FridayList: Top 10 NY hockey fighters
There's no real occasion for this list, other than perhaps Forbes magazine's recent, rather inexplicable list of the best fighters for the buck.
For the record, and this may cause some debate amongst our big TFS gang, I think hockey fighting is absolutely a part of the game and should never be banned. So there.
The List goes back to 1972, the birth of the Isles, and is limited to Isles and Rangers.
Let's drop the gloves:
10. Eric Cairns, Rangers, 1996-98; Isles, 1998-2004 -- One of two guys on the list to play and fight for both teams. Now an Isles executive.
9. Matthew Barnaby, Rangers, 2001-04 -- Always an entertaining fighter, as seen here.
Another Ranger enforcer who was an accomplished fighter before he came on board.
8. Nick Fotiu, Rangers, 1976-79, 80-85 -- Maybe the most popular fighter in Rangers history, thanks to growing up on Staten Island and throwing about 50 pucks into the stands after the pregame warmups. Oh, and fighting too.
7. Duane Sutter, Isles, 1979-87 -- Noses out brother Brent for best local fighter in the family.
6. Rich Pilon, Isles, 1988-99; Rangers, 1999-2001 -- Another great fighter and great team guy.
5. Mick Vukota, Isles, 1987-97 -- The Isles' all-time PIM leader(1,879), and a willing fighter. That'll keep you around for a decade.
4. Clark Gillies, Isles, 1974-86 -- Best combination of skill and toughness during his era, as shown here, when he crushes a great, short-lived Rangers tough guy, Ed Hospodar.
3. Jeff Beukeboom, Rangers, 1991-99 -- Always a guy of honor, and he could play too, until Matt Johnson's sucker-punch ended a brilliant career.
2. Tie Domi, Rangers, 1990-93 -- One of the legendary fighters of the NHL, he got his run -- and his long-standing feud with Bob Probert -- started as a Ranger.
1. Garry Howatt, Isles, 1972-83 -- He tops the list because of longevity, because he won two Cups and because, at 5-9, he fought with anyone in the wild, woolly days of the 1970s.
Click the jump for some self-starting video of Howatt beating up Barry Melrose. Enjoy.
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Comments (24)
Gillies should be #1 without a doubt. Not sure where Ken Baumgartner is as he routinely beat up Domi when they fought.
Just shows you how much they guess here about hockey and why they cannot be taken seriously about anything. Either that or Dolan's boys are forcing Rangers on everything.
Gilles would have sent Bukeboom, Domi to another conference out of of fear like Beck and Fotiu who took one look and left town.
* Garry Howatt, Isles, 1972-83 -- He tops the list because of longevity, because he won two Cups and because, at 5-9, he fought with anyone in the wild, woolly days of the 1970s. *
Gillies won four cups and played longer than eleven years and is in the Hall of Fame, did Dolan tell you to write this list with Gillies at four?
Go watch what Gillies did to Hospidar, O'Reilly and Schultz and redo your ranking.
This is a bigger mismatch than Baumgartner vs Bloomberg.
Yep, Gillies Number 1.....No brainer...
Out of deference to old time Ranger fans, I would have put Reggie Fleming somewhere on that list.....but I understand that Old Reg was before The Staple's time.
Expand the list.
Tear down those walls Mr. Staple...
John Brophy from the old LI Ducks is a top three candidate.
Graig Nettles?
(searched in vain on youtube for a clip of him tearing up Bill Lee of the Sawks)
Gillies has to be #1, that is an utter joke that he isn't. For that matter, I'd like to see Nystrom somewhere on this list too. That's ridiculous.
The only saving grace is a video of Barry Melrose getting his face re-arranged.
There is NO ONE on this list that would have beat Gilles in a fight, period. To suggest otherwise is foolish.
I clicked on this blog because I was interested in the nine selections after #1 Clark Gillies.
This list is definitely made up by non-hockey fans!
Also, I am an Islanders fan and I cannot believe that Joey Kocur is not on this list from the Rangers, He was way more lethal than Beukoboom
Newsday has and always will be Islander centered (for however long they're here). Your so used to Logan's 'impartial' pandering journalism most of you can't take seeing more than 1 Ranger on this list. Your sorry franchise exists because of the Rangers and is on the verge of extinction cause of such a loyal fanbase. When/if the team moves you'll blame Wang, Town of Hemstead, Mike Millburry and everyone but yourselves. Your announced attendance numbers are last in the league and anyone who goes to the games, most of those numbers are 30% (at least) overstated. By next summer if that Lighthouse Project, which is becoming a myth more than anything else, doesn't show any progress the league will put pressure on ownership to sell and/or relocate. Until then keep your inferiority complex and keep using those ticket specials where you get 4 tickets, meals, hats, dave & buster cards, picture with the ice girls and the right to call a line change. Those deals are working out great!
Wow! This is the dumbest debate ever. Good job, stapes!
Eric carins should be 1 he is a beast
Huh....Chris Botta just referred to Baumbach and Rieber as "punks" in his blog...
That oughtta light a firecracker around here.
