The best Fighter, Bodychecker who was a star.

[ORR2Sanderson2ORR]

Howe,Orr,S.Stevens,C.Neely,W.Clark,R.Tochett,B.Shanahan,E.Lindros &C.Gillies are the names that come to mind of the top of my head I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
My personal favorites to watch were of course the Great Bobby Orr followed by Neely,Clark and S.Stevens they were what hockey use to be all about players who could bring you out of your seat with a devasting body check a big highlight reel goal or knock you on your can with a flurry of left & rights.

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[Know Your Enemy]

Eddie Shore certainly fits the criteria.

 

[PDO]

This discussion begins and ends with Mark Messier.

 

[I Am Chariot]

Messier

His big checks were crucial and timed for MAXIMUM effect.

 

[pappyline]

Eddie Shore certainly fits the criteria.

Agree. that is the first guy that comes to my mind.

 

[Atlas]

Scott Stevens is easily the best I've ever seen. I didn't see guys in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

 

[ORR2Sanderson2ORR]

This discussion begins and ends with Mark Messier.

Messier diffently fits the criteria Mr. intensity himself but if you ever watched the bruins oilers playoff games you've may've noticed when Mr.Neely came around Messier would quickly disappear.

 

[HandshakeLine]

No Rocket Richard?

 

[ORR2Sanderson2ORR]

No Rocket Richard?

Never had the pleasure of seeing him play but without adoubt I say he'd fit the billing.

 

[Wooty]

I am not normally a big fan of his but I gotta say it...

Lindross?

I guess really his career was too short but for a while there he was very strong.

Edit: I have thought about it, he doesn't really fit this category. For top Power Player maybe but not this.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Easily Eric Lindros.

There was never a more dominating force on the ice in the NHL. He scored, he hit, he fought, he took his opponents on by the twos and by threes.

I remember Mark Messier on David Letterman once saying how he only ever feared one player in the NHL - Eric Lindros. He was saying that you could hear him bearing down on you because he was so fast and big that the sound of him skating was like a train coming down the tracks.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Eddie Shore certainly fits the criteria.

Or Earl Seibert and Sprague Cleghorn.

 

[brianguy]

depends what era you're talking about. but the two names that immediately came to mind (many considered) were Howe and Messier.

so I guess I'd pick those two respectively, for the pre-modern and modern eras. even though Howe retired not that long ago, he's best known for playing in the 50's and 60's when he did the most damage by far.

after reviewing the list further, I'd want to give honorable mentions to guys like Shanahan and Stevens. to me, even though a guy like Tocchet put up occassionally outstanding numbers he wasn't enough of a skill guy to warrant being called best. even more so with Stevens. I was never a huge fan of Shanny but he was a mean fighter when he had to, could check like an SOB and excellent finisher.

I'm tempted to include a guy like Blake or Pronger and I might argue one or both belongs. Pronger can throw his body around when he wants to, though I've never thought highly of his fighting skills. Blake is actually a good brawler but most don't know it since he gave it up years ago (before his Norris campaign), but wasn't far behind Shanny in that department. One more name - what about K. Hatcher? Derian was sort of in the same mold also, slightly less skilled but meaner.

 

[raleh]

Didn't Bucyk have a pretty nasty hip check? Tim Horton would fit the bill as well, probably one of the strongest guys to ever play.

 

[ORR2Sanderson2ORR]

Didn't Bucyk have a pretty nasty hip check? Tim Horton would fit the bill as well, probably one of the strongest guys to ever play.

Bucyk yes in his younger days I believe he did as I believe him and Howe had a few go rounds or at least shared a few elbows.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Didn't fight much because he was both a nice guy, and the other teams were afraid of awaking the monster within. Hell of a fighter when he did get out of hand, Larry Robinson.

 

[ORR2Sanderson2ORR]

Didn't fight much because he was both a nice guy, and the other teams were afraid of awaking the monster within. Hell of a fighter when he did get out of hand, Larry Robinson.

Robinson was the Scott Stevens of his days a monster on defense and rarely challenged.

 

[arrbez]

This discussion begins and ends with Mark Messier.

I don't think it's such a no-brainer. Messier was never exactly a dominant fighter, and he kinda picked his spots.

 

[habfan4]

+1 for Larry Robinson.

He was a devastating hitter, who won his infrequent fights so handily the opposition basically left him alone.

 

[DaaaaB's]

I don't think it's such a no-brainer. Messier was never exactly a dominant fighter, and he kinda picked his spots.

He wasn't even close to a dominant fighter. Very overrated and like you said a spot picker.

The players with the best combo of skill, hitting and fighting imo were Gillies, Robinson, O'Reilly, Tocchet, Neely, Stevens, Clark and Shanahan. There's a few others that could be put in there as well. Howe too I guess although I've heard his fighting ability is more myth then truth. Many of the best players from the 60's and earlier were good fighters. Shore, Rocket, Pocket Rocket, Schmidt, Cleghorn, Siebert, Lindsay, Horner, Muzz Patrick to name a few.

 

[Zelepukin Lives]

Matthew Barnaby.

 

[Fourier]

I am surprised that more people have not picked Howe.
Even late in his career he was still given lots of room.

 

[Fourier]

Messier diffently fits the criteria Mr. intensity himself but if you ever watched the bruins oilers playoff games you've may've noticed when Mr.Neely came around Messier would quickly disappear.

Messier was not a guy who hit everything that moved and fought everyone
he ran into. He picked his spots, but not because he was intimidated.
Messier was a high impact guy. He showed up when things needed to
get done. With all due respect to Cam Neely who I really like, Boston
never really pushed the Oilers so there was little need for Messier
to mix it up.

 

[Steelhead16]

He wasn't a fighter but someone I was very impressed with as a bodychecker was Ray Bourque. He was a great technical hitter and always seemed to deliver solid hits and didn't get caught trying to throw a big hit at the wrong time and get beat.

 

[doc5hole]

He wasn't a fighter but someone I was very impressed with as a bodychecker was Ray Bourque. He was a great technical hitter and always seemed to deliver solid hits and didn't get caught trying to throw a big hit at the wrong time and get beat.

Not per se in his prime and beyond, but Bourque did fight during his first few seasons ... notable doozies with Dennis Polonich and Al MacAdam.