In the fast-paced, high-stakes world of the NHL, goalies are often celebrated for their agility, their lightning-fast reflexes, and their ability to steal games. They are the last line of defense, the calm in the storm. But what happens when that calm explodes into a fiery inferno? What about the netminders who weren’t just content to stop pucks, but also to stop opponents in their tracks, often with a well-placed whack or a surprising left hook?
These 10 Goalies Were Known For Being Tough and Nasty
Forget the genteel image of the goaltender. Today, we’re diving deep into the trenches of NHL history to unearth the absolute nastiest goalies of all time. These were the titans of the crease who played with an edge, who embraced the physicality of the game, and who weren’t afraid to drop the gloves or deliver a bone-jarring hit. They were the guys who made forwards think twice about crashing the net and who left an indelible mark, not just with their saves, but with their sheer, unadulterated toughness.
Get ready to meet the masked men who redefined the role of a goalie, proving that sometimes, the best defense is a good, old-fashioned fight.
1. Ron Hextall
When you think of a “nasty” goalie, one name immediately springs to mind: Ron Hextall. The Philadelphia Flyers’ legendary netminder was a force of nature, a fiery competitor who single-handedly changed the perception of what a goalie could be. Hextall wasn’t just stopping pucks; he was sending messages, often with his stick, his blocker, or his fists.
Hextall’s career penalty minute total of 584 is a testament to his aggressive style. For context, many career enforcers don’t even reach that number. He wasn’t afraid to roam far from his crease to deliver a hit, especially if an opposing player dared to linger in his paint. His most famous moments of aggression include his stick-swinging incident with Kent Nilsson and his infamous charge at Chris Chelios, igniting a bench-clearing brawl.
Perhaps his most iconic, and indeed nastiest, moment came in the 1987 playoffs when he cross-checked Montreal’s Chris Nilan in what many consider one of the most violent acts ever seen from a goalie. Nilan, no stranger to toughness himself, later reflected on playing against Hextall: “He was crazy, but he was a winner. You knew if you went near his crease, you were going to pay the price. He didn’t care who you were.”
Hextall was also the first goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the empty net, a feat he accomplished twice. But it was his willingness to fight, his relentless pursuit of intimidating opponents, that truly set him apart. He was a goalie who played like a defenseman, an enforcer, and a madman all rolled into one. He epitomized the Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” era, even if he arrived a little later.
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