Certain players perfected the technique, others created there own, and a few just fly at the guy but these are our top ten NHL hitters of all-time (well 11 like always we add our TheSportsBoys honorable mention as an extra number).
11. Bryan Marchment:
One of the dirtiest players in the NHL was also one of the best clean hitters, had he devoted his career to hitting people cleanly he would still be remembered but as a huge devastating hitter instead of a dirty trickster, He was a great upright body hitter, as well as a master of the shoulder-check, hip-check, and knee on knee collision. Described by many as a danger on ice.
10. Adam Foote:
Adam Foote may not have the most bone-crunching hits on this list or the most flat-out collisions, but he did finish all his checks, hitting with huge velocities, knocking people onto benches, threw the glass and flat out down. Foote may be the toughest defender of his era, possibly the best shot blocker, but one thing's for sure, Adam Foote was an exceptional body checker, and he knocked possibly the most people over out of everyone on this list while managing to stay up during and after almost every hit (he perfected his body checking technique, no easy feat, believe me).
9. Chris Pronger:
Chris Pronger may be the biggest hitter of the past five years, he is a brutal hitter, Pronger was a great two way defender, great checker, and possibly the grittiest player of them all (IN my opinion it's between him and Foote).
8. Denis Potvin:
Considered by many the second best defender behind Bobby Orr, Potvin would loved to hit, didn't mind being hit, and is one of the greatest back-checkers ever (no one could gain as much speed back-checking someone).
7. Dion Phaneuf:
Dion is a great all-around hitter, but it most known for destroying opponents with his huge hits, one thing to think of when thinking of Dion Phaneuf is like the Dwight Howard of the NHL, a physical specimen who shuts down the path to the basket or in this case to the net, blocking shots like none other in the league nowadays or in this case knocking opponents senseless which seems to be a form discouraged and lost nowadays.
6. Vladimir Konstantinov:
Konstantinov was a cold blooded killer, He was a clean but deadly hitter who stuck the body on much of the league but was a dual threat as he had great puck control, good passing, and on top of that was being mentored by the excellent Viacheslav Fetisov who is the greatest Soviet defender and maybe the greatest Soviet player ever, what more could you want.
5. Cam Neely:
Cam Neely is possibly the greatest power forward ever, he designed a style that defined the careers of players like Eric Lindros, Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair and Rick Nash, He may have also won a Stanley Cup had it not been for a knee on knee collision between Neely and Ulf Samuelsson. He also stuck the body on opposing players whenever possible.
4. Wendel Clarke:
Wendel Clarke possessed one of the greatest wrist shots ever, (In fact top four ever according to out research and top 50 wrist shots ever) but he could also throw some of the hardest punches and dish out some of the most punishing hits we have seen, he learnt as a kid to hit key players as much as possible and learnt frustrating them with his play kept them off the score sheet easily.
3. Rob Blake:
Rob Blake is the second biggest hitting defense-men of his era (behind Scott Stevens) and the third best hitter of all-time according to The Sports Boys. His trademark was the back-check, he was an exceptional defense-men in every aspect of the game, but his back-checks (that could be mistaken for assault with a weapon) and face-up hits were excellent, and like Foote, he stays up after most hits (another technique perfecter).
2. Eric Lindros:
Eric Lindros, Ironic that the second best hitter had his career altered by a series of hits starting with a classic hit from none other than our top hitter Scott Stevens, but back to Lindros. Eric Lindros had great technique (not as great as Foote, Blake, or Stevens but still great) he generated power by exploding from a lowered stance while trying to gain a lower center of gravity, he turned the body check into physics, but the thing that made his hits so brutal was the fact that he was an magnificent skater in a six foot four inch two hundred thirty thirty pound monster. He was built like a tank, and was a man playing among boys (even in the NHL), nothing could stop him... Other than his seemingly glass skull and the fact he skated with his head down too often.
1. Scott Stevens:
When it comes to hitting Scott Stevens is the G.O.A.T. He DEVASTATED the NHL leaving a trail of winded, unconscious, amnesia affected, brain damaged NHL players as long as the eye could see. There is really nothing else to say about Stevens, like Joe Sakic owns the greatest wrist shot and it is universally known Stevens is the best body-checker no matter who you ask, so just watch the videos and enjoy.
TheGlove_20
If you have not had enough f the NHL brutality I thought I would add some variations of the top 10 Hits in NHL history!
