Who's the Toughest Goon in NHL History?

[IComeInPeace]

I remember you well. I will PM you my handle there since I went by my real name. That was the first social media site I joined.

We did recycle topics to death that’s for sure.

I remember you as well!
It was also the first social media site I joined as well.

I PM’ed you.

 

[Snuggs]

Bob Probert. - Dominate, plus useful.
Joey Kocur. - Maybe the hardest hitting player ever.
Tie Domi. - Possibly the toughest guy on this list.
Stu Grimson. - A real monster... 6'5, 240-250lbs.
Rob Ray. - Got rules changed because of him. Domi/Ray had like 10 plus fights.

 

[HairyKneel]

Link Gaetz is 100 % the baddest prick to play the game. He had some issues obviously and an accident. Fact is if ANYONE in the tricities or Maple Ridge- Mission in the 84-88 range of playing hockey at even a rep level, you aware of him. He was a big strong skating skilled player as a Bantam and a Midget. But he was nuts at 15. I have friends who are friends and cousins who know him way better. I did watch him open the door with some dudes some at Tommy's in Haney while Pat was giving him a tryout with Canucks in 1995.

Bob Gassoff is next toughest. These guys would wipe their ass with the regular choices.

Link was 22 when he post those tilts with Bobby and Joe. He would have evened those scores.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

The missing Link

Did he play much in the NHL?

 

[NVious]

Lane Hutson once beat up Chara, Semenko and Reaves in one period.

 

[Javaman]

Has anyone consulted the obituaries to see who died as a result of CTE?

 

[Ossific]

I don't know why but I thought Steve McIntyre was an absolute beast

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Lane Hutson once beat up Chara, Semenko and Reaves in one period.

Burgeoning goon

 

[Mike Liut]

Bob Probert. - Dominate, plus useful.
Joey Kocur. - Maybe the hardest hitting player ever.
Tie Domi. - Possibly the toughest guy on this list.
Stu Grimson. - A real monster... 6'5, 240-250lbs.
Rob Ray. - Got rules changed because of him. Domi/Ray had like 10 plus fights.

Tony Twist wants a word with you

 

[Jumptheshark]

Probert

He was not a goon. He could actually play the game.

For me a good is someone like Chris Nilan or Dave Semanko or Tim Hunter

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Scott Parker

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Not Matthews...

 

[Andrei79]

He was not a goon. He could actually play the game.

For me a good is someone like Chris Nilan or Dave Semanko or Tim Hunter

At his best, Nilan could play. They had him with Carbo and Gainey on one of the best checking lines in the league.

 

[Jumptheshark]

At his best, Nilan could play. They had him with Carbo and Gainey on one of the best checking lines in the league.

I put Nilan in the same category as Dave Tiger Williams

 

[Crosby2010]

Not a fan of calling these guys goons, since the ones I am going to mention could play hockey. But I think this list begins and ends with Probert doesn't it? Hard to not put him at #1.

I'll give a shout out to Wendel Clark, Tie Domi, Stan Jonathan

 

[Nemesis Prime]

Jason Strudwick was pretty legit. Dude was always starting up the lawnmower.

 

[NextGoalIsHuge]

This isn't really a topic I appreciate. I don't like the "goon" term and I genuinely feel for the men put in that roll. Not an easy place to be in, expected to be the "fighter".

With that said, all my heart goes to Gino Odlick. He never backed down, cleared all comers, and made besties with our resident Superstar, Bure.. Not because of the the protection. Rather it was that they both felt like outsiders.

'93-'94 he scored 16 goals.

Was he the greatest goon? Dunno. That's a questionable accolade these days.
I just appreciated him.

The best reasonable answer is Probert. That said, never gonna forget Odjick. RIP.

 

[carjackmalone]

John Kordic

 

[voyageur]

In the non roids era I don't think anyone ever knocked Stan Jonathan down. But I wouldn't call him a goon, he could play hockey. After that it's a tough call. Domi was solid for a guy who didn't have the reach of others.

 

[HairyKneel]

He was not a goon. He could actually play the game.

For me a good is someone like Chris Nilan or Dave Semanko or Tim Hunter

All tough players but not anywhere close to the top

 

[Beukeboom]

Link Gaetz is 100 % the baddest prick to play the game. He had some issues obviously and an accident. Fact is if ANYONE in the tricities or Maple Ridge- Mission in the 84-88 range of playing hockey at even a rep level, you aware of him. He was a big strong skating skilled player as a Bantam and a Midget. But he was nuts at 15. I have friends who are friends and cousins who know him way better. I did watch him open the door with some dudes some at Tommy's in Haney while Pat was giving him a tryout with Canucks in 1995.

Bob Gassoff is next toughest. These guys would wipe their ass with the regular choices.

Link was 22 when he post those tilts with Bobby and Joe. He would have evened those scores.

That's a bit of an understatement. But man, I loved the guy! He could have been the GOAT for sure, and was definitely the craziest guy to ever laze em up.

Best "Goon" of all time would be Probert. and that's on top of being an All Star. Tony Twist might have been the most feared fighter ever. Tie Domi would probably be the toughest. His size disadvantage did not stop him what so ever. Some old-timers might say Dave Brown, he barely lost a fight.

 

[VistamarCroissants]

Tiger Williams perhaps

 

[OVO16]

Colton Orr

 

[57special]

Well, Lionel Conacher won the Canadian light heavyweight Championship, and fought Jack Dempsey, one of the greatest fighters of all time. An absolute freak of an athlete.

Eddie Shore was tough. Also a great player

John Ferguson was a really good fighter.

I always think of tough as a different thing than a goon. Goons barely play, resting themselves for the time till they fight. Tough guys, like Cam Neely, and Gordie Howe, take a regular shift, do it very well, and can take, and dish out, the physical stuff. Those are the guys you win with. The others are circus geeks, cheered on by the masses the bite the heads off their figurative chickens.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

Lot of the tough guys in the late 80s/early 90s always mentioned Jim McKenzie as being the toughest and hardest guy to fight