NHL penalty minutes

(STACKER) – The NHL is one of the last professional sports leagues that tolerates fighting, and its history of players throwing punches in the league goes back at least a century. According to Forbes, there were 2,842 NHL games with a fight from 2010-19—about one-fifth of all games.

OLBG researched the National Hockey League’s all-time leaders in penalty minutes using Sports Reference’s Stathead tool to see which have racked up the most penalty minutes in NHL history.

The traditional definition of an enforcer is a player who averaged fewer than eight minutes per game and more than 1.2 penalty minutes per game. For most of NHL history, teams employed bigger and more physical players to protect smaller and more skilled scorers. But fights have been decreasing for over a decade, which is why enforcers are not as common anymore.

One of the main reasons scraps are down is that the NHL introduced a salary cap in 2005, making it harder to carry players lacking in offensive skill. As a result, no player on the top 10 list for all-time penalty minutes played after the 2005 lockout.

20. Chris Neil

– Position: Right wing
– Years active: 2001-02 to 2016-17
– Total penalty minutes: 2,522
– Teams: Ottawa

19.GaryRoberts

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1986-87 to 2008-09
– Total penalty minutes: 2,560
– Teams: Carolina, Calgary, Florida, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Toronto

18. Matthew Barnaby

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1992-93 to 2006-07
– Total penalty minutes: 2,562
– Teams: Buffalo, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay

17. Gino Odjick

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1990-91 to 2001-02
– Total penalty minutes: 2,567
– Teams: Montreal, New York Islanders, Philadelphia, Vancouver

16. Willi Plett

– Position: Right wing
– Years active: 1975-76 to 1987-88
– Total penalty minutes: 2,570
– Teams: Atlanta Flames, Boston, Calgary, Minnesota North Stars

15. Donald Brashear

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1993-94 to 2009-10
– Total penalty minutes: 2,634
– Teams: Montreal, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Washington

14.Scott Stevens

– Location: Defense
– Years active: 1982-83 to 2003-04
– Total penalty minutes: 2,785
– Teams: New Jersey, St Louis, Washington

13. Dave Manson

– Location: Defense
– Years active: 1986-87 to 2001-02
– Total penalty minutes: 2,792
– Teams: Chicago, Dallas, Edmonton, Montreal, Phoenix, Toronto, Winnipeg

12. Chris Chelios

– Location: Defense
– Years active: 1983-84 to 2009-10
– Total penalty minutes: 2,891
– Teams: Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal

11. Pat Verbeek

– Position: center
– Years active: 1982-83 to 2001-02
– Total penalty minutes: 2,905
– Teams: Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, New Jersey, New York Rangers

10.Rick Tocchet

– Position: Right wing
– Years active: 1984-85 to 2001-02
– Total penalty minutes: 2,970
– Teams: Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington

9. Chris Nilan

– Position: Right wing
– Years active: 1979-80 to 1991-92
– Total penalty minutes: 3,043
– Teams: Boston, Montreal, New York Rangers

8. Tim Hunter

– Location: Defense
– Years active: 1981-82 to 1996-97
– Total penalty minutes: 3,146
– Teams: Calgary, Quebec, San Jose, Vancouver

7. Craig Berube

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1986-87 to 2002-03
– Total penalty minutes: 3,149
– Teams: Calgary, New York Islanders, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington

6.Rob Ray

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1989-90 to 2003-04
– Total penalty minutes: 3,207
– Teams: Buffalo, Ottawa

5. Bob Probert

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1985-86 to 2001-02
– Total penalty minutes: 3,300
– Teams: Chicago, Detroit

4. Marty McSorley

– Location: Defense
– Years active: 1983-84 to 1999-00
– Total penalty minutes: 3,381
– Teams: Boston, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, San Jose

3. Tie Domi

– Position: Right wing
– Years active: 1989-90 to 2005-06
– Total penalty minutes: 3.515
– Teams: New York Rangers, Toronto, Winnipeg

2. DaleHunter

– Position: Center
– Years active: 1980-81 to 1998-99
– Total penalty minutes: 3,565
– Teams: Colorado, Quebec, Washington

1.Tiger Williams

– Position: Left wing
– Years active: 1974-75 to 1987-88
– Total penalty minutes: 3,971
– Teams: Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver