck" is well groomed for any MMA bout, however, his economics degree from Princeton might not seem plausible for the Anaheim lumberjack.

Parros is well-known as one of the league's best and most experienced fighters. However, with ice time similar to Biz Nasty, he makes the most of it through classic NHL brawling.  

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Tale of the Tape: 6'9", 255 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Big Z is literally the biggest man in the NHL. Unfortunately, the near seven-foot giant is not much of a brawler, but rather one of the most classy guys in the league. 

Very rarely will the Bruins' captain drop the gloves with an opponent, as not many in the league are stupid enough to try and fight someone who has the advantages Chara does. 

Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

Tale of the Tape: 6'4", 220 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

While Milan Lucic is regarded as one of the toughest players in the league, he's also referred to by those outside of Boston as the league's dirtiest player. 

Almost always, however, Lucic backs up his big mouth by challenging any opponent in the league to a fight. 

Arron Asham, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tale of the Tape: 5'11", 205 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

After the viscous knockout of Washington Capitals forward Jay Beagle, Asham's physical style of play rang league-wide.

When the Penguins need an energy boost, Asham is directed on the ice to provide that big hit or fight to awaken the prolific scoring of the Pittsburgh Penguins.    

Todd Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings

Tale of the Tape: 6'3", 229 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Todd Bertuzzi is most known for his sucker punch that ended the career of Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore, however, the toughest Red Wing is somehow still in the league to agitate his opponents. 

The former first-round pick has 18 NHL seasons under his belt, most of which mixed with offensive production throughout his rugged style of play. 

Steve Ott, Dallas Stars

Tale of the Tape: 6'1", 190 pounds

Class: Light Heavyweight

Ott is the roughest of the Dallas Stars, always adding fuel to the Stars' drama-filled fire.

If the MMA sold Ott's unique personality along with his impressive fight record, Steve Ott would be a major success in the world of mixed martial arts. 

Dion Phanuef, Toronto Maple Leafs

Tale of the Tape: 6'3", 214 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf is the toughest of the Toronto franchise and at 214 pounds, the former first-round draft pick would surely pack the stands in an MMA ring.  

Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia Flyers

Tale of the Tape: 6'2", 210 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Scotty Hartnell is fresh off an incredible career year finishing sixth in the NHL in goals scored. However, his scoring is not his only vice. 

Hartnell made his name for his unique ability to mentally and physically dominate opponents—refer to the knockout of Sean Avery as a graphic example.  

He has grown into one of the league's best all-around talents, however, his pugnacious nature would be a perfect fit for an MMA bout. 

Mike Rupp, New York Rangers

Tale of the Tape: 6'5", 243 pounds

Class: Heavyweight

Mike Rupp consistently brings passion to the ice through a tough, physical style of play. While maintaining a physical presence on the ice, his production credits the classification of a true hockey player—a tradition Rupp does not hand out easily. 

His blue-collar game contributes to a deep New York Rangers roster, awarded by his "First Star" performance at the 2012 Winter Classic. 

Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tale of the Tape: 5'11", 205 pounds

Class: Light Heavyweight

Cooke is by far one of the most hated players in the league following his questionable, and often dirty, style of play. 

Following the knockout thanks to Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane many in the league accepted Cooke's fight challenges. However, Cooke was unfazed and continues to drop the gloves amongst the league's top tough guys.