Top 10 Toughest Bruins

[NeelyDan]

Harry thought Byers could be like Neely according to Johnny Pearson,right before he picked a fight with Kordic. Johnny says,"No,not Kordic!".

God, did I love John Kordic.

His fight with Troy Crowder at MLG and the build-up to that was just magic.

 

[bp13]

Shore
Miller
Neely
Byers
Wensick
Jonathan
Taz
Thornton
Chara
Lucic

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

love oreilly... all time favorite but got to admit chara is toughest bruin ever. he is toughest player ever.

speaking raw strength.

oreilly was often considered the toughest player of his era but he was only 6'0 and around 200 pounds. the guys today are simply so much bigger and better trained.

i would guess lucic is number 2 because of this

thornton might very well be number 3

i would put oreilly and wensink at the top of the former generation... neely somewhere in the mix too.

im guesing thats the top 6 if the guys were put to the test

 

[ThomasJ13]

Shore
Miller
Neely
Byers
Wensink
Jonathan
Taz
Thornton
Chara
Lucic

This is pretty much how I see it, too. Honorable mention to Cashman and Secord.

 

[NeelyDan]

Where's Darren Banks!

 

[Oates2Neely]

love oreilly... all time favorite but got to admit chara is toughest bruin ever. he is toughest player ever.

speaking raw strength.

oreilly was often considered the toughest player of his era but he was only 6'0 and around 200 pounds. the guys today are simply so much bigger and better trained.

i would guess lucic is number 2 because of this

thornton might very well be number 3

i would put oreilly and wensink at the top of the former generation... neely somewhere in the mix too.

im guesing thats the top 6 if the guys were put to the test

A top-6 list without Neely is not a list. Thornton over Neely?? I disagree

 

[Wiseguyjohnny]

I like Chara but I think he could be a 1000 times meaner. Has he ever been suspended as a Bruin?

I rooted for Chara as he pumbled Hal Gill, when Chara was with OTT. lol

 

[Wiseguyjohnny]

Terrible Ted Green

 

[VanIsle]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=828577

Heres what the Bruins board thought 4 years ago.

 

[DominicT]

I would have picked 1 & 3 in a heartbeat. Foolishly I hadn't thought of WC, but the more I think about it he certainly had a certain aura about the way he played!

Should have been clearer.

That was Bobby Clarke at number 2

 

[DKH]

Flaman was renowned for his toughness, but could also play defense at a high level. He was a premier shot blocker and terrific defensive defenseman whose vicious bodychecks were well noted by his opponents. Gordie Howe once called Flaman the toughest player he had ever played against and Jean Beliveau once said of Flaman, “When I go near that fellow, believe me, I look over my shoulder.â€

Schmidt, who lived in the same Boston suburb as Flaman and remained close friends with him, agreed with those sentiments. Flaman and Schmidt played together on the Bruins from 1947 to 1951, when Flaman was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was traded back to Boston for the 1954-55 season, Schmidt’s last as a Bruin. Like Schmidt, he was also captain of the Bruins.

“One thing I can say is that if there was anyone tougher than Fern Flaman during my career, I can’t imagine who it would be,†Schmidt said. “I played with and against some great defensemen and he was one of the greatest. He was a great stay-at-home defenseman.â€

After retiring from the NHL in 1961, Flaman went on to become a player-coach with the Providence Reds of the American League. He later coached Northeastern University for 18 years, leading the school to four Beanpot Tournament championships and a Hockey East title in 1988. He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

“We’ve lost a great man, a great person and a great National Hockey League player,†Schmidt said.

 

[Artemis]

Flaman was renowned for his toughness, but could also play defense at a high level. He was a premier shot blocker and terrific defensive defenseman whose vicious bodychecks were well noted by his opponents. Gordie Howe once called Flaman the toughest player he had ever played against and Jean Beliveau once said of Flaman, “When I go near that fellow, believe me, I look over my shoulder.â€

Schmidt, who lived in the same Boston suburb as Flaman and remained close friends with him, agreed with those sentiments. Flaman and Schmidt played together on the Bruins from 1947 to 1951, when Flaman was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was traded back to Boston for the 1954-55 season, Schmidt’s last as a Bruin. Like Schmidt, he was also captain of the Bruins.

