Who is the hardest hitter in NHL history?

Wetcoaster

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You also got to consider Leo Boivan.
Yup. Leo "Fireplug" Boivin would rank up there with Baun and Lindsey. He is listed at 5'7" but I met him persoanlly and that had to be with his skates on. He weighed in at around 175-80 pounds.

He was traded back to Boston by Toronto for Joe Klukay (another devastating hitter) on November 9, 1954 after three seasons with the Leafs.

Another "compact" player who could hit a ton and gave Tim Horton a run for the NHL strongman title would be Marcel Bonin:
The tenacious Marcel Bonin is fondly remembered for one other "sport" besides hockey. "L'ours de Joliette" - "the bear of Joliette," his hometown, was known to wrestle bears for show. Bonin told the story to Brian McFarlane for his book "The Habs."

"When Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxing champion, retired, he went with the circus because even after all those big fights he had no money. He was a kind of referee, a guy who talked people into wrestling this bear. He said he'd give $1000 to anyone who could put the bear down. And lots of people came and tried.

"Well, I was about 16 and I said, 'I'm gonna go.' So I left my home in Joliette and I wrestled that bear. But he was big and strong and I couldn't put him down.

"But I wouldn't give up. I went to Three Rivers and a lot of other places and I wrestled that bear lots of times. After a while I got to be buddies with that bear. He was a big brown bear with a muzzle and no claws. In lots of towns in Quebec people still remember Marcel the bear wrestler.
 

Wetcoaster

Guest
There are quite a few good Bonin stories in Beliveau's biography
He was one wild and crazy guy. I met him one year at a Habs training camp. Took me by the shoulder playfully when I asked for his autograph and I thought he detached my collar bone.
 

The Hockey Hitman

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Jul 26, 2006
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I agree with The Hockey Outsider and Boris La Tigre for the most part.

Scott Stevens is the hardest hitter I've ever seen.
 

pappyline

Registered User
Jul 3, 2005
4,587
182
Mass/formerly Ont
Yup. Leo "Fireplug" Boivin would rank up there with Baun and Lindsey. He is listed at 5'7" but I met him persoanlly and that had to be with his skates on. He weighed in at around 175-80 pounds.

He was traded back to Boston by Toronto for Joe Klukay (another devastating hitter) on November 9, 1954 after three seasons with the Leafs.

Another "compact" player who could hit a ton and gave Tim Horton a run for the NHL strongman title would be Marcel Bonin:
Bruins in the 50's had a lot of good hitters. Along with Boivan, add Flaman & bucyk

Lets also not forget Gadsby, of the Hawks, Rangers & Wings= Had a great hip check
 

Steelhead16

Registered User
Jan 29, 2005
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Boise, ID
Stevens is an easy pick. 2 guys that could really bang who weren't really "known" for it were Ray Bourque and Clark Gilles. Both of them knew when a big was needed and delivered.
 

Rinkrat

Registered User
Feb 11, 2007
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It's always hard to compare players from different eras, and Scott Stevens certainly has to rank right up there. If Dion Phaneuf continues to develop he might get included on such a list someday. But for the sake of older eras, there's a few names that I haven't seen that need to be mentioned. How about Ed Van Impe and Moose Dupont from the Broad Street Bullies? Brad Macrimmon could really belt guys too. Guys like Horton, Baun, Gadsby, Howe, Lindasy, etc. have all been mentioned, but Leo Labine was another from that era who could lay on a pretty good hit, especially for his size. Steve Durbano and Bob and Barclay Plager were pretty good at dishing out hits too.
 

Wetcoaster

Guest
Bruins in the 50's had a lot of good hitters. Along with Boivan, add Flaman & bucyk

Lets also not forget Gadsby, of the Hawks, Rangers & Wings= Had a great hip check
I go with the pundits who consider the Gadsby hit on Horton to be the single most punishing hit in NHL history. I mentioned in a post above - #47.
 

byrne14

Registered User
Jun 18, 2007
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Stevens or Potvin.Did anyone see the top ten scott stevens hits on sportcentre?WOW!!!
 

Sensfanman

Registered User
Jan 27, 2006
10,184
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Los Angeles, CA
Scott Stevens is #1 IMO, on to top 50 most devasting hits of all sport (Best Damn's), Stevens was on at least 3 times, I think maybe even 5, I don't think anyone else was more than once. Lindros did have the highest ranked hockey hit though, I think 9th overall.
 

Wisent

Registered User
Nov 15, 2003
3,667
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Mannheim
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that i watched regularly these guys stand out for different reasons...

standard hits:
wendall clark
claude lemieux (dirty or not... ask chris draper's face if it feels good to be hit by him)
scott stevens
cam neely
bob probert/clark gilles
dale hunter/mike eagles
bill berg
crazy legs macoun

hip checkers/low bridgers - i hate this style of hitting but it's legal
brian marchment
ulf samuelsen(sic)
don sweeny

current guys...
chris neil
mike komisarek
robyn regehr (sic)
derek boogard
ethan moreau
mike fisher
brown of the kings (dustin?)
steve begin
mike grier
beauchemin
iginla

What do you hate ybout low checks? I actually prefer them to the borderline legal hits. A great hipcheck is a treat to watch.
 

arrbez

bad chi
Jun 2, 2004
13,352
261
Toronto
Scott Stevens is #1 IMO, on to top 50 most devasting hits of all sport (Best Damn's), Stevens was on at least 3 times, I think maybe even 5, I don't think anyone else was more than once. Lindros did have the highest ranked hockey hit though, I think 9th overall.

Was it the one where he pancaked Andreas Dackell, or when he trucked that guy at the Olympics?
 

Bruinster*

Guest
IMO Denis Potvin, Scott Stevens too. Dave Langevin was a monster in his good days with the Islanders.

Cam Neely and Eric Lindros were the best forward.
 

Boris Le Tigre

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Jan 9, 2007
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What do you hate ybout low checks? I actually prefer them to the borderline legal hits. A great hipcheck is a treat to watch.

like you say i appreciate a great hip check... i'm referring more to the low-bridgish ones... a hip check for me absolutely must be delivered hi on the opposing players thighs, or hip on hip/waist... rob blake can throw some nice clean ones in my opinion...

the lower these hits get the more dangerous they become (ass to knee, or a player who lands on his head from helicoptering)... when i played minor hockey these hits were what hits to the head are now... pretty much a guaranteed fight.

i would prefer someone challenge the person their checking shoulder to shoulder that's all... i also like the littler guys who hit with their hips first, but then follow through with their shoulder after they've knocked the guy off balance with the hip....
Claude Lemieux was a master of this style.
 

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