Coming next Friday....Top 10 Insults Hurled at The Final Score.
(why limit it to 10?)
In his book Dave Schultz said he the only time he was afraid of getting hurt in a fight was the time Clark Gillies beat him up.
Any other Questions?
How the hell can Rich Pilon be on that list??????
and I think I could take Cairns in a fight.
Joey Kocur should be #1 on that list.
Gillies is far and away #1 here and its not even close. I cringe every time I think about Eddie Hospodar. Poor guy is still eating through a straw.
Why no love for Chris Nilan?
1.Clark Gillies
2.Joey Kocur
3.Ken Baumgartner
4.Tie Domi
5.Bobby Nystrom
6.Chris Simon(Both teams)
7.Chris Nilan
Just my take
No Kocur, one of the all time greats of the NHL let alone NY? Chris Simon? McCarthy? Orr?
"5. Mick Vukota, Isles, 1987-97 -- The Isles' all-time PIM leader(1,879), and a willing fighter. That'll keep you around for a decade."
Mick could throw down but he missed. A lot. Everything ended in a tie.
Bobby Nystrom needs to be on the list.
But the best fighter that I've seen here was Ken Baumgartner. He of the Harvard MBA. When I shook his hands - he had the strongest grip I've ever felt. It wasn't a 'cool' handshake like the one Glauber got from Magic. I also met Mick and he was big and strong - but not the same intense strength that I got from Kenny.
He's circling and circling. He's got the bombsights set on someone....
The Top Ten NY Fighters?
1 - Nick Fotiu
2 - Barry Beck
3 - Bob Nystrom
4 - Clark Gillies
5 - Joey Kocur
6 - Tie Domi
7 - Darren Langdon
8 - Garry Howatt
9 - George McPhee
10 - Colton Orr
The Top Ten NY Fighters?
1 - Nick Fotiu
2 - Barry Beck
3 - Bob Nystrom
4 - Clark Gillies
5 - Joey Kocur
6 - Tie Domi
7 - Darren Langdon
8 - Garry Howatt
9 - George McPhee
10 - Colton Orr
The Top Ten NY Fighters?
1 - Nick Fotiu
2 - Barry Beck
3 - Bob Nystrom
4 - Clark Gillies
5 - Joey Kocur
6 - Tie Domi
7 - Darren Langdon
8 - Garry Howatt
9 - George McPhee
10 - Colton Orr
The Top Ten NY Fighters?
1 - Nick Fotiu
2 - Barry Beck
3 - Bob Nystrom
4 - Clark Gillies
5 - Joey Kocur
6 - Tie Domi
7 - Darren Langdon
8 - Garry Howatt
9 - George McPhee
10 - Colton Orr
First of all, Clark Gillies wasn't even the best fighter on the Islanders during the years that he played. Nystrom was by far the better fighter. Nystrom was fighter and he was tough. Gillies had a great reputation. He threw punches in a very unorthodox manner, and he was always one of the better fighters in the league, but make no mistake about it. He was not a great wrestler, and he was beaten up many some of the better fighters in the NHL. Terry O'Reilly won their series of fights. Gillies also lost in fights against Probert, Behn Wilson, Paul Holmgren and Dave Brown. Also, his win with Buddy Schultz has been ridiculously overly exaggerated. I would have loved to see him go at it with Donald Brashear.
For Fotiu, he was one of the best boxers on the ice. I only saw him lose once - against Joe Patterson. He knocked down Holmgren in one fight and the fight at the Spectrum when Holmgren fell on top of him after Nicky slipped after throwing a left hook - that fight was a draw
Beck was a great boxer but when he didn't box, he just clutched an grabbed and then wrestled the other fighter down.
Tie Domi was tough as nails. He would lean back and then try to land those left haymakers
Darren Langdon - was a great second half fighter.
Joey Kocur - was tough and a very intelligent fighter- I think he studied the other fighters in the league, and he was tough
Garry Howatt and George McPhee - two other the smaller but toughest fighters ever to play in NY. Both are underrated but both were tough
Bryant Trottier - Was one of the best fighters in NY that no one ever seems to mention
Messier - Was a really good fighter - but by the time he got to NY, there was probably too much respect for him from the other players from around the league to drop the gloves with.
Baumgartner is also underrated - Although he took a few beatings from Domi
Not sure why Cairns is on that list- He gets his ass kicked in fights more often then he wins.
Beukeboom was not a great fighter. He was a big man but not a great fighter.
Pilon amassed a lot of penalty minutes but was not a great fighter.
Colton Orr is a tough guy who has won his share of fights
Joe Patterson is the only fighter that I've ever seen knock Fotiu around in a fight.
I would have loved to see any of these matchups:
Beck vs Gillies
Beck vs Nystrom
Fotiu vs Gillies
Fotiu vs Nystrom
Fotiu vs O'Reilly
Fotiu vs Domi
McPhee vs Howatt
Kocur vs Gillies
Langdon vs Beck
Fotiu vs Dave Brown
Semenko vs Gillies
Holmgren vs Nystrom
Howatt vs Nystrom
Nystrom vs Gillies