Each NHL Team's Most Dominant Enforcer of All Time

Blocking punches with your face is an art form perfected many moons ago by guys who just didn't seem to know any better. Today's enforcer role is teetering on "irrelevance," as Mike Rupp famously labelled Jody Shelley.

While policing still occurs on the ice, today's tough guys should at least know how to skate if they want to avoid the dreaded "healthy scratch" tag in the score sheet. Statistically, fighting has stayed around as an important part of the NHL, though there has been a  decline in the number of fighting majors the past four years.

The top enforcers in league history aren't all pugilists, though. Some could police the ice with a devastating hit, and others made sure you never turned your back on them with a discreet slash or a post whistle check. There were also guys who changed the course of the NHL with rule changes. The disappearing tear-away jerseys were banned, in spite of the entertainment value.

The featured picture of the article is that of Dave "Tiger" Williams. Williams is the all-time leader in penalty minutes with a staggering total of 3,966. While Tiger served five different teams during the course of his 14-year NHL career, I wouldn't have considered him the "top" enforcer for any of his teams.

His knack for finding the penalty box for over 66 complete games of penalty time earns him the title picture for this article. His goal celebration, which has been performed in beer leagues all over the world should also be noted as part of Tiger's legacy.

With any and every list there will always be disagreement and discussion. There are also a couple of players that could (and arguably should) head the list for more than one team. In the interest of parity I made sure there were no duplicates.

Please feel free to disagree if you wish, and as always, enjoy!

Anaheim Ducks

George Parros: The self proclaimed "Minister of Moustachery" certainly has the size advantage over Riley Cote, but he's still one Duck you don't want to tangle with. His mustache gives him an automatic advantage over almost every opponent.

Boston Bruins

Terry O'Reilly : O'Reilly always had his teammate's back. Including the odd occasion that he would need to take things to a different level. Well, at least he didn't have to beat any New Yorkers with their own shoe.

My favorite part of the video is when the announcers matter-of-factly state that "Well this is too bad that after the game is over it gets out of hand like this." Like it happens every other game?!?!?!

Buffalo Sabres

Rob Ray: Ray was a classic all-or-nothing fighter. He would throw hay-makers and could definitely take his share too. He was always there for his teammates, especially if any fans got near the Sabres bench.

Ray had some epic battles with Tie Domi that are absolutely worth watching.

Calgary Flames

Tim Hunter: Hunter is the most legendary of the Flames' enforcers. He patrolled the Calgary ice fearlessly, accumulating 3,142 PIMs over his career.

Carolina Hurricanes

Stu Grimson: Grimson's nickname alone would have found him on most lists for enforcers. "The Grim Reaper" made a career out of pounding opponents. He only spent two years with the Hartford/Carolina franchise but definitely earned his spot on this list.

Chicago Blackhawks

Al Secord: Secord gets the nod for the Chicago Blackhawks. Chances are there could be another guy in this spot, but he represents another team that is quite familiar with the Blackhawks.

Secord could score and mix it up with 273 career goals and over 2000 PIM.

Colorado Avalanche

Scott Parker: "The Sheriff" is a big bad dude. At 6'5", Parker was usually bigger and stronger than almost everyone he faced. Add in the scary goatee and biker tattoos, and you've got one mean-looking guy.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Jody Shelley: Before he became "irrelevant" in Philly, Shelley was the Columbus resident policeman. I have to include Shelley's physical reply to Mike Rupp.

Dallas Stars

Basil McRae: McRae was the tough guy for the Minnesota/Dallas franchise that accumulated a league-high 1098 PIM between 1988-1990. A fearless fighter, McRae took on all comers.

Detroit Red Wings

Bob Probert: Would you expect anyone else on the Red Wings? One of Probert's contributions to the NHL rule book was the advent of the fight strap. If you watch any number of Probert's fights, you'll notice that his jersey is usually missing after about five seconds.

The tear-away jersey was used by a number of players to gain a competitive advantage in a fight. Without anything to hold onto, a fighter was unable to neutralize the punch throwing arm.

Probert is/was widely regarded as the greatest enforcer of all time. His quote to Buffalo Sabres Kevin McGuire, "Not with my captain pal," personifies the enforcer's role. McGuire had gone after Red Wings star and captain Steve Yzerman.

Edmonton Oilers

Dave Semenko: Semenko was to Wayne Gretzky what Bob Probert was to Steve Yzerman. Semenko looked after the young Edmonton center and made sure he didn't have to worry about cheap shots or any tough hits.

Semenko was a tough guy and a great fighter. His protection for the young Oiler stars in the early 1980s allowed them to set NHL records for scoring and win four Stanley Cups.

Florida Panthers

Paul Laus: In the relatively short history of the franchise, Paul Laus has the distinction of being the most notable tough guy of the Florida Panthers. His 1,702 PIMs in 530 games is certainly nothing to blink at.

Los Angeles Kings

Marty McSorley: McSorley became Wayne Gretzky's bodyguard when "The Great One" was traded to Los Angeles. McSorley became more infamous later for some cheap shot hits and stick work that drew league suspensions and legal action that chased him out of the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens

Chris Nilan: Any time your nickname is "Knuckles", you might be a dude to look out for. Career 688 games played with 3043 PIMs.

