Strongest player in NHL history

[pappyline]

Hey I was responding to someone saying the reading was totally ridiculous and I was defending Hull, and his strength and I said he had one of the fastest shots ever. You are responding to the wrong post here.

Hull could have the fastest shot of all time and still have the readings be wrong. 118 MPH!?! When with accurate modern speed recorders MacInnis gets readings of 99, 103 and the like? Sorry Hull could well have the fastest shot ever but those recordings are 10-15 MPH too fast to be credible.

Still believe that it is entirely possible that those readings were correct. Hull was called the 'perfect muscular mesomorph" by the Sports college of Canada back in the early 60's. I may be wrong but I think that LLoyd Percival did this testing back in the 60's. He wrote "The Hockey Handbook" and was away ahead of the times on fitness & testing of hockey players. I am sure he tested others. I know he worked with Detroit so I am sure he tested others such as Gordie Howe. Does anyone out there have Percival's book or more info on this?

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Hull's shot was 15 mph faster than the next best today. Someone else in this thread mentioned that the strong players could get a lot of leverage out of wooden sticks. In any event, there is no question that he had the hardest shot of his era. Just ask Bower, Hall, Plante, Worsely, Tretiak etc, etc.

By the way he was also recorded in excess of 29mph skating which I also believe is the highest recorded skating speed.

Also his toughness was second to none. Fought John Ferguson when he had a broken jaw (shows what an a**hole Ferguson really was" )

Yes, I am a Bobby fan.

 

[BigStar]

And don't get me started on that ***** Bertuzzi! He is a big weenie! I could kick the crapo out of him, and I'm 5' 11", 177lbs.!

i would pay to see this! you would lose

 

[ClassicHockey]

I'm sure that the readings on Hull's slapshots were accurate. There were quite a few devices set up in the 60's to measure the speed of hockey shots. The Canadian National Exhibition had one on display.

Interesting that you mention Lloyd Pervival because he was way ahead of his time and he really wasn't taken very seriously in Canada until after the 1972 Canada-Russia series. Its been said that Anatoli Tarasov, the great Russian coach, was a disciple of Percival's 'Hockey Handbook' and Percival's work may be covered in the CBC's new 10-part history of hockey series now in production ('Hockey-A People's History) and the companion book.

Its about time that Percival received some credit.

Still believe that it is entirely possible that those readings were correct. Hull was called the 'perfect muscular mesomorph" by the Sports college of Canada back in the early 60's. I may be wrong but I think that LLoyd Percival did this testing back in the 60's. He wrote "The Hockey Handbook" and was away ahead of the times on fitness & testing of hockey players. I am sure he tested others. I know he worked with Detroit so I am sure he tested others such as Gordie Howe. Does anyone out there have Percival's book or more info on this?

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Hull's shot was 15 mph faster than the next best today. Someone else in this thread mentioned that the strong players could get a lot of leverage out of wooden sticks. In any event, there is no question that he had the hardest shot of his era. Just ask Bower, Hall, Plante, Worsely, Tretiak etc, etc.

By the way he was also recorded in excess of 29mph skating which I also believe is the highest recorded skating speed.

Also his toughness was second to none. Fought John Ferguson when he had a broken jaw (shows what an a**hole Ferguson really was" )

Yes, I am a Bobby fan.

 

[ClassicHockey]

The three physically strongest players in the 60's (in a poll of the players) were that Howe, Hull and Horton were the three that were a cut above the rest.

Gordie Howe used his strength to ward off checkers and together with his meanness, got a lot of room on the ice. Actually, Howe's sneaky elbows and viscious stick work made him virtually untouchable on the ice.

Bobby Hull had the strength but didn't have the meanness which would have helped him achieve even greater heights. But Hull could be provoked as John Ferguson found out in their first fight (Hull didn't have a broken jaw then).

Macleans Magazine in the 60's ran a photo of a shirtless Hull baling hay to reveal his physique.

Tim Horton, like Hull, wasn't mean on the ice either but still effectively used his strength. John Ferguson challenged a lot of players but would not fight Tim Horton.

