What was Dale Hunter like?

[Leafsdude7]

No, he isn't. Tim Hunter and Dale Hunter are NOT of the same family tree. This has been reported on several times.

But they sure seem similar, eh?

Dale Hunter is related to three-time Stanley Cup champion Dave Hunter. They are brothers.

Former Whaler and current Leafs assistant GM Mark Hunter, too. Won a Cup with the Flames, too.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

fair to say dale hunter was the most effective, but only third toughest, hunter of the 80s/90s right?

 

[sr edler]

Always finished his checks

View attachment 80555

I couldn't help but laugh at that photo. Twice. Turgeon looks like he's scored the Cup winning goal, and Hunter looks so goofy with his legs squared down like that.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Dale Hunter is one of those guys I would want on my team if Planet Earth was playing the Aliens with world destruction hanging in the balance. He would do anything, anything, to win. Maybe even kill a guy. He even made Bobby Clarke seem like a relatively reasonable chap.

Seriously though, he was probably the biggest combination of skill and downright nastiness the league has known since Sprague Cleghorn was around. He has no comparable today.

 

[seventieslord]

fair to say dale hunter was the most effective, but only third toughest, hunter of the 80s/90s right?

I'd have him ahead of Dave, too. (I presume you had him ahead of Mark)

 

[Boxscore]

Dale Hunter. Hmm, depends on who you ask. IMO, Hunter was a gem. But he played in an era when you could sway a game through physical intimidation. Hunter had no fear and he was the ultimate predator. But he also had skill and oozed heart. Put it this way, if I were in a bar fight or were building a team from scratch in the 80's, Hunter would be towards the top of my list. He was a less-skilled Bobby Clarke... but he would push his own mother down the steps to win a game.

 

[VanIslander]

IMO, Hunter was a gem. But he played in an era when you could sway a game through physical intimidation. Hunter had no fear and he was the ultimate predator...

It seems like an odd thing to say about him, but indeed, here he is Penguin hunting.

 

[Moose Head]

I seem to recall him seriously injuring his own brother Mark. The guy had no boundaries. Dave and Mark were both tough guys who could play, but Dale was some sort of nasty.

 

[VanIslander]

I seem to recall him seriously injuring his own brother Mark. The guy had no boundaries. Dave and Mark were both tough guys who could play, but Mark was some sort of nasty.

Do you have two or more brothers? Playing rough is par for that course.

The Sutter brothers were always horsing around, trying to best each other at everything, accoding to their mother.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Is that Robin Williams?

Or Kurt Russell

 

[Legionnaire11]

A lot of HF posters don't realize that there was quite a while when collecting w ton of PIM was considered a good thing, at least if you were also scoring.

It's talked about a lot in the countless Lindros discussions "yeah but he'd spend half the game in the box".

Physical intimidation has mostly left the NHL. The closest player to that in today's game would have to be Shea Weber. I'm not saying I want players to be getting hurt all the time, I like and respect the game that we have today. But it's hard for those who didn't watch past eras to understand the concept.

 

[MXD]

I've just flushed something that was quite like Dale Hunter.

 

[jonnygrossman89]

Dale Hunter was one of those irritating, loud guys who you'd love to have on your team but would hate to play against. He was a great leader on and off the ice. He captained the Caps to the Cup Finals in 1998.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

I've just flushed something that was quite like Dale Hunter.

Better have a plumber check out the pipes. He may be too big to go down the drain.

 

[FerrisRox]

I was a bit taken aback by how small he was. 5'10 and roughly 200 pounds. Tough guy for his size, eh?

5'10 and 200 pounds was not considered small at all during his playing days.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Dale Hunter is one of those guys I would want on my team if Planet Earth was playing the Aliens with world destruction hanging in the balance. He would do anything, anything, to win. Maybe even kill a guy. He even made Bobby Clarke seem like a relatively reasonable chap.

Seriously though, he was probably the biggest combination of skill and downright nastiness the league has known since Sprague Cleghorn was around. He has no comparable today.

Brad Marchand? He scored close to 40 goals and 85 points last year, all while being gritty, one of the best wingers defensively and a huge pain in the ass to say the least.

 

[sr edler]

No, he isn't. Tim Hunter and Dale Hunter are NOT of the same family tree. This has been reported on several times.

Spiritually related.

All humans are related to the sponge though.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Brad Marchand? He scored close to 40 goals and 85 points last year, all while being gritty, one of the best wingers defensively and a huge pain in the ass to say the least.

Although the game has changed a lot, I still don't think Marchand equates to Hunter. Even though he does play with an edge, he doesn't have that unpredictable nasty violent streak. Historically he's more similar to guys like Verbeek, Linseman and maybe Fleury.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Although the game has changed a lot, I still don't think Marchand equates to Hunter. Even though he does play with an edge, he doesn't have that unpredictable nasty violent streak. Historically he's more similar to guys like Verbeek, Linseman and maybe Fleury.

I get what you're saying, Marchand is more in the little rat category. It's true, there is no player today who is as unpredictably violent and skilled at the same time.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

I couldn't help but laugh at that photo. Twice. Turgeon looks like he's scored the Cup winning goal, and Hunter looks so goofy with his legs squared down like that.

It is very funny to hit a player 3 seconds after he scored a goal in the final game of a playoff series. Forget hockey, you should watch MMA exclusively!

 

[Beendair Donedat]

He was a mean mean man when he played the game. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do... Including fight and/or hurt his own brother. I honestly don't know why he isn't talked about in conversations about all time dirtiest players. That elbow he threw on Gord Murphy nearly took his head off.... I loved watching him play because you never knew what he would do when he was on the ice. I remember he high sticked Big Bird, and accidentally (read intentionally) ran into the Habs goalie at the time. Big Larry Robinson was pissed and went after him, and wailed on him before he hit the deck. Robinson was manhandling the linesmen trying to get at Hunter.

One of those guys that you hated but would have loved on your own team.

 

[sr edler]

It is very funny to hit a player 3 seconds after he scored a goal in the final game of a playoff series. Forget hockey, you should watch MMA exclusively!

I don’t think the hit is funny, but the photo looks a bit funny.

 

[Eisen]

5'10 and 200 pounds was not considered small at all during his playing days.

You don't need size and weight to play dirty in the first place.

 

[FerrisRox]

You don't need size and weight to play dirty in the first place.

I'm not sure what you think you are responding to, but I was answering someone that said they were surprised at how "small" he was, and I pointed out that for his era, that wasn't considered small. You then, in turn, posted about playing dirty, which has nothing to do with the conversation.

 

[Eisen]

I'm not sure what you think you are responding to, but I was answering someone that said they were surprised at how "small" he was, and I pointed out that for his era, that wasn't considered small. You then, in turn, posted about playing dirty, which has nothing to do with the conversation.

I know. I was adding to your response. Not only was he not that small, you don't need size and weight to play like he did.