Minnesota Wild

Derek Boogaard: Boogaard is another enforcer with a list worthy nickname. "The Boogeyman" towered over almost every opponent at 6'7" and 270 lbs. His reputation was so ominous that enforcer Georges Laraque actually cited Boogaard as one of the reasons for his early retirement.

"I knew sooner or later he would get the better of me," he said after Boogaard's death. "And I just—I like my face, and I just didn't want to have it broken."

Boogaard died at age 27 from a lethal combination of alcohol and painkillers last May. RIP Boogeyman.

Nashville Predators

Wade Belak: Belak was one of the more underrated fighters in the league. After spending the bulk of his early career in Toronto and then Florida, Belak came to Nashville to add toughness and grit to the Predators lineup.

Though his penalty minutes dipped by the time he arrived in Music City, Belak was a bad man, as Donald Brashear can attest.

Belak was the third of three former enforcers to have lost their lives in 2011 over a four-month span.  The other two were Boogaard and Vancouver's Rick Rypien. RIP.

New Jersey

Scott Stevens: Stevens is a classic example of an enforcer who didn't use his fists to send a message. Granted, Stevens would be spending most of his career nowadays serving suspensions for all of his head shots in the "new" NHL.

He was a ferocious and violent player. The phrase "Keep your head up" may not have been coined because of Stevens, but you can bet it was repeated excessively because of him.

NY Islanders

Clark Gillies: Gillies was the tough guy on the "Trio Grande" line that included Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier. Gillies was equally talented offensively as he was dropping the mits. Accumulating 697 points and 1,023 PIMs, Gillies never topped the 100 PIM mark in a season.

NY Rangers

Joe Kocur: Kocur is another player who could be listed on another team for his role as the on-ice sheriff. He was acquired from the Red Wings specifically to add toughness to the Rangers.

Though he never had the PIM totals he amassed in Detroit, Kocur swung his sledgehammer fists for the Broadway blueshirts for the better part of five seasons.

Ottawa Senators

Chris Neil: Neil wins this title by default, I guess, because he's the only Senator not to get put to sleep by Toronto's Colton Orr. Neil has been punching people in Ottawa since 2001-'02.

Philadelphia Flyers

Dave Schultz: Dave "The Hammer" Schultz did not receive his nickname because of his affinity for carpentry. His single season total of 472 penalty minutes is a record that will probably never be broken. Schultz is also partly responsible for having "boxing wraps" banned from professional hockey.

Phoenix Coyotes

Paul Bissonnette: Bissonnette is noted more for being a multimedia icon than anything else, but BizNasty 2.0 can throw fists with the top enforcers in the game today. When the self-deprecating winger isn't a healthy scratch, he can be found mixing it up with the opponents' tough guy.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Georges Laraque: Laraque is the most noted and tenured enforcer I could find for the Penguins. They have no shortage of tough guys, but the Pens seem to roll through them like one-hit wonders. Laraque has some tough guy pedigree and was the heavyweight king of the NHL for a few years in the early 2000s.

San Jose Sharks

Link Gaetz: Another entry into the best names of the NHL, Link Gaetz was known as "The Missing Link." He was an up-and-coming enforcer with the Minnesota North Stars before he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks in the expansion draft.

Gaetz tops my list based mostly on what he accomplished in his 48 games: six goals, six assists and 326 PIMs. A car accident derailed his career in 1992, and Gaetz never played in the NHL again.

St. Louis Blues

Tony Twist: Twist was a fire hydrant on skates. At 6'1" and over 250 lbs, Twist was thick and stocky and could throw punches with anyone. His career was short, but Twist managed to tangle with some of the historically elite fighters of the NHL.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Zenon Konopka: Konopka is your typical hockey enforcer. Fierce, savage on the ice, looking to cave in an opponent's face. Gentle and kind off the ice, engaged with charitable organizations to help the less fortunate.

His first full NHL season was with the Lightning in 2009-'10 when he spent 265 minutes in the penalty box.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tie Domi: The consummate agitator, Domi spent as much time annoying people as he did sticking up for his teammates. Despite his small stature, Domi stood up to the biggest baddest dudes in the NHL, and for that he gets my respect.

He was cheap and dirty, and you hated him when he played your team, but anyone would love to have that guy wearing their team's sweater.

Vancouver Canucks

Donald Brashear: Brashear was the Hockey News "Enforcer of the Decade" in 2010. His aggressive physical style would often lead to fisticuffs or opponents ducking him. Brashear played for five NHL teams over a 17-year career that saw him accumulate 2,634 PIMs.

Brashear was also on the receiving end of the Marty McSorley incident, taking a stick to the head and suffering a concussion.

Washington Capitals

Dale Hunter: Hunter was hardly intimidating in stature, but you never wanted to turn your back on him. When I was growing up in the Washington D.C. area, he was the one home team guy I was actually afraid of.

He always looked pissed off and always seemed like he was planning to do something sneaky and duplicitous. His legacy to me will forever be this cheap shot on Pierre Turgeon.

Winnipeg Jets

Kris King: King was the on-ice policeman for the original Winnipeg Jets. He spent a couple years with the Detroit Red Wings to begin his career. The influence of the "Bruise Brothers" was evident as King was called on to fill the shoes of the incarcerated Bob Probert.

He brought his rugged style to the Jets after a couple years with the New York Rangers. In 849 career games, King had 2,030 PIMS.