The best Fighter, Bodychecker who was a star.

[YMB29]

No matter how much of a giant internet conspiracy there is out there, I refuse to believe that Vladimir Konstantinov was a great fighter.

I am not saying he was a great fighter, just that those fight reviews should not be taken without doubt.

 

[c-carp]

Wendel Clark, Cam Neely or Scott Stevens for me.

 

[Squiffy]

Got believe Gordie Howe for all-time. Players that I've seen play, hands down Clark and Neely.

 

[InjunSteve]

cam neely, wendel clark, rick tocchet. they all fit the bill the best in my eyes. messier was not that great of a fighter, he was a great leader and fought when he needed to but nothing great.

lindros when he first came up was just a monster, he could score, hit and beat the hell out of you. lindros won a lot of fights by tko or ko early on, he beat stevens, had a good fight with daneyko which was either a draw or win eric, beat odelein, boughner2x. i didnt even fully go through the fights i have seen and have on my computer. those were some of the tougher guys in the 90s, his only real big loss was to mcsorely.

shanahan fits the mold well too, consistantly a threat in all three. he has put up the points over the years for what i hope is a hall of fame career, will hit you with a clean body check, and if you want to retaliate for that he will drop the gloves with you. ill always recall when tkachuk gave him a highstick and cut him open, shanny went to the lockerroom and got stitched up. when he returned he came out and pummeled KT. i would put him higher than messier.

i'd really have to go with lindros, clark or neely. i have collected a lot of fights over the years, and them three fit it the best

 

[HandshakeLine]

I remember reading somewhere that Howe wasn't really all that much of a fighter, despite his reputation. Seeing as I came along a little late for watching Mr. Hockey, can anyone give me the straight story on this?

 

[Squiffy]

I didn't see him play either, so I can't give a personal opinion. But take this for whatever it's worth...

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2007/01/05/3195546-sun.html

 

[statistics]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Wendel Clark was a star. He was pretty good and worked hard, but I think he's one the most overrated player ever.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Gordie Howe.

End of thread.

 

[arrbez]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Wendel Clark was a star. He was pretty good and worked hard, but I think he's one the most overrated player ever.

No, you're wrong. He was totally the man.

I don't think anyone's calling him a superstar, but he was a demon on the ice, and a very good goal scorer to boot. He never had the creativity of the great offensive players though, and was certainly not a playmaker.

He was, however, the baddest man I ever saw play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEltpSMTDPM

 

[mcphee]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Wendel Clark was a star. He was pretty good and worked hard, but I think he's one the most overrated player ever.

I always read the pre draft issue of The Hockey News. They list a guy's skills, and scouts get fooled by adding up the skills. Some guys can just play and contribute whether it shows on the stat sheet or not. Clark could play. I wouldn't put him the upper echelon of players but I'd always want him on my team.

 

[mazmin]

Orr, Howe, Richard, and Messier. They were surefire superstars that hit hard and could make fools out of those who wanted to fight.

 

[Fourier]

An interesting quote....

Dad's mind-set on the ice was different than most anybody else I've ever met. He can be cruel. I've seen him be vicious. I've seen him hurt people and I used to think, 'Wow, it's like he meant to do it,' " says Mark Howe about Gordie on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series.

 

[Pizza]

Gordie Howe.

End of thread.

Yeah, pretty much.

 

[No Quarter*]

Rick Tocchet would beat the crap out of all the names mentioned so far.

 

[WheatiesHockey]

Gordie Howe did have one very memorable fight with Leapin Lou Fontanato of the New York Rangers. Gordie was never an angel out on the ice and neither were any of the Red Wings of that era. It is somewhat amazing that hockey fans were still talking about that fight 30 and 40 years after it happend.The stuff of legends.
Larry Robinson in his era was considered one of the most physically punishing defenseman, both in terms of fighting and physical play. In his book, The Hammer, Dave Schultz of Broadway Bully fame more or less admits he lost his first NHL fight to Larry Robinson.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Rick Tocchet would beat the crap out of all the names mentioned so far.

He's already been mentioned several times in this thread and to say he would "beat the crap" out of the others mentioned is a stretch. He was a great fighter though and one of the first guys I thought of when I saw this thread. Another guy who hasn't been mentioned yet and deserves some credit is Adam Graves.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Gordie Howe.

End of thread.

He had like 8 actual fights in the NHL including getting beat by a 5'8" Bill Juzda. Biggest myth in hockey is Howe's fighting ability. Guys at hockeyfights.com have researched it extensivly a year or two ago and came up with facts that shot down Howe's fighting ability.

 

[No-Twitch Tabitha]

Andre Roy

I'll be really original and say Rocket Richard. That temper...

But this gets me thinking: Howe vs Messier vs Rocket Richard...pick yours.

 

[Juicer]

I gotta go with Lindros. Neely, Tocchet and Clark are good picks too. Stevens was tough too, but not that great at fighting.

 

[bleedrngrblue]

I'll give you someone who was an intimidating , physical presence and could play .....Barry Beck! The guy was awesome until he blew out his shoulder taking a hit. Players used to avoid his side of the ice coming into the zone cause they didn't want to get plastered, and the guy could rush up ice with the puck too! His career was never the same after the shoulder problem, but before that he was pretty terrific.

 

[TheHoser]

Bob Gainey didn't fight but he left some guys feeling some serious pain with his body checks.

Yep... BG never backed down from anyone, even if he wasn't much of a fighter, he would hit anything and at just the right moment, too. I remember reading that, on his first-ever NHL shift, Bobby Orr came flying in, walked around two of his teammates, and promptly found himself face-down in the ice thanks to a Bob Gainey hipcheck. Now THAT is called having balls!

 

[Wooty]

Was Wendell Clark mentioned?

 

[Flames420]

Gordie Howe.

End of thread.

Without a doubt.

 

[Wisent]

Gordie Howe`s fighting reputation came from winning against one bonafide goon (think it was Lou Fontinato) and that is that. He was mean, edgy and all but he was no fighter.

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

Cam Neely