My old pal, Liam Maguire, the greatest hockey trivia mind in the world, was making the rounds in Renfrew last Friday, roughly an hour west of Ottawa. Along with Liam’s passion for NHL trivia, I’ve never met a man who likes seeing a good hockey fight more than he does.
At his side for several public appearances last week was former WHA enforcer, Goldie Goldthorpe. Fans of the hockey movie Slapshot may remember the name of fictional goon, Ogie Oglethorpe. In truth, the character wasn’t all that fictional. He was basically playing the real-life role of Goldthrope with a slightly altered name.
Liam not only wrote an entertaining book about Goldie several years ago, but they still do the odd tour together. They did just that last week, amping up local fans with storytelling and bringing back memories of an era when very few hockey fans were offended by fighting.
It had me feeling nostalgic, too. I’ve never minded a good tilt, and the Senators have certainly had some tough customers who didn’t mind obliging. Last year, I was asked to put pen to paper and rank the five all-time best Sens enforcers.
The first option is obvious. You kind of have to go with the only enforcer whose number has been retired, and no Sens scrapper stands above Chris Neil. He’s the undisputed champ. An easy call.
But filling out the rest of the top five? That was as tough as the men on this list.
1. Chris Neil
Neil leads the pack by a mile with 176 fights, more than the next three on this list combined. And he didn’t just fight often, he fought well. Even George Laraque, one of the most feared fighters in NHL history, once called Neil, pound for pound, one of the toughest opponents he’d ever faced.
Even when Guy Boucher healthy-scratched him throughout the 2017 playoff run, he begrudgingly had to admit that he needed Neil in his lineup. Rangers tough guy Tanner Glass had been running around all series, and Neil finally got in and sorted him out. It completely swung the mood of the series by jamming Glass’s face into the back of Ottawa’s net. Neil’s mix of grit, longevity, and loyalty (all 1,026 games with Ottawa) makes him the greatest fighter in Sens history.
2. Dennis Vial
Drake Batherson’s uncle, Dennis Vial, was a pure throwback. One of the original “tarps off” guys, Vial’s sweater and shoulder pads would spontaneously strip away if an opposing enforcer so much as looked at him. Built similarly to Neil, he went after the biggest names of the ‘90s and did it a lot. With a wild fights-per-game ratio, 71 fights in 176 games, Vial rarely went more than a few games without a scrap.
3. Zdeno Chara
Chara may not have fought as frequently, but at 6’9″, 250 pounds, he didn’t have to. He was a terrifying presence who usually showed mercy just because he could. His strength was unmatched, and no Sens fan will ever forget him rag-dolling Bryan McCabe, a clip that probably still plays at random local weddings and Christmas parties.
4. Brian McGrattan
At 6’4″, 235 pounds, McGrattan was a heavyweight in every sense. He once racked up a jaw-dropping 551 penalty minutes in a single season with Binghamton. With Neil already holding down the enforcer role in Ottawa, McGrattan didn’t get quite as many reps, but his mix tape (and his right fist) still left a mark. His win over Tie Domi, caving in his nose, was one of the few fights Domi truly lost badly.
5. Matt Carkner
Carkner was a hometown boy (Winchester, ON) who spent years grinding in the minors before earning his NHL spot. Once there, he quickly became a steady presence on the blue line and a protector of star teammates. When Brian Boyle took liberties with Erik Karlsson in the playoffs, Carkner was having none of it.
Whether it was a one-punch KO, a hugfest or a slugfest, these were the warriors who’ve given the Sens their edge over the years. And most of their teammates will tell you, they played with more confidence because of their protectors. While Neil stands alone at the top, though he’s not as wild as ol’ Goldie, there’s no shortage of names who tried to make sure Ottawa never got pushed around.
We’re guessing this will provoke some strong opinions. So let the barroom brawls… er, debates begin.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
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