There's no doubt about it. NHL players are some seriously tough men.
Hockey toughness can be defined in so many ways. It can be the Boston Bruins' Gregory Campbell finishing his playoff shift on a broken leg after blocking a shot. It can be a talented scorer enduring endless abuse from opposing checkers as he relentlessly pursues his team's next goal. It can be standing up to an opponent from a different weight class or taking a hit to make a play.
Toughness and courage are on display during virtually every NHL shift. It's one of the things that makes our game so compelling to watch.
In today's NHL, the role of the pure fighter has diminished as both roster spots and salary-cap space often leave teams in need of more versatile players.
This list includes fighters who play such an important role for their teams that they can't be ignored, as well as other skaters who play bigger roles but can still bring the pain when needed. Different types of "tough" for different types of situations.
Who's on your top-10 list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
All stats courtesy of NHL.com. Fight data from hockeyfig ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Carol Schram
Ranking the 10 Toughest Players in the NHL Today
August 17th, 2013 by Carol Schram Leave a reply »
Advertisement