There are quite a few stories about Horton's feats of strength.

Gordie Howe, easily

Bobby Hull. He must have been tough to kick John Ferguson's *** after Fergie knocked his mask off (for his broken jaw). Fergie was thought to be pretty tough, but...

Chara? Huh??? He's a wimp! Are you people nuts?

And don't get me started on that ***** Bertuzzi! He is a big weenie! I could kick the crapo out of him, and I'm 5' 11", 177lbs.! Did anyone see him nonight? Not even Don Cherry could stick up for him! Even "chicken Swedes" show more guts than this puss! Go back to jail, Bert! You are an embarassment to hockey players!

 

[revolverjgw]

118.3 mph slapshot... that's about as believable as some guy saying he ran the 100 meters in 8.8 seconds, but has no way to prove it.

That said, I can definitely buy Hull's shot being as hard as anybody's today and I bet you could take him straight out of the 60's and he'd still be a star.

 

[VanIslander]

The NHL's all-time leader in PIMs... Tiger Williams

he took on the best enforcers and won their respect (O'Reilly, Semenko)... nobody's tougher

and averaged 20 goals a year too

 

[Mr. Hab]

Ron Francis

Ron "the brain" Francis for his mental/thinking strength (brain power!!).


I know! I know! Wrong thread!!

 

[Big Phil]

I think guy's are underestimating Bobby Hull here. He was a farm boy tried and true. And he was built like a body builder even to today's standards. Just because MacInnis and Iafrate never hit 118mph doesnt mean Hull did. Someone sadi that if he shot that hard than someone woudl get seriously hurt! What and a 99mph shot wouldnt? Come on. Hull would probably still be the strongest in the NHl today and the best goal scorer. Sure players are faster and bigger and stroner but there are exceptions.

Also an earlier post had Peter Statsny as one of the strongest guys. I love Statsny, great all-time player but he was never knwon for his strength.

 

[Zine]

I think guy's are underestimating Bobby Hull here. He was a farm boy tried and true. And he was built like a body builder even to today's standards. Just because MacInnis and Iafrate never hit 118mph doesnt mean Hull did. Someone sadi that if he shot that hard than someone woudl get seriously hurt! What and a 99mph shot wouldnt? Come on. Hull would probably still be the strongest in the NHl today and the best goal scorer. Sure players are faster and bigger and stroner but there are exceptions.

.....and 40 years from now we're all going to be saying how Ovechkin was made of steel, skated 50mph, and shot the puck 140mph.

Hull was an absolutely sick player, but he was awsome for HIS era.
Heck, Hull was only 5-10 191. No matter how ripped he was, that's still really small for a player of today. Sergei Samsonov, Jason Blake, Slava Kozlov and Mark Recchi are that exact same size.

I don't care how built Hull was, I have a hard time believing that a guy 5-10, a buck ninety is going to be stronger than some of today's 230-250 pound beasts; all of whome are also in perfect physical condition.

 

[kmad]

Little wimpy ol' Dominic Moore laid his *** out the other day...

Moore tipped him over when he was off balance

Doesn't detract from his freakish amount of upper body strength

 

[Crosbyfan]

I think guy's are underestimating Bobby Hull here. He was a farm boy tried and true. And he was built like a body builder even to today's standards. Just because MacInnis and Iafrate never hit 118mph doesnt mean Hull did. Someone sadi that if he shot that hard than someone woudl get seriously hurt! What and a 99mph shot wouldnt? Come on. Hull would probably still be the strongest in the NHl today and the best goal scorer. Sure players are faster and bigger and stroner but there are exceptions.

Also an earlier post had Peter Statsny as one of the strongest guys. I love Statsny, great all-time player but he was never knwon for his strength.

