Dropping The Gloves: The NHL's Top 15 Fighters

Fighting. It is as much a part of the NHL as power plays and the Zamboni.

And while legendary brawlers have graced us with their presence throughout the years, this year's crop of talented tough guys are among some of the most underrated.

Bloody knuckles, busted eyebrows and lots of minutes spent in the penalty box: What does it take to be a great NHL powerhouse?

Let's find out who out there has separated themselves as a grandiose goon.

15. Paul Bissonnette (Phoenix Coyotes)

Fights this Season: Eight

When you call yourself "Biz Nasty," you better be able to back it up.

Paul Bissonnette, one of the league's most outspoken personalities in the social networking era, is also a bare-knuckled beast.

His hobbies include wailing on opponents, throwing unnecessarily huge hits, and posing with the homeless for pictures on his Twitter account. Seriously, that has to be the life, right?

14. Sean Avery (New York Rangers)

Fights this Season: Seven

If the fighters of the NHL were in the WWE, then Sean Avery would be "The Miz."

He's the fighter that agitates to the nth degree and will selectively drop the gloves with some of the best and brightest. Despite dodging combat with David Clarkson, he'll have no trouble targeting Ilya Kovalchuk.

That's the kind of player Avery can be when he's spoiling for a fight. If anything, you pay to see him fight—win or lose.

13. Rick Rypien (Vancouver Canucks)

Fights this Season: Three (not including one with the fans)

Challenged a fan to a fight. Likes to punch officials. Challenged a fan to a fight. What more do you need to know?

The Rypien and the tearin', the Rypien and the tearin'.

He is currently on an indefinite leave of absence from the Canucks organization.

12. Jody Shelley (Philadelphia Flyers)

Fights this Season: Six

Jody Shelley has two first names that could be girls names. Now I dare you to say that to his face.

After all, this is the same Jody Shelley who has elected to fight Derek Boogaard half a dozen times in his career. And despite rarely coming out on the winning end, Shelley persists to challenge the Boogeyman.

He's one of the older brawlers the league has left and that kind of savvy experience allows him to control a lot of the scraps he gets involved in.

11. Chris Neil (Ottawa Senators)

Fights this Season: Seven

This season may not be much for the Ottawa Senators to write home about. They don't really have much in regards to leading the league, save for Chris Neil, who ranks in the top five in the NHL in penalty minutes.

Neil isn't a cowardly lion. He's a skilled forward who understands really, really well that he can throw his weight around and put something behind his uppercuts. Just watching him reminds you of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat.

GET OVER HERE!

10. B.J. Crombeen (St. Louis Blues)

Fights this Season: 11

In his first NHL season, Crombeen had 16 fights for a full season of work. Last year, he had 18.

He's on pace for 20 this year, thus showing that you can keep progressing in more ways than just as a scorer.

And according to HockeyFights.com, Crombeen is an outstanding 10-1 in battles thus far this year.

9. Deryk Engelland (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Fights this Season: 10

Well, somebody has to protect Sid the Kid and Evgeni Malkin. That somebody happens to be the heavy-punching Deryk Engelland.

His brand of offense isn't limited to strikes with his fist. Engelland seems to have the impeccable ability to spear his opponents to the ice. In fact, at least five of his fights this year have ended with him toppling on top of his opponent as a means of establishing dominance.

The Penguins are cruising in the East and Engelland is getting more and more play as an enforcer because of it.

8. Jared Boll (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Fights this Season: 10

Jared Boll is an interesting breed of brawler. He's the kind of player who can join in on the rush for the Columbus Blue Jackets and then, three strides later, take away a scoring chance by decking his opponent in the face.

Boll utilizes the rope-a-dope style a lot more than the typical NHL fighter, luring his opponent in with a few misses before he mashes the buttons until they are left laying.

7. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames)

Fights This Season: Two

Rarely do we put a player on a list like this that actually has incredible talents such as those of Jarome Iginla. That said, he still gets into scraps about five or six times a year.

And this past December, his bloody brawl with Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars was easily the biggest heavyweight bout of the season thus far.

Iginla left with some pretty nice gashes, yet it is just another day at the office for the Calgary captain.

6. Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars)

Fights this Season: Four

So, of course, if we're taking Iginla in this countdown, we'll need his dance partner for the main event.

After watching the speed and ferocity with which Jamie Benn, apparently channeling the spirit of Liu Kang, pounced on the captain of the Flames, we can only think of one thing we want to see next.

Rematch.

5. Daniel Carcillo (Philadelphia Flyers)

Fights this Season: Seven

Everybody already knew Daniel Carcillo was a dirty, gritty, ugly player with a constant grappling style when he played in Phoenix. Then he was traded to the Flyers.

Seriously? Could there be any more perfect a fit?

Anybody who challenges Marian Gaborik to a fight has to make this list. Marian freaking Gaborik.

4. Zenon Konopka (New York Islanders)

Fights this Season: 12

When you're name is one of the highest scoring ones in the NHL version of Scrabble, you know you're off to a good start. Zenon Konopka has become one of the few reasons to watch New York Islanders hockey this season.

As the Isles continue to drift towards a top five selection in the NHL Draft, Konopka becomes easily one of the most watchable competitors on the team. Konopka is as much a punching bag as he is a destroyer, and that has to be the biggest reason he's so high on this list.

His fights are genuinely enjoyable because you just never know who is going to get pummeled.

3. Brandon Prust (New York Rangers)

Fights this Season: 10

Even in a season in which he's producing more offensively than he ever has, New York Rangers forward Brandon Prust is still best known for dropping the gloves and throwing bombs at his enemies.

Prust will not only fight you, but he'll also attempt to blast you with a hit and slash you with a stick. Once he's under your skin, Prust unveils a mean streak that makes him one of the most underrated fighters the NHL has this year.

Not many players would remember, a season later, exactly what players were gunning for your stars so he can make them pay. But Brandon Prust remembers.

2. Colton Orr (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Fights this Season: 11

Few brawlers have the K.O. total of Colton Orr. In fact, ever since knocking out Todd Fedoruk three seasons ago with just one punch, Orr has been one of the most feared fighters in all the NHL.

Fedoruk had been taking runs at players all night. Orr locked onto him just once and with one sharp shot, the battle was over and Fedoruk was forever humbled.

Playing for the Brian Burke-led Toronto Maple Leafs isn't helping to soften him.

1. George Parros (Anaheim Ducks)

Fights this Season: 14

I know, I know. The only word that you ever really have to say about George Parros is "mustache." But Parros has proven to be so much more for the Anaheim Ducks than a Jake "the Snake" Roberts lookalike on skates.

Parros is the embodiment of the gritty, hard-hitting, and sometimes nasty style of play that the Anaheim Ducks have become notorious for over the past five seasons. He's a big player who will drop the gloves with just about anybody.

Just look at this video and his brawl with another man on this countdown, Paul "Biz Nasty" Bissonnette. Not only does Parros clearly get the better thanks to a series of jabs followed by haymakers, but as he tumbles backwards, Parros channels that Jake the Snake prowess and attempts to DDT poor Biz Nasty.

George Parros: reigning World Heavyweight Champion.