11. Bryan Marchment:
One of the dirtiest players in the NHL was also one of the best clean hitters, had he devoted his career to hitting people cleanly he would still be remembered but as a huge devastating hitter instead of a dirty trickster, He was a great upright body hitter, as well as a master of the shoulder-check, hip-check, and knee on knee collision. Described by many as a danger on ice.
10. Adam Foote:
Adam Foote may not have the most bone-crunching hits on this list or the most flat-out collisions, but he did finish all his checks, hitting with huge velocities, knocking people onto benches, threw the glass and flat out down. Foote may be the toughest defender of his era, possibly the best shot blocker, but one thing's for sure, Adam Foote was an exceptional body checker, and he knocked possibly the most people over out of everyone on this list while managing to stay up during and after almost every hit (he perfected his body checking technique, no easy feat, believe me).
9. Chris Pronger:
Chris Pronger may be the biggest hitter of the past five years, he is a brutal hitter, Pronger was a great two way defender, great checker, and possibly the grittiest player of them all (IN my opinion it's between him and Foote).
8. Denis Potvin:
Considered by many the second best defender behind Bobby Orr, Potvin would loved to hit, didn't mind being hit, and is one of the greatest back-checkers ever (no one could gain as much speed back-checking someone).
7. Dion Phaneuf:
Dion is a great all-around hitter, but it most known for destroying opponents with his huge hits, one thing to think of when thinking of Dion Phaneuf is like the Dwight Howard of the NHL, a physical specimen who shuts down the path to the basket or in this case to the net, blocking shots like none other in the league nowadays or in this case knocking opponents senseless which seems to be a form discouraged and lost nowadays.
6. Vladimir Konstantinov:
Konstantinov was a cold blooded killer, He was a clean but deadly hitter who stuck the body on much of the league but was a dual threat as he had great puck control, good passing, and on top of that was being mentored by the excellent Viacheslav Fetisov who is the greatest Soviet defender and maybe the greatest Soviet player ever, what more could you want.
5. Cam Neely:
Cam Neely is possibly the greatest power forward ever, he designed a style that defined the careers of players like Eric Lindros, Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair and Rick Nash, He may have also won a Stanley Cup had it not been for a knee on knee collision between Neely and Ulf Samuelsson. He also stuck the body on opposing players whenever possible.
4. Wendel Clarke:
Wendel Clarke possessed one of the greatest wrist shots ever, (In fact top four ever according to out research and top 50 wrist shots ever) but he could also throw some of the hardest punches and dish out some of the most punishing hits we have seen, he learnt as a kid to hit key players as much as possible and learnt frustrating them with his play kept them off the score sheet easily.
3. Rob Blake:
Rob Blake is the second biggest hitting defense-men of his era (behind Scott Stevens) and the third best hitter of all-time according to The Sports Boys. His trademark was the back-check, he was an exceptional defense-men in every aspect of the game, but his back-checks (that could be mistaken for assault with a weapon) and face-up hits were excellent, and like Foote, he stays up after most hits (another technique perfecter).
2. Eric Lindros:
Eric Lindros, Ironic that the second best hitter had his career altered by a series of hits starting with a classic hit from none other than our top hitter Scott Stevens, but back to Lindros. Eric Lindros had great technique (not as great as Foote, Blake, or Stevens but still great) he generated power by exploding from a lowered stance while trying to gain a lower center of gravity, he turned the body check into physics, but the thing that made his hits so brutal was the fact that he was an magnificent skater in a six foot four inch two hundred thirty thirty pound monster. He was built like a tank, and was a man playing among boys (even in the NHL), nothing could stop him... Other than his seemingly glass skull and the fact he skated with his head down too often.
1. Scott Stevens:
When it comes to hitting Scott Stevens is the G.O.A.T. He DEVASTATED the NHL leaving a trail of winded, unconscious, amnesia affected, brain damaged NHL players as long as the eye could see. There is really nothing else to say about Stevens, like Joe Sakic owns the greatest wrist shot and it is universally known Stevens is the best body-checker no matter who you ask, so just watch the videos and enjoy.
TheGlove_20
If you have not had enough f the NHL brutality I thought I would add some variations of the top 10 Hits in NHL history!
2 comments:
I miss watching Scott Stevens play. A devastating hitter and amazing defenseman. He's still my favorite player of all time.
He was a great offensive threat too, and I know what you mean, the day Joe Sakic retired was the saddest day of my sportswatching career (even more than Gary Payton)
Post a Comment