As I said earlier 118 may not be far off. How much harder can a golfer hit a ball with a full swing? I don't think anyone practises full (close to golf range) wind ups today. How often are they practical? Hull simply had the power and technique in his prime to shoot harder than anyone today. I wonder if anyone has footage of his full wind up shots? Someone mentioned baseball. How much faster is the blade of a stick moving than the ball in the hand prior to release? Also heavier sticks are an advantage. Maybe not for playing but certainly for a slapshot. Try driving with a golf club that weighs half as much.
That said, I can't blame someone for being skeptical if they never saw him shoot. 15% more velocity requires about a third more energy but I would suggest Hull's shot was closer to 118 than 103.

 

[DaveBrown21]

I'm surprised no one mentioned this guy...my vote goes to Tony Twist.

 

[Goodwith Sticks]

All time? Clark Gillies without a doubt. Pure human strength and physical ability, this guy takes it for sure IMO

 

[Alan Jackson]

I don't know where or if he ranks in the all-time list, but Dave Babych was just really, really powerful.

It's a good thing he didn't fight, because I think he could have done some damage.

 

[Ensane]

I remember reading an article about Scott Stevens when he was a rookie with the Caps and they were talking about how the guy was off the chart physically. They had him in for some tests in camp and there was a pushup or situp station and I swear they said he hit like 500 or so without stopping before they finally told him to just move on the the next exercise. I don't know about where you're from, but any guy who can bang out 500 pushups in a row is pretty darn strong in my neighborhood. I would kinda say it translated on to his play on the ice as well...

I'm not saying that Stevens isn't a truck, because he is, but 500 pushups huh? Honestly, think about that for a second. Yeah, if the story is true, it's situps.

Tony Twist

He was the first name that came to mind when I saw the thread title. I didn't bring him up because the thread starter meant "hockey strength" rather than pure muscle. I wouldn't be surprised if Twist could hit 500 on the bench in his prime. I saw an interview with him where he curled a full-sized straight bar with a 45 on each side with ease, while practically talking to the reporter. Some hinted that he might have dabbled in the juice, I never bought in to that.

As for the guy who brought up Brind'amour, it's well known that he certainly is one of the fittest players in the NHL all-time. His workout regimine is top notch. I'd love to hear specifics on it though...

Hockey strength:
-Bure and Malakhov have always been known for having ridiculously strong legs, therefore great, hard, fast skaters.
-Definitely Bertuzzi
-Forsberg
-Jason Allison before his injuries was as good as anyone in the current NHL at holding his balance
-Jagr
-Lindros in his MVP-type years

 

[ryz]

It's all about Joel Otto!

 

[Wetcoaster]

I heard an interview with Bobby Hull several years back and his pick for the strongest player in the NHL was Tim Horton and his runner-up was Gordie Howe.

Horton was famous for the "Horton Bearhug" where in a fight he clamped down on an opposing player's arms and ended the altercation.

A young Darryl Sittler ran afoul of Horton after Horton had been traded from the Leafs.

Darryl Sittler, who would go on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career as one of the popular Maple Leaf captains ever, was just a rookie in the fall of 1970 when Toronto visited the Rangers in New York.

Tim Horton, who had been a fixture on the Toronto blueline for 18 seasons, had been traded to New York the previous March, and it was Toronto's first visit to Manhattan since then. Naturally, the veterans spent a large part of the day telling stories of Horton's legendary feats of strength.

"I figured it was about 50-per-cent truth, and 50-per-cent exaggeration", Sittler recalled. "That night I got to find out for myself."

A fight broke out between Jim Harrison and a Ranger player, and soon everyone had paired off. Sittler was standing with his gloves off near Horton when he saw one of his teammates in a bad position. He moved to the aid of his fellow Leaf when Horton casually reached out and grabbed him by the arm, squeezing the biceps between the thumb and forefinger.

"The kind of thing your father might do when you were six or seven years old," Sittler recalled. "With about the same result; my arm went numb."

"You really don't want to go anywhere, kid," Horton said very gently. Sittler agreed, surprised that a 41 year-old senior citizen could tame a strapping, healthy 20 year-old professional athlete with just thumb and forefinger.

