Top 10 NHL Goons/Enforcers Of All Time

It’s a shame, but the goon/enforcer role in the game of hockey is diminishing rapidly, if not already gone.

So it’s time to reminisce about the past and give a list of the top ten NHL goons of all time.

Number 10: Matt Martin

This one might be a little bit of recency bias due to the fact that I grew up watching this guy play the way he does.

Matt Martin is a big time physical presence for the New York Islanders and has been for many years.

Martin suits up to not go and score goals, but to frustrate the opponent and get underneath their skin, which is what an enforcer does.

Martin has been suspended once in his career for kneeing an opposing defenseman.

He starts us off at ten.

Number 9: Raffi Torres

Torres was known as one of the biggest headhunters in the league.

Back in 2012 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Torres earned himself a 21 game suspension due to a hit on Marian Hossa, leaving him unconscious.

In a game during the 2015 preseason, Torres was called for an illegal hit on Ducks’ forward Jakob Silfverberg and was suspended for a total of 41 games.

Raffi Torres had a long history of dirty plays and was suspended a total of five times during his 12 year career.

Number 8: Sean Avery

Many people remember that Sean Avery was one of the most obnoxious players in the league on the ice and off the ice during his playing career.

Avery led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2003-04 and 2005-06 and was suspended a full season in 2008 for comments he made off the ice.

Avery was obviously never shy to throw the body around whether it was clean or an absolute cheap shot.

All the antics would drive other players in the league crazy and that is why Sean Avery gets the number eight spot.

Number 7: Matt Cooke

Matt Cooke may have a great case for being the dirtiest player in NHL history.

Cooke always seemed to find himself getting in trouble with the league at least a couple times every season.

His forte was basically to hit other players in the head and created the term, “Matt Cooke elbow”.

Just go ask Marc Savard, the guy who missed two months of the 2010 season after Cooke knocked him out with a blind-side hit to the head.

Cooke was suspended multiple times in his career for hits to the head and knee on knee collisions, I’ll give him number seven.

Number 6: Claude Lemieux

Ahhh yes, Claude Lemieux.

Lemieux was a very good, skilled player and was a great leader in the locker room as well.

He carried around a very questionable reputation for some serious hits he delivered throughout the course of his career.

Lemieux is best known for his cheap shot on Chris Draper during the 1996 Western Conference Finals, where Draper broke his nose, jaw, cheekbone and also left him with a concussion and nerve damage.

Lemieux finished his career with 18 postseason appearances and four Stanley Cups.

Number 5: Todd Bertuzzi

Todd Bertuzzi is considered to be a goon due to an incident where he sucker punched Steve Moore from behind, which ultimately caused Moore to have to retire.

Bertuzzi was suspended from the NHL for 17 months and pleaded guilty to criminal assault charges causing bodily harm.

He was suspended twice by the NHL over the course of his career and is one of the biggest goons to ever play.

Number 4: Chris Simon

Very few players are more vicious than Chris Simon was when he laced up his skates.

Simon earned not one, but two 25 game suspensions in his career, which are two of the longest in league history and was suspended a total of eight times by the NHL.

His first major suspension came when he was playing for the New York Islanders and took a two handed swing at Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers.

Chris Simon had 305 career points throughout 782 games played in his NHL career and is considered to be one of the biggest goons in league history.

Number 3: Tie Domi

Domi is known as one of the all-time tough guys in NHL history.

The guy fought basically everyone that got in his way and that included fighting a fan in the penalty box one time.

Domi played 16 years in the league and ranks third all time in penalty minutes.

Domi also had over 330 fights over the course of his career and threw elbows around left and right.

Number 2: Bob Probert

I was really debating putting Bob Probert in the number one slot but here he is at two.

Probert was known for his physical force, fighting and was known as one half of the “Bruise Brothers” alongside Joey Kocur. Probert ranks fifth all time in penalty minutes.

Probert actually chipped in offensively during his time with a career high 29 goals in the 1987-88 season and was one of the most dominant fighters of all time.

Number 1: Marty McSorley

Marty McSorley is one of the most feared enforcers of all time.

McSorley was once suspended 23 games and served 18 months of probation for assaulting fellow goon Donald Brashear with his stick during a game.

McSorley had 359 career points in 961 games played to go along with his 3381 minutes spent in the box.

This guy gets the number one spot just based on the fear of his opponents.

Austin Moran is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acm6506@psu.edu.