The best "Alpha male" moments

[Big Phil]

That 1996 world cup game, when Messier tapped Lindros to take the playoff at is place.

I have always thought this too and I thought I was the only person who ever noticed this subtle thing in a huge game with a gigantic faceoff about to happen. Basically Canada is down with a minute left and has a faceoff deep in the U.S. zone. I don't know why Lindros was the one taking the faceoff instead of Messier to begin with but Lindros was jumping the gun and the ref wouldn't drop the puck. Messier sees this happening, taps Lindros and takes his spot. He gives a quick glance to Coffey to see where he is on the point. Wins the faceoff as clean as can be against Joel Otto of all people and even though Canada doesn't score or win here it was the reaction of Lindros and the calmness of Messier that does this for me. Lindros, who was a superstar by then as well, doesn't even hesitate to give Messier his spot. Now that is respect.
Start at 2:30:00

 

[Big Phil]

Darcy Tucker was injured in the game Kaberle got nailed in a late hit by Cam Janssen and it was Tucker all in sweats coming to the bench and shouting at the Devils' bench. No one on the ice does a thing but the 5'10" player who was injured does.

 

[MadLuke]

I have always thought this too and I thought I was the only person who ever noticed this subtle thing in a huge game

I am pretty sure I saw that moment pointed out on this message board in the past (so probably by you), it is some incredible leadership, if Gretzky score immediately on that Coffey pass it would have been a more well known moment.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Guy Lafleur 1977 playoffs. After Montreal won the first two games of the finals at home, John Wensink threatened to take Lafleur's head off at the Boston Garden. Lafleur responded with 2 goals and 2 assists in a 4-2 win.

 

[The Panther]

I am pretty sure I saw that moment pointed out on this message board in the past (so probably by you), it is some incredible leadership, if Gretzky score immediately on that Coffey pass it would have been a more well known moment.

That's depressing to re-watch.... Had it been Gretzky c.1986 instead of 1996, that pass is in the net, tie game! That series is also the last great moment in Coffey's career.

 

[The Panther]

Guy Lafleur 1977 playoffs. After Montreal won the first two games of the finals at home, John Wensink threatened to take Lafleur's head off at the Boston Garden. Lafleur responded with 2 goals and 2 assists in a 4-2 win.

Here's a question for you (because I'm not old enough to have seen the Habs back then): What if Wensink had face-washed Lafleur, or roughed him up a little bit in the corner, akin to Marchand on Sedin in 2011? What would be the correct response by Lafleur/Montreal in such a situation?

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Here's a question for you (because I'm not old enough to have seen the Habs back then): What if Wensink had face-washed Lafleur, or roughed him up a little bit in the corner, akin to Marchand on Sedin in 2011? What would be the correct response by Lafleur/Montreal in such a situation?

I suppose that could have happened but it didn't. Like Gretzky, Lafleur was protected mostly by the threat of Robinson. He did purposely shoot the puck at Milbury one time, but nothing else happened iirc.

 

[Pominville Knows]

OK, but Claude did this constantly to the point that his actual nickname was "The Turtle". This wasn't a single incident, it was central to his reputation as a player.

But if your point is that he had been so often chased down and pummelled by 80s/90s era enforcers who were sick of his antics, often in scenes like this one:



... to the point that he no longer felt safe taking that kind of a beating on a regular basis, then I acknowledge that this theory does have legs.

Yes, and he himself told us during that interview with Darren McCarty that he really cannot fight, especially real fighters i add. His bleeding did not help, maybe not even as far the league were concerned?
Claude could receive retaliations at any point of his career, but he did not "B" about it becouse he has integrity and were aware of what he had done. If especially needed he would fight pretty much anyone, and probably lose. He could also go straight into vicious Konstantinov hip-checks, only to then go about his business as if nothing. That would be a matter of stealing just about the greatest skill of a great opponent, denying him his very pride.
As i said, if not 'Alpha' he definetely reeked of quiet masculinity. Even you have to agree that there are instances when even a suckerpunch from the bench can really be helpful, and even merited?

 

[sr edler]

Marchand doing his "stop hitting yourself" routine on D-Sedin in the '13 Finals...a rookie owning an Art Ross winner, and no response from Daniel or the Canucks. No wonder the fans rioted when it was all over.

Marchand spot picking and punching perhaps the most pacifistic player in the game, during arguably the most pacifistic time period in league history (with the instigator rule and everything), in the face is the most 'alpha' moment ever in hockey history?

I'm both a bit surprised and not surprised at all at multiple posters in the thread posting examples of players hitting unsuspecting players in the head, instead of say posting examples of players battling through injury or other type of adversity and leading their teams by example (i.e. say Yzerman on one leg in the playoffs), but this example above probably takes the cake.

"Guys, do you remember that big alpha big boi moment when Matt Cooke blind-trucked an unsuspecting Marc Savard in the face with his shoulder? No one on the Bruins even beat him up for it, haha!"

