Best All-Time Enforcers #1

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Clark Gillies was a better enforcer than most on this list. And he could play/score as well. How was he missed?


“Jethro” Gillies was part of a long line of enforcers from Saskatchewan. Gillies played for the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year NHL career (1974-1988).
Gillies' reputation as a formidable enforcer was already solid when he entered the NHL after playing for the Regina Pats in the Canadian Junior league. He racked up an impressive 570 penalty minutes in 201 games during his time with the Pats.
Gillies earned his bones protecting Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier during the Islanders' 1980 Stanley Cup run. He famously battered legendary Boston Bruins enforcer Terry O’Reilly…and won…several times. His ability to protect star players was critical to the Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cups."

Here's a good list/post from 12 years ago...The Top 20 Greatest Enforcers Of All Time

Gillies and Nystrom on the same team was prob the best 1/2 enforcer punch ever.

I’ll have to add them in the next poll!

 

[RMimagery]

Allright folks the list is full I can’t add any more choices, but now that we have Probert (Who I’ve never heard of since I only got into hockey in 2009 so I’m a big noob mb) thanks for the suggestions, and keep throwing them in, I’ll probably end up tossing out some enforcers I had in originally.

How can you originally create an all time enforcer poll without ever hearing of Probert and Gillies? Maybe you should've made one for the past 10 years.

 

[RMimagery]

I’ll have to add them in the next poll!

Don't worry about it lol. I know where they stand.

 

[JoVel]

Lol at the amouny of votes for Scott. Anyone who doesn't vote Probert doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[Makar Goes Fast]

wow Elias Petterson is so underrated

 

[MattMartin]

Clark Gillies omitted....



When someone has to jump in to save Schultz...

 

[newfy]

Best at enforcing? Laraque. Best player who’s an enforcer? Probert

Laraque was a great fighter (Probert was still better) but he definitely wasnt a better enforcer. Laraque qould only fight guys he considered in his weight class and had no mean streak. Thats not an enforcer, thats a guy who will tap the other heavyweight on the pads and say alright lets get it over with. If anyone looked at Yzerman the wrong way, Probert would try to kill them. Thats what an enforcer is supposed to do.

Neil fought everyone and I’m not sure if he ever decisively lost a fought. I used to think he wasn’t legit either but then went back and watched a multitude of his old fights and he basically won them all. Underrated fighter.

He definitely decisively lost some fights. But yes Neil fought everyone but most of those guys werent the super heavyweights that guys like Probert and Dave Brown were in the 80s. Neil for the most part fought the middleweights and light heavy weihgts like him. He could handle himself against the bigger guys but he was never dominating against them.

I absolute think hes legit. But hes not near the top of the best fighters or enforcers list of all time

 

[BruinsBtn]

Eddie Shore

 

[SotasicA]

A lot of guys on that poll don't belong.

Tootoo, Clune, Kaleta definitely don't.

Guys like Parros, Rob Ray, Orr, Bissonette, Janssen, Neil, Thornton, McGrattan, Ivanans, Tim Hunter were definitely enforcers, but none of them should sniff top 10 all time. I mean, Ray, maybe, because of a long career, but he was never the top guy and was a bit of a sideshow with his jersey removal and showmanship. Paul Laus was also very active but probably only on par with Ray etc, ie. not amongt the best of the best.

However, Sandy McCarthy was a heavyweight champ at some point - he could be included. Chris Simon was among the toughest when he played, so were Todd "the Animal" Ewen and Jim McKenzie. None of them probably top 10 but very close and ahead of the group mentioned above.

Older guys thay belong - Nick Fotiu. Definitely. He was the champ. Him and Behn Wilson were the toughest of their era. Before youngsters Probert and Dave Brown came along.

 

[Gainesvillain]

I voted Probert.

Agree that Clark Gillies would be high on the list. Chris Nilan, too.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

It's Probert. No doubt in my mind.

In the 1987-88 NHL season Bob Probert played 74 games and had 29 goals and 62 points to go along with 398 penalty minutes. In my humble opinion, this was the single greatest season by an enforcer in NHL history. Probert fought 24 times that year facing off, and holding his own, against the leagues toughest: Dave Semenko, Jay Miller, Mark Tinordi, Dave Brown, Marty McSorley, etc.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Clark Gillies omitted....



When someone has to jump in to save Schultz...

What's crazy about Gillies is that he never broke 100 PIMs in a season.

 

[MattMartin]

What's crazy about Gillies is that he never broke 100 PIMs in a season.

Not really, when you fight like that everyone thinks twice = )

 

[The Red Line]

Of these options, easily Chris Neil, who can legitimately skate an NHL shift on a contender. All-time John Ferguson.

Yeah Probert was a better fighter, better enforcer, and also a MUCH better hockey player. He had multiple 20+ goal seasons (one was a 29 goal season) regularly put up 40+ point seasons (one season he scored over 60 points) and and had 184 more points than Neil in 90 fewer games played.

What is your actual argument for Neil that outweighs any of that?

 

[The Red Line]

Probert wasn't a poll option when I originally voted/posted.

Ah I see now.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Yeah Probert was a better fighter, better enforcer, and also a MUCH better hockey player. He had multiple 20+ goal seasons (one was a 29 goal season) regularly put up 40+ point seasons (one season he scored over 60 points) and and had 184 more points than Neil in 90 fewer games played.

What is your actual argument for Neil that outweighs any of that?

Best All-Time Enforcers #1

 

[The Red Line]

Allright folks the list is full I can’t add any more choices, but now that we have Probert (Who I’ve never heard of since I only got into hockey in 2009 so I’m a big noob mb) thanks for the suggestions, and keep throwing them in, I’ll probably end up tossing out some enforcers I had in originally.

Honestly no offense meant but.... wtf are you doing starting a thread... nay, a poll! about enforcers if you haven't even heard of Bob Probert?????

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

If we are strictly talking about the enforcer role then it's Dave Brown; if you want to add in a combo of skill than easily Probert.

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Honestly no offense meant but.... wtf are you doing starting a thread... nay, a poll! about enforcers if you haven't even heard of Bob Probert?????

Cause I thought it would be fun!!!

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This is not an easy question. I would have to go with Gillies or Nystrom who should be in this poll. Or McSorely or Semenko.

I doubt the Isles or Oilers win as many cups as they did, had it not been for these guys that allowed their star players to play hockey without being targeted by opposing teams.

 

[pcruz]

Of these options, easily Chris Neil, who can legitimately skate an NHL shift on a contender. All-time John Ferguson.

...
...
...
Here’s someone who never heard of Probert.

 

[Sheppy]

Kaleta & Clune? LOL

 

[Sheppy]

Probert followed by Twist.

Lots of really good fighters left off.

Nick Fotiu, Stan Jonathan, John Wensink, Link Gaetz (probably the biggest psycho ever to play) then you have some guys like Steve McIntyre, Peter Worrell etc. Chris Nilan, Jay Miller, etc.

Darren Langdon was also good, too.

 

[ole ole]

Now idk too many of the old time enforcers from back in the day, so please leave suggestions for any enforcers. This will be the only thread that I’ll take suggestions and add them to the list. So yeah, best enforcers of all-time woot woot. I’ll give this poll 2 days, after that, the rest will only be 1 day.

Chris Nilan,Stan Jonathan,Terry O'Rielly,Tie Domi,Clark Gillies are some of the best fighters to put on skates.

 

[edguy]

The answer to your question of best enforcer is Chris Nilan.

He is not an option so I didn't vote.