Most talented player who could fight.

[Toett]

Zdeno Chara?

 

[iamcaper]

I'll go off the board with my picks:

Ron Hextall and Patrick Roy

 

[kovy1335]

Mario who? Lemieux never fought.

Considering that Gordie is the 2nd greatest player ever, he would be the greatest player that could fight.

Actually, Lemieux did fight, and I personally saw him do it once after his first retirement.

Feb. 6, 2003 Against Florida. He fought Brad Ference and got ejected. It was the game before he collected his 1000th assist.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=230206016

It says in the article He also fought Todd Krygier in the '96 playoffs, and fought Bobby Gould in '87.

I think Le Magnifique is better than Howe also, but I'm not going to try and convince you of that.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Mario who? Lemieux never fought.

Considering that Gordie is the 2nd greatest player ever, he would be the greatest player that could fight.

Are you saying Orr couldn't fight?

 

[jcoldwell]

I would have to say, Orr, Mikita, Howe, Lindsey, Richard, Gillies, Neely, O'Reilly, Tocchett, Lemieux, Iginla, Clark.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Wendell Clark maybe at home - on the road he was known as "Wendy".

Really ?????

 

[bullitt_10]

Gordie Howe

they came up with the Gordie Howe hattrick --> goal, assist, fight...all in one night

 

[Hellfish]

Rick Tocchet
Kevin Stevens
Scott Mellanby

 

[ClassicHockey]

The problem with that is that it's a big fallacy - No one has seemed to find any game in all of Howe's 26 seasons that he actually did that.

Howe hardly ever fought.

A goal, assist & a fight in the same game should be the 'Maurice Richard hat-trick' or a 'Rick Tocchett Hat-trick'.

And who is 'they' that came up with that?

Gordie Howe

they came up with the Gordie Howe hattrick --> goal, assist, fight...all in one night

 

[Snap Wilson]

A goal, assist & a fight in the same game should be the 'Maurice Richard hat-trick' or a 'Rick Tocchett Hat-trick'.

A Maurice Richard Hat Trick is a goal, a fight, and several French curse words.

 

[Chili]

Not the most talented but John Ferguson had a great wrist shot. He's remembered for his fists but he could really shoot the puck.

 

[nmbr_24]

The 1st guy to come to my mind is Cam Neely, he was tough, and he could score goals with anyone, 50 in 48 games 1 year I think.
Of course you have to mention Howe, Orr, Cashman, and Al Secord, wow, he could devastate you with a punch or a goal.
This thread is making me miss the 70's and 80's NHL!

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

This begins and ends with Gordie Howe. Until Orr showed up, he was unquestionably the best player ever and one of the best fighters.

 

[Northern Dancer]

This begins and ends with Gordie Howe. Until Orr showed up, he was unquestionably the best player ever and one of the best fighters.

Gordie Howe is one of the few to get into a fight in an all-star game, it was the All-Stars against the Leafs and Mike Walton got into a scrap with him. I think Gordie took it easy on Shakey cause he was a rookie, it could have been ugly.

 

[ClassicHockey]

Actually, Howe got into a fight with the much smaller Gus Mortson in the 1948 ASG and got at best, a draw.

The thing with Walton never turned into a fight as the players all moved in.

Howe was spearing Walton all the way up the ice when Walton finally had enough and dropped his gloves. After some pushing and shoving it was over real quick. This is from seeing the fight and talking to Walton about it.

Gordie Howe is one of the few to get into a fight in an all-star game, it was the All-Stars against the Leafs and Mike Walton got into a scrap with him. I think Gordie took it easy on Shakey cause he was a rookie, it could have been ugly.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Actually, Howe got into a fight with the much smaller Gus Mortson in the 1948 ASG and got at best, a draw.

The thing with Walton never turned into a fight as the players all moved in.

Howe was spearing Walton all the way up the ice when Walton finally had enough and dropped his gloves. After some pushing and shoving it was over real quick. This is from seeing the fight and talking to Walton about it.

Wow, great memory, guess I have had to many splashes of red since that game and my mind has embellished the fracus a little.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Sakic of course.

 

[ClassicHockey]

Mike 'Shakey' gave me autographed picture of the two of them after they were separated. He's actually quite proud of standing up to Howe and he laughs about it now and gives the photo out. I wonder if I can scan it and attach it?

