Your Favorite "Hockey Villain"

[GreatGonzo]

This video on Pronger got me curious, so i made this thread


We all know there are many different personalities in the NHL, and have been through out the history of the game. The good guys almost always get all the attention, but i have always admired the guys who play on the edge, bend the rules, and have a certain evil to them. Most were hated because of their style of play, but they also were effective at whatever they did. Some of these guys are/were Goons, agitators, pests, thugs, enforcers, ect. But some are/were great players while playing the role of the Villain. The players that come to mind for me are guys like Derian Hatcher, Theoren Fleury, Darius Kasparaitis, Bobby Clarke, Dale Hunter, and Esa Tikkanen

So What are your guys favorite player or players that play the "Villain" sort of style

Click to read more...

 

[MadArcand]

Heh, I've been a fan of all the players you mentioned, plus Hextall, Tootoo etc.

The one true villain whom I always actually hated for me has always been Scott Stevens, though.

 

[gifted88]

Currently my fav villain is pronger. All-time it's claude lemieux

 

[BubbaBoot]

Favorite villain? Isn't that an oxymoron?

 

[Iain Fyffe]

The good guys almost always get all the attention

I dispute this. "Good guys" are usually brushed off as being soft. IMO "edgy" players are celebrated in excess of their actual contributions to their team winning games, because of their style.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Heh, I've been a fan of all the players you mentioned, plus Hextall, Tootoo etc.

The one true villain whom I always actually hated for me has always been Scott Stevens, though.

Heh. Scott Stevens was my favorite player growing up, but I didn't even think of him when I thought of "villians." I thought "villain" entailed guys who bent or broke the rules and Scott Stevens' violence was pretty much within the rules of the game (edit: at least in the second half of his career).

On the other hand, I knew Claude Lemieux was a total dick, but as a Devils fan, I couldn't help but love him.

 

[SidGenoMario]

Crosby was both a hero and a villain, depending on your perspective. And boy, he was the best villain. No dominant skilled players were more hated.

 

[Killion]

Eddie Shack. The one really black mark on his career was of course the ugly stick swinging incident with Ziedel, however in his prime with the Leafs', the stuff he pulled behind the play, behind the ref's back, was absolutely infamous. Even in-play he'd leave his feet and quite literally piggyback guys, rip their sticks from their hands and toss it across the ice, motor mouth going a mile a minute. Over the past 40yrs, most of the "Villians" possessed a far more "dangerous" edge to their Shenanigans. Matt Cooke for example. Theo Fleury who would absolutely lose his thread. Tikkanen who was a bit of a switchblade artist. Clarke who was just plain nasty.

 

[JF55JF]

Ulf Samualsson and Darius Kasparaitis are a couple of "villians" I learned to appreciate during the 90s. I hated Ulf's smirk, still hated them, but really paid attention to what they did back then.

 

[Eisen]

Always loved Darius Kasparaitis. Then again, he wasn't too villainous

 

[quoipourquoi]

Heh. Scott Stevens was my favorite player growing up, but I didn't even think of him when I thought of "villians." I thought "villain" entailed guys who bent or broke the rules and Scott Stevens' violence was pretty much within the rules of the game (edit: at least in the second half of his career).

Sorry, but everyone else thought he was the ******* Devil himself. Going into a playoff round against New Jersey from 2000-2003 was akin to having your 12 forwards drawing straws - even if you advanced to the next round, one of you was coming home in a pine box.

 

[TasteofFlames]

I'm going to throw out Neal Sheehy, the only man to consistently, and successfully troll Gretzky. The man played an ungodly big role in the Battle of Alberta and gets forgotten so often. For those who don't think of him a a villain, remember that his play style (hit the stars, don't fight the enforcers) helped create the instigator penalty.

 

[Big Phil]

It all depends. There are villains I have no respect for. Sean Avery, Max Lapierre, Jarko Ruutu, etc. These guys remind you more of classmates that hide behind the principal but still lip off.

