NHL Draft History: Ranked The 5 Best Fighters In NHL

The NHL Draft is an annual event where NHL teams select eligible players who can join their organization. NHL teams select players, with the order of selection determined by a combination of factors, including the teams’ regular season performance and their position in the NHL drafts lottery.

NHL History

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Founded in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA), the NHL is considered the premier professional ice hockey league in the world and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), founded in 1909. NHL, the NHL Shield, and the word mark NHL Winter Classic are registered trademarks. NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star Game logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL GameCenter Live, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Mobile name and logo, and NHL Radio name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL.com is the official website of the National Hockey League. NHL ice hockey draft history is the profile of every first-round NHL pick from 1917 to today.

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Ranking of Players by their games

 

The NHL draft is an annual event where NHL teams select eligible players who can join their organization. NHL teams select players, with the order of selection determined by a combination of factors, including the teams’ regular season performance and their position in the NHL draft lottery. Here is some ranking of players by their games:

1. Dave Schultz

Dave Schultz, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1971, is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in NHL history.

Schultz racked up an astounding 3,563 penalty minutes in just 608 career games. His career-high for penalty minutes in a season was 472, which he achieved with the Flyers in 1974-75. Schultz’s fighting prowess was such that the Flyers even hired him as a “goon” to protect their star players.

2. Craig Berube

Craig Berube, selected by the St. Louis Blues in 1986, is another player who is considered to be one of the best fighters in NHL history. Berube racked up 2,452 penalty minutes in his 1,054 career games. He also had 11 seasons with at least 200 penalty minutes.

3. Joey Kocur

Joey Kocur ranked players by their games played through age 34. Kocur only played in 824 NHL games, but he was a very effective player, especially during his time with the New York Rangers. He fought 217 times in his NHL career. He is currently a development coach with the Rangers. 

 

4. Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings

Rob Blake was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He played his entire 20-year career with the Kings, serving as their captain for 14 seasons. He was a member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2012 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

Blake is the  Kings’ all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points by a defenseman. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game six times and was a First Team All-Star on three occasions. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 1998.

5. Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings

Gordie Howe is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NHL history. He played for the Detroit Red Wings for 26 seasons, winning four Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Howe is the Red Wings’ all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game 23 times and was a First Team All-Star 12 times. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP six times and the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer once.

Conclusion

The NHL draft is an important event in the hockey world, as it is the opportunity for teams to select the best young players from across the globe and add them to their rosters. It is also a time for fans to get excited about the future of their favorite teams. The draft has been around for over 100 years, and it has produced some of the greatest players in NHL history.