“One thing I can say is that if there was anyone tougher than Fern Flaman during my career, I can’t imagine who it would be,†Schmidt said. “I played with and against some great defensemen and he was one of the greatest. He was a great stay-at-home defenseman.â€

After retiring from the NHL in 1961, Flaman went on to become a player-coach with the Providence Reds of the American League. He later coached Northeastern University for 18 years, leading the school to four Beanpot Tournament championships and a Hockey East title in 1988. He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

“We’ve lost a great man, a great person and a great National Hockey League player,†Schmidt said.

Thanks for posting that.

The Bruins have been around for 90 years. I can't say who is the toughest because I haven't been around that long, so I can't judge.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Terrible Ted Green

Yes, Teddy Green should definitely be in the Top 10.

Eddie Shore has to be #1.

Cash is on the list because he was as crazy as Shore, but not as mean.

Jay Miller had the toughest head and hands.

Wensink was the scariest.

O'Reilly was the most fearless.

Love the little guys; Jonathan, Stock & Bonvie.

 

[DKH]

The Hockey News in 1966 listed Fernie Flaman is the best heavy weight in the league and some say he never lost a fight. My old man told me Flaman was the toughest, roughest, best body checking player he ever saw.

Flaman is in the NHL HOF

I'll give my list of toughest players/best fighters/hitters in no order

Flaman- see above

Shore (rep is enough for me)

Neely (Youtube the hit on a helmetless Brad Marsh and you tell me)

Teddy Green (downright viscious in his day)

Terry O'Reilly- ummm, enough said

Orr (he could be so ****ing mean your head would spin)

Jonathan- besides being a great fighter he had an edge to him

Cashman- could fight for a hockey player, wouldn't turn my back on him

Lucic- sorry internet tough guys he is meaner on the ice than reported

Chara- sort of a gentle giant but he can get pissy- his beat down of Hal Gill was epic when he played for the Islanders and Hal was on Boston; you don't want to to **** with this guy unless you are on HF Boards and on the couch with computer and some popcorn and cocoa nearby

Tocchett???? short lived but damn was he tough- I'll pull him because he was a summer fling and nothing more

PJ Stock for that short time was great- and he's tough as hell so he's on

 

[DKH]

Thanks for posting that.

The Bruins have been around for 90 years. I can't say who is the toughest because I haven't been around that long, so I can't judge.

I tried to stay away from just listing fighters and go with who is really tough but kind of mean- Bourque was tough, Schmidt was tough and Byers, Miller, Thornton, Wensink, Brian Curran, and many others could fight- heck, Troy Mallette could fight but for the 'feel' of who I would rate is another level it is this group.

Orr was really competitive and he was kind of mean on the ice

if Teddy Green didn't take that chop from Wayne Maki, the Bruins would have been sooooooo freaking much better during that 1968-1972 run, they may never have needed Vadnais which may have allowed Reggie Leach to develop here instead of find his way as the big gun on the two Flyers Cup teams.

for sheer meanness I think Green was near the top

when Cherry stuck out O'Reilly and Jonathan on the same line when they were both not broken down yet was an amazing sight to see

Leveille would not have been a fighter but he was a pretty good body checker already and a rock- a pit bull before in vogue

Secord was a good fighter and liked to start ****- shame he left for MOC; I still am pissed over that

Wensink wasn't so much a big body checker or mean, he just fought a lot' he was decent at it, but his reputation is beyond his talent at it. As a guy- he was the best. Met him a bunch, and he lived within a mile from me, and when my teenage friends would meet him they'd be like 'geez, he's so nice, kind of ruined the tough guy experience'. But he did look tough with that hair.

Jonathan in person in the day was one block of granite. To bad he had some problems after and put on so much weight. I've met Tie Domi and they both had those forearms and powerful handshake if you have a clue, knew was coming.

I really liked Jonathan alot

 

[A Healthy Kelly*]

Flaman was renowned for his toughness, but could also play defense at a high level. He was a premier shot blocker and terrific defensive defenseman whose vicious bodychecks were well noted by his opponents. Gordie Howe once called Flaman the toughest player he had ever played against and Jean Beliveau once said of Flaman, “When I go near that fellow, believe me, I look over my shoulder.â€

Schmidt, who lived in the same Boston suburb as Flaman and remained close friends with him, agreed with those sentiments. Flaman and Schmidt played together on the Bruins from 1947 to 1951, when Flaman was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was traded back to Boston for the 1954-55 season, Schmidt’s last as a Bruin. Like Schmidt, he was also captain of the Bruins.

“One thing I can say is that if there was anyone tougher than Fern Flaman during my career, I can’t imagine who it would be,†Schmidt said. “I played with and against some great defensemen and he was one of the greatest. He was a great stay-at-home defenseman.â€

After retiring from the NHL in 1961, Flaman went on to become a player-coach with the Providence Reds of the American League. He later coached Northeastern University for 18 years, leading the school to four Beanpot Tournament championships and a Hockey East title in 1988. He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

“We’ve lost a great man, a great person and a great National Hockey League player,†Schmidt said.

thanks for this so us none wheelchair-bound, posting-from-a-rocking-chair babies could get educated.

awesome post, thank you

 

[GloveSave1]

My two pennies...

Shore
Taz
Wensink
Neely
Jonathan
Chara
Flaman
Green
Bucyk
Miller
Odgers...gotta be 11.

 

[DKH]

thanks for this so us none wheelchair-bound, posting-from-a-rocking-chair babies could get educated.

awesome post, thank you

hope you like this one

a friend of my family would stay with us sometimes when he traveled to Mass on business; one night about 10 years ago or maybe less, we were watching some of my Bruins fight tapes from the Big Bad Bruins days. Well, its about 9:30 or so and its summer and what comes on is the famous Bruins-North Stars fight that leads to John Wensink going over and challenging the Stars bench and no one moves.

But it started with a collusion at center ice between Alex Pirius and Stan Jonathan right on the spoked B at center ice. It was an accident and Pirius was in the wrong place at the wrong time and Jonathan started the beatdown. Poor Piruis got his ass handed to him by Wensink too.

Well, my friend who has Bruins and NHL ties (but actually was a football player) jumps out of his seat and says 'is that Alex???' I'm like 'wtf? are you talking about?'

well, he starts howling when we play it back, he plays pickup hockey in Chicago with a bunch of the older Black Hawks and was friends with Piruis who I think probably lives there, so he calls him up to bust him.

insane- I had never realized how that fight started but I did know who Piruis was.

I'm sure Piruis wanted know part of Jonathan, Wensink- or anyone else and as my friend says, you could not meet a nicer guy than Alex, and to think he precipitated that fight was really bizarre.

 

[Lobster57]

Where's Darren Banks!

Was at a game in Vancouver, Banks hit a canuck in the corner and Gino Odjick came in while Banks' back was still turned and got 2-3 shots in. When Darren finally got turned around he popped Odjick a few times and down went Gino. I'd never heard of the guy before and i don't think i saw him play another game. He kind of has TENKRAT like status in my mind.

Another guy with a short B's career who needs some love is Kenny Belanger

 

[DKH]

My two pennies...

Shore
Taz
Wensink
Neely
Jonathan
Chara
Flaman
Green
Bucyk
Miller
Odgers...gotta be 11.

The local Red Cross was sad to see Odgers get traded to San Jose

 

[pkunit]

Johnny Boychuk! He's in every other thread and seems to fit quite nicely here. And Orr belongs on every Bruins top 10 list

 

[Bruinator]

Not sure why I'm not seeing him listed but the toughest S.O.B. I ever saw pull on a Bruins' Jersey has to be Tenkrat. Shuck of hair red as the fires of hell.

 

[GloveSave1]

The local Red Cross was sad to see Odgers get traded to San Jose

Has to be on the list for stepping up and taking a beating (and dishing out some) game after game that horrible season. Physical, and mental, toughness. He was all in for the Bruins and his teamates. Much respect.

Respect to guys like Belanger and Banks too...but it's a tough list to crack...heh...

 

[GloveSave1]

So, I'm flipping through the Maxim mag that came in the mail today, Toughest Athletes article...fitting...there's Milan Lucic...

Maxim has been pretty good to the Bruins of late, they've had articles on Thornton and Seidenberg over the past year too...

 

[Bruins2011Champions*]

Cam Neely
Gregory Campbell
Wayne Cashman
Jay Miller
John Wensink
Shawn Thornton
Stan Jonathan
Milan Lucic

Top two still to come, but thoughts so far? I'm not a B's fan so I was unfamiliar with Miller and Wensick, but to me Thornton always felt the toughest, especially because of the "I'll let you pick which hand I beat the fudge out of you with" line.

Terry O'Reilly & PJ Stock come to mind.