Guys like Pronger, Stevens, etc. were mean nasty SOBs. Not too many people wanted to test them physically. Stevens didn't go beyond the rules so much, but Pronger does and in a way that makes you like him even more because he does it in a way where it helps his team if that makes any sense. No one wants to be on the ice with Pronger for the main reason that he is unpredictable.

To an extent Ovechkin can be classified as a villain. Don't know about the rest of you, but the other day when he threw a sharp spear at a player (was it Chris Neil?) I gained a little more respect for him considering that's the kind of Ovechkin we miss seeing. Always on the edge. Besides, you can't say he picked his spot there, it was Chris Neil of all people, known for his fisticuffs

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I'm going to throw out Neal Sheehy, the only man to consistently, and successfully troll Gretzky. The man played an ungodly big role in the Battle of Alberta and gets forgotten so often. For those who don't think of him a a villain, remember that his play style (hit the stars, don't fight the enforcers) helped create the instigator penalty.

Another Flame cut from the same cloth was Gary Suter... crippled up a couple of Stars in his time (Gretzky and Kariya), yet somehow never got hated like Ulfie was.

Bryan Marchment and Dave Manson were two villains I liked, okay. Marchment would, at least occasionally, back up his crap with hiis fists. Manson seemed especially sinister once got his serial killer voice, courtesy of a punch in the throat from Sergio Momesso.

The old Broadstreet Bullies were a whole team of villains, but honestly, I kinda liked all of them... except Ed Van Impe... I hated him.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Dennis Bonvie.

 

[revolverjgw]

If the stories about Eddie Shore wearing a cape onto the ice are true, it has to be him.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Eddie Shack. The one really black mark on his career was of course the ugly stick swinging incident with Ziedel, however in his prime with the Leafs', the stuff he pulled behind the play, behind the ref's back, was absolutely infamous. Even in-play he'd leave his feet and quite literally piggyback guys, rip their sticks from their hands and toss it across the ice, motor mouth going a mile a minute. Over the past 40yrs, most of the "Villians" possessed a far more "dangerous" edge to their Shenanigans. Matt Cooke for example. Theo Fleury who would absolutely lose his thread. Tikkanen who was a bit of a switchblade artist. Clarke who was just plain nasty.

Eddie Shack......loved the guy when he was with the Bruins. Saw him get two separate penalties on the same shift. Lucic just copied the feat the other night.....but Shack did it at opposite ends of the ice. I think it was a high stick in the offensive zone and then either a boarding or a charge in the defensive zone.

 

[nik jr]

If the stories about Eddie Shore wearing a cape onto the ice are true, it has to be him.

apparently, he wore a cape off the ice sometimes, too.

boston's arena played "hail to the chief," the song for american presidents, when shore skated out before the game.

i have read many dozens of old newspaper articles about shore's bruins, and he was booed in almost every arena. shore was voted by sportswriters the biggest box office attraction in the NHL in 1934 (above any team or player).

owner of NY americans created a poster of eddie shore that said "wanted: dead or alive," which can be seen in this video about shore:

 

[tony d]

All-time, Claude Lemieux.

 

[Hutzler]

As a Canucks fan...Theoren Fleury was always one of those guys I hated, but would have loved to have on our team.

He has had a pretty interesting life...any fans of the game who enjoy a good read should check out his autobiography "Playing with Fire". It is a great book.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

growing up, i loved pepe. would do anything to win, and often did. the fact that some of his most memorable games (both in terms of big goals and in terms of being a jerk) were against my hated wings made me love him all the more.

more recently, this was a great moment of villainy for us canucks fans:



i just loved the spit-eating grin that seemed plastered on jarkko's face his entire time here.

 

[tombombadil]

Ulfie - got more hate than he earned, and loved it!

 

[tombombadil]

ya, Jarkko was fun. He was so funny about being annoying, and then he started fighting and WINNING, while still yapping and laughing during his fights!! You'd just hate to play that guy - the annoying punk that can back it up.

 

[GuineaPig]

I've always loved Pronger.

 

[kmad]

I have a tendency to like the hockey villains more than the clean players. Hextall and Pronger are my favorites but I'm also a huge fan of Hunter, Clarke (though I never saw him play, I'm a fan of his legend), Cooke, etc.