Anyways, they played together against the Russians in 1974. Shakey was off the wall and actually fought John Ferguson too.

By the way, 'Shakey' has two words to describe his feelings when encountering Howe. Walton said he was 'scared sh--less'.

Wow, great memory, guess I have had to many splashes of red since that game and my mind has embellished the fracus a little.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Mike 'Shakey' gave me autographed picture of the two of them after they were separated. He's actually quite proud of standing up to Howe and he laughs about it now and gives the photo out. I wonder if I can scan it and attach it?

Anyways, they played together against the Russians in 1974. Shakey was off the wall and actually fought John Ferguson too.

By the way, 'Shakey' has two words to describe his feelings when encountering Howe. Walton said he was 'scared sh--less'.

Met Shakey back in the 60's with Bobby Orr at a bar in Toronto called, the Boiler Room (The Royal Bank Building is there now), then met him in a lounge at the ACC last year. He is quite a character and was a great player, if I remember the trade Leafs sent him tp Philly for Bernie Parent then Philly flipped him to Boston to be with his buddy Bobby Orr. Did he not marry Stafford Smythe's daughter?

 

[Snap Wilson]

Met Shakey back in the 60's with Bobby Orr at a bar in Toronto called, the Boiler Room (The Royal Bank Building is there now), then met him in a lounge at the ACC last year. He is quite a character and was a great player, if I remember the trade Leafs sent him tp Philly for Bernie Parent then Philly flipped him to Boston to be with his buddy Bobby Orr. Did he not marry Stafford Smythe's daughter?

His neice, I thought, or at least he dated her.

 

[ClassicHockey]

I have two photos, the one that I found and scanned is the beginning of the 'fight' before everyone jumped in. Take a look. That's the way fights were in the 60's before the third man rule came in.

Most people here think that Gordie Howe was the best fighter of all time but except for the one fight with Fontinato, Howe's fight card was not that impressive. He fought mostly when he was younger of course and did not exactly fight the toughest players and did not exactly win all his fights.

But I've seen how legends can grow and people pick up on things.

I've seen Howe cut players and a few did swing back like Kent Douglas of the Leafs.
And when Douglas did that, Howe was in no hurry to get back at him.

I just find it incredible that fans think Howe was so tough when he rarely, if at all, faced an opponent head on to challenge him. Howe always used the sneak attack with his stick or elbow.

I've seen posters say he was such a great fighter but I'd like to ask if anyone can list the fights that Howe was in to prove their point. (besides the Mortson & Juzda fights that I've already mentioned. And, of course, the Fontinato fight.)

If Howe's fights are listed with the dates, then I'll post the newspaper accounts of the fights where I can.

Mike 'Shakey' gave me autographed picture of the two of them after they were separated. He's actually quite proud of standing up to Howe and he laughs about it now and gives the photo out. I wonder if I can scan it and attach it?

Anyways, they played together against the Russians in 1974. Shakey was off the wall and actually fought John Ferguson too.

By the way, 'Shakey' has two words to describe his feelings when encountering Howe. Walton said he was 'scared sh--less'.

 

[ClassicHockey]

They aren't together anymore. As Shakey says, "I thought I was marrying into money!".

You are right, he is quite a character and there are a lot of stories about him.

Met Shakey back in the 60's with Bobby Orr at a bar in Toronto called, the Boiler Room (The Royal Bank Building is there now), then met him in a lounge at the ACC last year. He is quite a character and was a great player, if I remember the trade Leafs sent him tp Philly for Bernie Parent then Philly flipped him to Boston to be with his buddy Bobby Orr. Did he not marry Stafford Smythe's daughter?

 

[Ogopogo*]

Are you saying Orr couldn't fight?

No, just saying Howe was greater.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Actually, Lemieux did fight, and I personally saw him do it once after his first retirement.

Feb. 6, 2003 Against Florida. He fought Brad Ference and got ejected. It was the game before he collected his 1000th assist.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=230206016

It says in the article He also fought Todd Krygier in the '96 playoffs, and fought Bobby Gould in '87.

I think Le Magnifique is better than Howe also, but I'm not going to try and convince you of that.

I don't know that three career fights is the same as saying he "could fight". Even Gretzky was involved in two scraps but, I would never count him.

 

[Canucks5551]

Orr and Howe