2 – Chris Pronger (2006- 2009)
Coming in at Number Two, we have former Captain, Chris Pronger.
I added Pronger to this list solely because of his physicality as a player and the reputation he built as someone to be feared on the ice. Despite a total of three fights to his name in his time as a Ducks player, post-Stanley Cup victory, Pronger was always the guy that could slowly push the boundaries to see what he could get away with.
That makes sense, who’s going to want to go after a man who is 6’6,” 220 lbs? I’m not here to glorify playing against the grain and really pushing the rules, but not many players can say they were suspended twice in one postseason. It demonstrates how a player of his stature could really do some physical damage.
Not much of a surprise, it was one of the things he was known for throughout his career. I had trouble adding him to the list because when you think enforcer, you think players who fight and that’s it. Changes in the NHL game show how Pronger’s style of play is starting to become the new norm for today’s enforcers.
It’s not so much being able to just hold your own in a fight anymore, it’s being able to hold your own in all aspects of your game with some tenacity.