This question came to mind as I read about Tie Domi’s dirty hit on ESPN’s Web site.
I always kind of liked Bob Probert.
Vladimir Konstantinov, of course. Before the accident.
Not just a goon, but ugly to boot. Ugly WITHOUT any help from a mullet. I hate those goons who have you wondering “Is that a ponytail, or 7” of back hair coming out of the top of his jersey?"
Dennis Bonvie. Played a handful of NHL games with the Oilers and Penguins, now currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. I have pictures all over my wall of him fighting people, along with a personalized autograph (he’s really actually a nice guy). I’ve also got his name and number on a jersey.
Tie Domi, hands down. My favorite hockey goon/ass kicker. Saw him pick a fight with the much larger Kryztopf Oliwa and then beat the crap out of him. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this story before, but it can’t hurt to say it again . . . When Tie Domi was growing up his favorite player was Bobby Clarke. So he decided to be like his hero and decided to break his front teeth out on the handle bars of his bike! :eek:
Definitely Tie Domi… he’s puny, he’s a total gronk, and he’s aggressive. Remember the fights between him and Probert? Excellent watching… Probert’s a close runner-up in my book.
For local fights, there was a fellow by the name of Bohonas (or something to that effect) who was an absolute crusher. Played for the St. John’s Maple Leafs a couple seasons back.
FD.
Boston Bruins 1968 - 1996 29 consecutive years with a season record with more wins than losses … the longest streak of any professional sports team.
January 11, 1996 Bruins trade Mariusz Czerkawski to Edmonton Oilers.
Boston Bruins 1997 record: 26 wins, 47 losses, 9 ties
Coincidence? I think not. Move over Wayne, Mario, and Ray … we all know who the best player in hockey is.
(As proof of my theory [to make it Law], Edmonton Oilers went from a 30-44-8 record in 1996 to a 36-37-9 record in 1997 … need i say more?)
Dave “Tiger” Williams. His nose has been busted so many times he could bite a wall.
Mine used to be Tie Domi. Until that stupid, disgusting, cheap shop elbow to Scott Niedermayer this past Thursday.
Now I guess it’s a toss-up between Probert and Sandy McCarthy.
Hodge
Come on, guys, let’s dig a little deeper than that:
#1 has to be Dave Semenko. Kept little Wayne safe for about 8 years. Well, that plus Wayne was damned hard to hit.
And then there is Dave “The Hammer” Schultz. The #1 tough guy on the #1 toughest team of all time, the “Broadstreet Bullies”, AKA the Philadelphia Flyers in the mid-1970’s.
But what’s a Canadian Farmboy to do? HIT SOMEBODY! (courtesy of Warren Zevon).
The word my dad used was “skillet-faced.”
sigh I miss Vladdie… 
::::Hijack::::
Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken and Ogie Oglethorpe.
Anyone else love the movie “Slapshot”?
Dave “Tiger” Williams…he is very intelligent, and he has the advantage of growing up about six blocks east of where I am sitting ATM…
Keith
Another vote for Tiger Williams, classiest hockey goon of modern times.
Several years ago someone put Tie Domi through one of those Interent anagram generator thingies; the first result was:
Me Idiot
Kind of says it all.
I have to take exception to that. Vladdie was far from a goon. He was a Norris trophy finalist shortly before his accident, and IIRC led the League in +/- . And he never really fought that much. So maybe the top of his stick would accidently hit some one in the gut 40-50 times a game, or his blade would happen to get twisted up in someones jersey on occasion. I not saying he should have won the Lady Byng, But he was most deffinately not a goon.
He’s retired now but I always liked Lyndon Byers. He played on and off for the Boston Bruins during the late 80’s/early 90’s. He’s now the sports director for local radio staion, WAAF. I’ve met him a few times and he has become quite the local celebrity. Even if he is just a ‘nob’.
ooops! I meantLyndon Byers
::channeling my fiance::
Gordie Howe, hands down, no question. Ended Lou Fontenato’s career in a fight. Founding member of the 1900/1900 club.
But, when I think of a goon, I picture someone whose primary purpose on the ice is to protect people like Gordie Howe, someone who doesn’t really score all that much because he’s too busy putting beatdowns on those who deserve it.
Bob Probert. Not only a goon, but a drug-addicted maniac as well. Both cruel on and off the ice. You gotta love a guy like that.
Pound for pound, I’ll pick Joey Kocur. He spent most of his 15 year career with Detroit, but also played for the Rangers and Canucks. He scored only 90 goals in his career but amassed 2750 penalty minutes.
Kocur loved to fight, and fight, and fight. He got into so many fights that he couldn’t get his hands to heal during the season. His knuckles looked like hamburger.
There was always blood all over the ice after one of Kocur’s fights. Half of it was from his opponent’s face, but half was from his hands.
I’ve seen most of the guys mentioned in this post play and Kocur was the worst.
I do have a good Tiger Williams story, however. He was playing for Detroit at the time. They were playing Toronto and there is no love lost between those two teams. Tiger scored a goal in this game but he was slashed by a Toronto player just as he shot. After the goal, all the players and refs were skating back to center ice for the faceoff. Tiger waited until the refs had turned around and punched the offending Toronto player in the back of the head.