"If Tim Horton had an Austrian accent, he would have been Arnold Schwarzenegger." Sittler, himself long sice retired, starts most days with a coffee and a muffin, and a reminder of the incident, at his neighborhood Tim Horton's doughnut shop.

http://www.hockeyresearch.com/jwood/bios/tim_horton.htm

Jean Beliveau's picks in addition to Horton are Gordie Howe, Butch Bouchard and Bobby Hull.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

.....and 40 years from now we're all going to be saying how Ovechkin was made of steel, skated 50mph, and shot the puck 140mph.

Well yeah, because all those things are true, except of course for the steel part. It's actually adamantium.

Anyway, the REAL answer to the question is obviously Dustin Rose.

 

[c-carp]

Tony Twist and Brent Severyn were guys who were very strong.

 

[jamiebez]

There's been a lot said and written about Hull's slap shot, but, apart from hearsay, no real evidence to prove he could shoot 118-120mph. (When and where did it happen? Recorded by whom?)

I actually read it once in a Guinness Book of World Records. It was recorded at 118 mph - the only question of its veracity is the faultiness of the equipment or the trustworthiness of the people capturing the event, both of which seem a little nit-picky to me.

As has been said elsewhere, he used a full backswing and had a curved blade that would be illegal today. It's akin to giving John Daly an illegal club or ball and seeing what he could do off the tee.

I think a lot of this 118 mph controversy is that people refuse to believe something unless they see it with their own two eyes, and a lot of us are too young to have seen the guy play. But really, is it so inconceivable that the guy with the hardest shot ever didn't play after 1980? We might never see another 200-point season again either - that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

[revolverjgw]

But really, is it so inconceivable that the guy with the hardest shot ever didn't play after 1980?

Nobody doubts that Hull was a freak. I think he very well might have had the hardest shot ever. But 118mph, I think that's an absurd figure, even moreso in light of the contemporaneous Sports Illustrated article somebody here dug up earlier. Monsters like Al Iafrate and Al MacInnis struggled to get the puck to, say, 105mph, and I'm supposed to believe a guy shot the puck about THIRTEEN mph faster? There ain't no heavy wooden stick and there ain't no massive bales of hay to make up THAT kind of difference.

When you get up to the early 100s, you've really gotta dig deep just to add a couple of MPH to the speed. Some guys can shoot 100mph no problem, maybe they can hit 102 regularly if they really nail it, but to get the puck to go just a couple of MPH faster, you've really got to make an epic shot, you've got to channel and then unleash the wrath of God. It, like, practically never happens. To shoot 13 miles per hour faster... oh man, I can't believe a black hole didn't open up at the point of impact and swallow up the rink!

We might never see another 200-point season again either - that doesn't mean it didn't happen

A 200 point season happened because the rules, conditions and style of play were different. In the future, we'll be able to prove that Gretzky was able to rack up so many points and we'll have numbers and figures to illustrate that he was playing in a VERY high scoring era. The Slapshot of Supreme Annihilation is a totally different beast. Legends like that can't be proven, because... well, they most likely didn't happen. All signs point to ''BS''.

That said, yeah, I can accept the idea that Hull might have had the hardest shot ever. But let's be realistic. That SI article from '65 suggested that his slapshot was... 23mph slower than the legend. Not surprising. I think he shot harder than 95, but there's no way he added 23mph to his total after 1965.

 

[The Tourettes Guy]

Ales Hemsky by far.

 

[Daily Special]

The first few lists sound right to me.

Side Note: I once heard Martin Lapointe benchpressed more than the average NFL linebacker, don't know how much that is (400 lbs?) but considering your stipulation "translates to scoring", It's moot.

 

[Ensane]

The first few lists sound right to me.

Side Note: I once heard Martin Lapointe benchpressed more than the average NFL linebacker, don't know how much that is (400 lbs?) but considering your stipulation "translates to scoring", It's moot.

I hadn't heard an actual figure, but I know Lapointe has massive upper body strength. It's not surprising that he could hit 400, he's a smaller guy with shorter arms--which makes hitting a higher number easier.

 

[Geese_Howard*]

jagr is as strong as a deer on skates, this guy cant be moved