Best Enforcer Ever

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Big Phil

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Nov 2, 2003
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Probert is #1 and after that is John Ferguson who is suspiciously not on that list. Dave Schultz was intimidating, and I'll admit no one will touch 472 PIMs in a season for a while but the Flyers had so many goons on that team he wasnt the only one. As far as I'm concerned its all about who they protected. Probert looked over Yzerman, maybe not always on the same line but no one ever cheapshotted Yzerman just cause they knew Probert was there. Ferguson came along in '64 and that was 4 years since the Habs had won the Cup. They needed a guy that looked after Beliveau and H. Richard. And he did. The Habs won the Cup in four of the next five years.

Ferguson wouldnt win in a fight against Probert, but he'd beat Domi and Ray.
 

Bring Back Bucky

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May 19, 2004
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Semenko was the most intimidating player I ever saw.


Nilan was one feisty son of a *****,and Joey Kocur- that guy's punches were pistons

My hero Kelly buchberger could take a beating like nobody's business- let's face it he didn't need to worry about ruining his "pretty boy" looks ;)
 

reckoning

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Jan 4, 2005
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Trottier said:
Sorry, the fact that this poll does not have the name Clark Gillies on it renders it a joke.

Gillies is overlooked by many because he wasn`t a one-dimensional enforcer like the others on that list. It`s surprising that in his entire career he never had over 100 PMs in a season. Everybody knew how tough he was and respected him enough not to push him. The only guy who ever got pounded by Gillies and then challenged him again was Terry O`Reilly in the `80 playoffs. It`s a thin line between bravery and stupidity.

As long as we`re talking 70s fighters, how about Nick Fotiu??
 

STS

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Jul 3, 2005
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Has to be Clark Gillies as heavyweight. O'Reilly challenged him I believe it was four times in the 1980's playoffs and got beat badly all four times. He was the perfect enforcer - could play the game with the best of them but when it came time to drop the gloves watch out. I'll never forget when he wiped the ice with Dave Scultz in the Spectrum during the 1978 playoffs ( please correct me if I am wrong on the year)and it totally deflated the Flyers and their fans. Don't think Schultz ever challenged him again after that. Gave Bossy and Trottier all the room they needed to do the scoring but pick on them and you had to answer to "Jethro". The same with Probert in Detroit with Yzerman and Semenko with Gretzky in Edmonton.

Among the smaller fighters I would have to go with Stan Jonathan of the Bruins or Tie Domi. Jonathan was absolutely fearless ....

Among the late 60's early 70's enforcers would have to say John Ferguson or Dan Maloney. Ferguson's presence on the Habs gave the Flying Frenchmen all the more room to skate
 

No Quarter*

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Bob Clarke Fan Club said:
Joe Kocur was my personal fav...talk about one-punch ko power. Jim Kyte was never the same. :)


I agree, I'd have to go with Kocur.
 

reckoning

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STS said:
Has to be Clark Gillies as heavyweight. O'Reilly challenged him I believe it was four times in the 1980's playoffs and got beat badly all four times. He was the perfect enforcer - could play the game with the best of them but when it came time to drop the gloves watch out. I'll never forget when he wiped the ice with Dave Scultz in the Spectrum during the 1978 playoffs ( please correct me if I am wrong on the year)and it totally deflated the Flyers and their fans. Don't think Schultz ever challenged him again after that.

It was in 1975. Moose Dupont had to jump Gillies in the middle of it to save Schultz. That was the beginning of the end of the Flyers intimidation factor around the league.

Gave Bossy and Trottier all the room they needed to do the scoring but pick on them and you had to answer to "Jethro". The same with Probert in Detroit with Yzerman and Semenko with Gretzky in Edmonton.

All the big scorers had enforcers making their job easier, but only Gretzky ever gets criticized for it.
 

Jacques Plante

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Aug 29, 2004
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Psycho Joe said:
John Ferguson. Could score 30 and was one of the most feared heavyweights in the NHL. He is the standard.

Well said. A 2 time 20 goal scorer in a time where 20 goals was a good season. The guy kept everyone on the other team in line and wasn't a liability when out on the ice.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Jacques Plante said:
Well said. A 2 time 20 goal scorer in a time where 20 goals was a good season. The guy kept everyone on the other team in line and wasn't a liability when out on the ice.
Just as an aside, he scored 145 goals in 500 games. That works out to about 24 goals per 82 games played.
 

STS

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It was in 1975. Moose Dupont had to jump Gillies in the middle of it to save Schultz. That was the beginning of the end of the Flyers intimidation factor around the league

Reckoning - Thank you for clearing up the date on this. Was looking through some old books last night and came across Dave Scultz's book
THE HAMMER:CONFESSIONS OF A HOCKEY ENFORCER.. He actually devotes part of a chapter to this one fight with Gillies and how over matched he was against him. Was the beginning of the end of Schultz's career as an enforcer along with as you point out the start of the Flyers declining intimidation. Met Mr. Schultz a couple of times at charity functions in the mid 70's and he is a very quiet, down to earth person - nice guy.
 
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