Bruins fans giving examples of Lucic and Marchand cheap-shotting Ryan Miller and Daniel Sedin when you have players like Ray Bourque or Bobby Orr to pick from is straight out embarrassing.

 

[K Fleur]

Yeah you’re a pretty big douche nozzle if punching the Sedins and running a goalie are your alpha moments.

 

[Fixxer]

Marchand licking opponents................

 

[MadLuke]

I feel like Serge Savard had some, but I cannot remember exactly (was not born back in the days), was there not a story that he announced before the game from time to time to is team to not worry about some big name fighter from the other side, that he was taking care of it.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This was where Holtby's cold-bloodedness got on the radar for a lot of people.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Malkin staring down Roloson. Or Tavares. Or his breakaway slap shot.

What a guy.

Really? I thought he was more recognized for his trips and stick work to the body?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I feel like Serge Savard had some, but I cannot remember exactly (was not born back in the days), was there not a story that he announced before the game from time to time to is team to not worry about some big name fighter from the other side, that he was taking care of it.

Do you mean as a joke?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Pavel Bure laying out Shane Churla.

A beautiful thing.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Marchand spot picking and punching perhaps the most pacifistic player in the game, during arguably the most pacifistic time period in league history (with the instigator rule and everything), in the face is the most 'alpha' moment ever in hockey history?

I'm both a bit surprised and not surprised at all at multiple posters in the thread posting examples of players hitting unsuspecting players in the head, instead of say posting examples of players battling through injury or other type of adversity and leading their teams by example (i.e. say Yzerman on one leg in the playoffs), but this example above probably takes the cake.

"Guys, do you remember that big alpha big boi moment when Matt Cooke blind-trucked an unsuspecting Marc Savard in the face with his shoulder? No one on the Bruins even beat him up for it, haha!"

Bruins fans giving examples of Lucic and Marchand cheap-shotting Ryan Miller and Daniel Sedin when you have players like Ray Bourque or Bobby Orr to pick from is straight out embarrassing.

Just to clarify, this is the topic of the thread, according to the OP:

Okay, so what are other moments where a player just physically embarrasses another player? I don't mean a big hit, because a hit is a hit and if a player got back up it is no big deal. I mean a time when there was a player that looked like a beast vs. one who looked scared like a mouse. Examples like that.

Not sure how you conclude "most alpha moment in history" from my post (or "Bruins fan" for that matter), but Marchand bullying Sedin fits. The alpha male asserts dominance over an opponent with a display of superior power or strength. Judgements of character are beside the point--they can be the villain or the hero.

 

[double5son10]

Robinson's hit on Dornhoefer must be right up there (when considering the context and timing of the hit at the time), or when he calmed down Williams.

Great Big Bird moments! I'd add a third--most everyone here has probably seen Robinson's end-to-end rush against the Bruins in the '78 Finals. They forget that in the sequence directly before that that Larry had threatened to take Rick Smith's head off for getting his stick up on Lafleur in a scrum. Follow the whole thing through the commercial break. Encapsulates how physically intimidating and skilled Big Bird was.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Great Big Bird moments! I'd add a third--most everyone here has probably seen Robinson's end-to-end rush against the Bruins in the '78 Finals. They forget that in the sequence directly before that that Larry had threatened to take Rick Smith's head off for getting his stick up on Lafleur in a scrum. Follow the whole thing through the commercial break. Encapsulates how physically intimidating and skilled Big Bird was.

That's suppose to be physically intimidating?

 

[K Fleur]

Ulf Samuelsson getting so deep into Cam Neely's head that Neely gave himself what was ultimately a career ending injury trying to get back at Samuelsson.

ALPHA!

 

[MadLuke]

Do you mean as a joke?

Not sure what joke that would be but no.

Just find it:


That Réjean Houle saying that Serge said before a big game versus the Flyers that Savard got up in the locker room and said: Guys we will beat the flyers tonight and don't worry about Schultz I am taking care of him.

 

[NyQuil]

Ray Emery pounding Martin Biron during a brawl and then fighting Andrew Peters right afterwards with a giant smile on his face.

 

[EXTRAS]

Again a guy picking on a sedin, so I don't know if I'd call it alpha. But Joe Thornton making Henrik smell his finger the entire time the two of them (as letters) were over at the time keepers box speaking w the refs.

It was certainly a humiliating moment for the canucks and canucks fans, imo. We looked so soft. And in the playoffs...

I don't have the video.

 

[The Panther]

The Sedin-thing isn't so much an Alpha-male moment as it's a wimp moment. To be clear, I don't blame Sedin for not responding to Marchand -- you don't really want your team's MVP sitting for 5 in the box in game seven of the Finals -- but how the heck did no Canuck on the ice (at least one of the three who weren't Sedin twins) not go after Marchand immediately? You can't allow that to happen to your best guy in that situation. The Bruins knew they could get away with that kind of thing at a critical moment... which is why the Canucks lost.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Kovalev absolutely smoking Tucker in '06 after the latter elbowed him with no call. Kovalev touches his lip to verify if there's blood - there isn't - winds up with grace and levels Tucker head on at full speed.