Hardest Hitters of All Time?

[Bhrangerfan0809]

Who are some of the hardest hitting hockey players of all time (not just NHL)?

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[tjcurrie]

Scott Stevens comes to mind first and foremost

Eric Lindros
Derian Hatcher
Wendel Clark
Denis Potvin
Larry Robinson
Rob Blake

Just a quick few who pop in my head

 

[PepperoniSlapshot*]

I would say Alex Ovechkin and Shane Doan are two of the hardest hitters in the NHL the past 10 years

 

[Killion]

Bill Gadsby

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Vladimir Konstantinov

Darius Kasparaitus

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

Some nasty guys from the 20s and 30s:

Sprague Cleghorn
Eddie Shore
Red Horner

 

[crobro]

Leo Boivin

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

A few others not mentioned yet:

"Bad" Joe Hall
"Black" Jack Stewart
Fern Flaman
Bryan Hextall, Sr
Ching Johnson
Ed Van Impe

_________________

From coach's polls in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s:

Barclay Plager - rated best bodychecker in 1971 and 1974

Barry Beck - rated hardest hitter in 1981

Denis Potvin - best bodychecker in 1979, 2nd best in 1984, 3rd best in 1976. 2nd hardest hitter in 1981

Larry Robinson - 2nd best bodychecker in 1976

Scott Stevens - Rated best bodychecker in 1984, 2nd best bodychecker in 1993 and 1994

Mark Tinordi - Rated best bodychecker in 1993

Eric Lindros - Rated best bodychecker in 1994

_________________

1965 coach's poll:

Hardest Hitter
1. Bobby Baun
2. Leo Boivin
3. Ted Green

In a 1958 Coach's poll, Boivin was 1st, Pierre Pilote was 2nd

 

[Terry Yake]

stevens
lindros
konstantinov
kasparaitis

 

[jcbio11]

Zdeno Chara needs to be mentioned. Wrecks people in corners.

 

[Primary Assist]

On D there's Pronger and Big Buff

For forwards John LeClair and Owen Nolan were nasty at taking out opposing d-men into the corners

 

[kabidjan18]

Many if not most journalists and fans think the best hitter in the past decade is Niklas Kronwall and this list is helplessly amiss if we don't at least mention him. Just recently broke Mark Letesu's jaw .

 

[Boreal01]

Scott Stevens
Eric Lindros
Larry Robinson
Chris Pronger
Wendel Clark
Denis Potvin
Carlo Colaiacovo
Ed Van Impe
Raffi Torres
Bryan Marchment

First players that come to mind

 

[BLNY]

Kaboom!


And clean!

 

[double5son10]

Some great bodycheckers not yet mentioned:
Bob Gainey
Johnny Bucyk
Valeri Vasiliev
Terry O'Reilly
Clark Gillies
Bryan Trottier
Guy Lapointe
Murray Wilson
Mark Messier
Steve Smith
Ray Bourque
Cam Neely
Kirk Muller
Adam Graves
Rob Pearson
Curt Giles

and a couple of under the radar hitters:
Doug Jarvis
Bernie Nichols

 

[yukoner88]

Kaboom!



And clean!

fixed for you

 

[Big Phil]

I think one could argue Stevens cracks this list at #1.

Lindros would be a very close second. Let's forget that Stevens got him in 2000 and remember that players would try and check HIM and he'd stand them up and they would be flat on their butts. He was a like a wall his first few years in the league.

Wendel Clark is a good bet here too, for a smaller guy you could argue pound for pound no one was better.

I'm going to say Tim Horton as another name.

I know I'll get grilled for this but there was a time where you would put Dion Phaneuf among the best in the game in recent years. Not sure how he does from an all-time standpoint though but remember this hit?

How can you just send a person flying like that? Geesh. I wish Phaneuf would do that more often.

 

[Crosbyfan]

A few others not mentioned yet:

"Bad" Joe Hall
"Black" Jack Stewart
Fern Flaman
Bryan Hextall, Sr
Ching Johnson
Ed Van Impe

_________________

From coach's polls in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s:

Barclay Plager - rated best bodychecker in 1971 and 1974

Barry Beck - rated hardest hitter in 1981

Denis Potvin - best bodychecker in 1979, 2nd best in 1984, 3rd best in 1976. 2nd hardest hitter in 1981

Larry Robinson - 2nd best bodychecker in 1976

Scott Stevens - Rated best bodychecker in 1984, 2nd best bodychecker in 1993 and 1994

Mark Tinordi - Rated best bodychecker in 1993

Eric Lindros - Rated best bodychecker in 1994

_________________

1965 coach's poll:

Hardest Hitter
1. Bobby Baun
2. Leo Boivin
3. Ted Green

In a 1958 Coach's poll, Boivin was 1st, Pierre Pilote was 2nd

Always considered him more of a skilled D than a big hitter. Was really not that big, even for back then.

 

[tjcurrie]

Curt Giles

Mark Tinordi - Rated best bodychecker in 1993

______________

1965 coach's poll:

Hardest Hitter
1. Bobby Baun
2. Leo Boivin
3. Ted Green

In a 1958 Coach's poll, Boivin was 1st, Pierre Pilote was 2nd

Couple guys I can't believe didn't pop in my head right away, Giles and Tinordi.

Lou Nanne ranks Leo Boivin as the best bodychecker in North Stars history in his book -
"He hit you the hardest and hurt you the most. He was maybe 5 feet 8 inches tall, but he weighed about 200. He was built like a fireplug, and his checks caused a lot of pain."

 

[Hobnobs]

 

[Sens Rule]

I am a Sens fan. I don't know if Chris Neil is the best body checker ever.... But in a recent thread Neil was said to have the 2nd most hits since the 2004/05 lockout. That's the stat.

Hits stats are not the most reliable... But in this modern era... Since 05. Neil has no suspensions and a ridiculous number of hits. Hard hits, clean hits, hits that injured.

I would class Stevens, Neely, Wendel, Lindros as the biggest and best hitters of my lifetime of watching hockey. (Since the mid 80's).

But in the 'NEW' NHL is their a better and more relentless bigtime hitter then Chris Neil? I am not sure there is... And we are a full decade into this new less hitting, less fighting, no headshot era of the NHL.

I have to say Chris Neil is worth more them just a mere mention here in this thread. And I am biased.... So take it as what you will.

 

[BenchBrawl]

A few others not mentioned yet:

"Bad" Joe Hall
"Black" Jack Stewart
Fern Flaman
Bryan Hextall, Sr
Ching Johnson
Ed Van Impe

Then we came a long way from the time I struggled to ocnvince people Hextall Sr. was at least adequate as a physical element on a ATD 2nd line, nevermind one of the hardest hitter of all-time.

 

[Terrier]

Scott Stevens comes to mind first and foremost

Eric Lindros
Derian Hatcher
Wendel Clark
Denis Potvin
Larry Robinson
Rob Blake

Just a quick few who pop in my head

Larry Robinson on Gary Dornhoefer, so hard it split the boards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKd4HJNSbQg

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Then we came a long way from the time I struggled to ocnvince people Hextall Sr. was at least adequate as a physical element on a ATD 2nd line, nevermind one of the hardest hitter of all-time.

Yeah, well, you didn't find this:

 

[BraveCanadian]

Yeah, well, you didn't find this:

That is a good find