JOHN FERGUSON
John Bowie "Fergy" Ferguson Sr. (born September 5, 1938 - died July 14, 2007) is widely considered to be
the NHL's first "enforcer", and a winner of five Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens.
Ferguson was called up by Montreal in 1963-64 to help protect captain Jean Beliveau and promptly pummeled Boston's Ted Green to take the unofficial title of Heavyweight Champ, a title he would hold until his retirement in 1971.
A potent offensive threat, Ferguson scored the Cup winning goal in 1969, a year which saw him score a career best 29 goals. He finished his career with 500 games, 145 goals and 1,214 penalty minutes playing in an era when penalty minute totals were not so high as the next several decades.
DAVE SCHULTZ
David William "The Hammer" Schultz (born October, 14, 1949) was one of hockey's greatest enforcers and holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a single season with 472.
As a left wing on the Philadelphia Flyers, Schultz earned the nickname "The Hammer" for his aggressive style. He was the most notable enforcer on the Flyers "Broad Steet Bullies" teams of the early and mid-1970s that won two Stanley Cups.
His 472 penalty minutes in 1974-75 with Philadelphia still stand as the NHL single season record, and his 405 minutes in 1977-78 with Los Angeles and Pittsburgh is the fourth most in a single season. Schultz has a career total of 2,294 penalty minutes in just 535 games.
Schultz is generally considered to have been the "Heavyweight Champ" of the NHL for a period from early 1973 to May 8, 1975, with a loss to Clark Gillies largely responsible for his losing that spot. Schultz was a good but not great fighter, but his general craziness and fear instilled into opponents is what set him apart and made him a legend of sorts.
DAVE "TIGER" WILLIAMS
David James "Tiger" Williams (born February 3, 1954) is the NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 3,966.
Williams played with several teams, most notably the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. He was considered an enforcer and agitator, although with modest size (5' 11") he was never considered a heavyweight fighter.
His 1980-81 season was his best, as he scored a career high 35 goals while amassing a NHL best 343 penalty minutes and making the All-Star game where he skated on a line with Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy. Later that same season, his Vancouver Canucks made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing.
Williams career total of 3,966 penalty minutes came in 962 games. He played for five different NHL teams, surpassing 300 penalty minutes in a season six times, and leading the league in penalty minutes three different seasons.
BOB PROBERT
Robert Alan Probert (born June 5, 1965 - died July 5, 2010) was arguably the greatest fighter in NHL history.
As a left wing on the Detroit Red Wings, he was one half of the "Bruise Brothers" with fellow enforcer Joe Kocur. His best season came in 1987-88 where he made the All-Star game and scored 62 points to go with a league best 398 penalty minutes and numerous impressive fights.
After eight seasons in Detroit, Probert joined the Chicago Blackhawks for the final seven years of his career. His career totals include 3,300 penalty minutes in 935 games. He is well known for his off-ice problems with drugs and alcohol.
It is generally considered that he assumed the NHL Heavyweight Champion title in the 1987 season, briefly losing it to Troy Crowder in 1991, before re-claiming the title for several more years before loses to younger, bigger fighters like Sandy McCarthy and Chris Simon. His list of epic bouts and rivalries includes Tie Domi, Marty McSorley, Craig Coxe, Craig Berube, Todd Ewen and Crowder. A win over Dave Brown in 1991 perhaps ensured his spot as the toughest man in hockey in what was hockey's toughest era.
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