What's the most important non-fighting skill an enforcer should have?
A good sense of humour and a sharp wit.
..and a brain. Got to know when not to put your own team under any pressure because of your actions.
yes, that's very important. Never have your actions be a detriment to your team.
as far as non-fighting skills, the most important thing to know is how to be as aggressive and physical as legally possible.
Zone denial is the most important part of my repertoire. I play Left defence, so my goal in every game is to make people TERRIFIED to use my side of the ice every time I step out there.
To do that you need to be able to turn someone inside out with legal hits whenever they touch the puck. Hip checks are ideal for this.
Also, to be able to do that you need to have explosive acceleration and the ability to always be able to MAKE those hits.
There's nothing more embarrassing to an enforcer than to whiff on a hit. If you try to make a hit and you don't make contact, you're gonna be standing out of position with your dick in your hand looking like a fool and if you're a defenceman, you've probably just allowed an earned scoring chance.
You need to know when it's appropriate to attack and in which zones. If you're playing a team that likes to float all its guys high, it may not be a great idea to force contact and zone denial in the attacking zone. You may want to attack in your defending zone or in the neutral/defending zone.
It also depends on your centre. If your centre has speed/acceleration and power and KNOWS how you're going to play a zone denial, than whiffing on a hit may not be as damaging as your centre should be able to bail you out. Of course your defensive partner should always be relied on as well, but don't put him on a 2+ on 1 disadvantage.
IMO, zone denial is probably the BEST thing a good enforcer can do.
It forces fancy-pants to not play so fancy (or put their head down as they try to toe drag and dangle). It forces the opposition to make quick or blind plays. I can't tell you how often someone sees me coming and just gets rid of the puck because they don't want to get hit... and back when you could still hit someone after they had just released the puck made this even better... if your level of play allows you to follow through on a hit after a pass is made, use it. Any chance you can get to flex your power is another notch for zone denial. If you can field a forward/centre and BOTH D with proper zone denial techniques, you can really screw with another team.
Make them afraid to touch the puck or run the puck in your area. Make them TERRIFIED to touch your goalie as well. Don't allow ANYONE to touch your goalie EVER. That would be rule 1 of any good enforcer defenceman. Your goalie is your greatest asset. Don't let the opposition touch them. Your best friend on that ice should be your goalie first and your D partner second. On-ice and off-ice. I really can't stress that enough. You need to have a bond with your goalie so tight that it's like family if they screw with them.
I don't hang out with a lot of my old team mates from hockey... but I still hang out with my goalie YEARS after he retired from active play.
And that all goes with my other big need for an enforcer: communication. Your team better know how you play before you play that way. You talk to your guys on the bench and off the bench. You tell them to critique you and dopeslap you when you make bonehead moves. Own your play style and don't make excuses. If you can't hack it as an enforcer, don't force it!
Build those bonds of friendship and communication. Defend your team as if they were your family. Force a scorched earth policy on ice and keep the other team thinking twice before they get into your zone.
Mongol General: Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
enough e-thugging from me. In all seriousness, this is how I played and how my mindset is to this day. When I step on the ice, I defend my house. Luckily in beer league, everyone is a good guy and there's not much muscle to flex.
For you guys still playing in contact leagues, give it a try.
