🏒💥 Who are the TOUGHEST players in NHL history? It’s not just about fights—it’s
about grit, comebacks, leadership, and pure dominance on the ice. From Gordie Howe’s
legendary elbows to Zdeno Chara’s 109 MPH slapshots, these 10 hockey legends
redefined toughness in their own fearless way.
👇 In this video, you’ll witness: ✅ Epic hits that changed games
✅ Players who came back from insane injuries
✅ Enforcers who ruled with iron fists
✅ Captains who led through war-like playoffs
✅ The real stories of NHL’s ultimate warriors
🔥 Featuring: Gordie Howe, Bob Probert, Scott Stevens, Bobby Orr, Tiger Williams, Mark
Messier, Zdeno Chara, Tom Wilson, Ryan Reaves, Chris Pronger and more!
#nhlhighlights #nhl #nhlplayoffs
10 toughest NHL player of all time in hockey toughness isn’t just about throwing punches it’s about how much you can take how long you can last and how you keep showing up no matter what few players captured that better than these 10 players one Gordy How gordy How was one of the toughest players to ever play in hockey they called him Mr hockey for a reason he was strong skilled and never backed down from a fight howal played for 32 seasons that’s more than anyone else in the sport he stayed competitive even into his 50s which is almost unheard of most players retire long before that but how just kept going he didn’t just hit hard he could score and make plays too he won six MVP awards and six scoring titles there’s even something in hockey called the GordyHow hat-tick it means getting a goal an assist and a fight in one game that says a lot about the kind of player he was even though he wasn’t known as a full-time fighter he knew how to handle himself in one famous moment in 1959 a player tried to cheapshot him how didn’t just fight back he dominated the guy that’s where his other nickname came from Mr elbows and he was tough in more ways than one early in his career he fractured his skull during a playoff game a year later he came back and led the league in scoring that kind of comeback takes serious toughness two Bob Probert now if we’re talking about pure toughness Bob Probert has to be in the conversation he was one of the most feared fighters in NHL history during his 16 season NHL career Probert fought over 230 times he racked up more than 3,000 penalty minutes when Probert was on the ice opponents kept their heads up no one wanted to be on the wrong side of one of his punches but he wasn’t just there to fight in the late 1980s Probert showed he could score too in one season he netted 29 goals and added 62 points that’s not something most enforcers could do he protected his teammates yes but he also contributed when it counted that combination made him even more dangerous people feared Probert he stood 6’3 and weighed over 220 lb and he wasn’t wild in his fights he was calm methodical and precise other tough guys would go toe-to-toe with him and lose over time he built a reputation that followed him across the league off the ice Crobert had a ton of struggles he battled addiction and legal issues but he never gave up even while dealing with personal problems he stayed committed to his role and to the game three Bobby or then there’s Bobby or he changed how defense was played in hockey most defenseman stayed back and protected their end or did that but he also rushed the puck and scored like a forward he won eight Norris Trophies in a row for being the best defenseman he also led the whole league in points something no other defenseman has done his playing style was fast aggressive and fearless but all that skating came at a cost or had bad knees from playing so hard he had several surgeries but kept coming back even when his body was breaking down he still played better than most his most famous moment came in 1970 in overtime of the Stanley Cup final he scored the game-winning goal and flew through the air that goal became one of the most famous images in hockey it was a perfect mix of skill and courage four Scott Stevens scott Stevens didn’t just hit players he stopped them in their tracks every time he stepped on the ice you knew something big could happen he was calm focused and completely fearless but when he delivered a hit it could change the energy of an entire game one of his most famous moments came in the 2000 playoffs eric Lindros had just come back from a concussion he carried the puck across the blue line then boom stevens lined him up and delivered a thunderous hit to the chest lindros was knocked out cold the crowd went silent it was clean legal and devastating that single moment showed why Stevens was one of the most feared defenders in the league but Stevens wasn’t just a hitter he was a leader too he captained the New Jersey Devils for over a decade and led them to three Stanley Cup wins he didn’t talk much but his actions did the talking he played hard trained harder and never backed down from a challenge what made Stevens even more impressive was how long he kept it up for for more than 20 seasons he threw punishing hits without slowing down his training habits were no joke he kept his body in peak condition so he could play a physical style year after year in a sport filled with tough players Steven stood out because he did it all he led defended and hit like a truck five mark Messier if Stevens was the silent force Mark Messier was the loud heartbeat of his team they called him the moose for a reason he was strong powerful and impossible to ignore he’s the only player in NHL history to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup victories that alone tells you how much teammates trusted him but the moment that really showed his toughness came in 1994 the New York Rangers were one game away from elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals messier stood up and guaranteed a win he went out and scored a hat-tick messier played hard hit hard and scored even harder he had nearly 1,900 points by the time he retired which put him second all time but it wasn’t just about stats he had this way of making every player around him better his energy lifted the whole team opponents hated playing against him he could fight hit and score all in the same game teammates loved him because he never gave up six Tiger Williams then there’s Dave Tiger Williams when Tiger was on the ice you knew something was about to go down he still holds the record for most penalty minutes in NHL history nearly 4,000 minutes in the box that’s more than two full days spent just sitting out for fighting or rough play tiger’s job was simple protect his teammates and send a message and he did both with no hesitation if someone took a cheap shot at one of his guys Tiger would step in and make them regret it he wasn’t just brawling for show he played with purpose and he played with pride but here’s the thing he could also score in 198081 he scored 35 goals while racking up over 300 penalty minutes that combination of offense and toughness was almost unheard of fans loved him because he brought both chaos and excitement he’d ride his stick after a goal throw punches on the next shift and keep the crowd on edge the whole time he never backed down and he never held back tiger was the kind of player who made sure no one pushed his team around that made him a fan favorite and a nightmare for the other team seven zedeno Charara zado Charara was a mountain on skates at 6’9 in tall he wasn’t just the tallest player in NHL history he was one of the strongest too his long reach and huge frame made him almost impossible to get around when he hit someone they felt it when he shot at the puck it came off his stick like a rocket once recorded at nearly 109 miles per hour at the start of his career people thought he was too slow to keep up but he proved everyone wrong charo worked hard learned the game and turned himself into a shutdown defenseman he didn’t need to be fast when his positioning and timing were nearly perfect as captain of the Boston Bruins for over a decade he led by example he played big minutes and never backed down in big games especially during their 2011 Stanley Cup run even the best players in the league like Crosby and Ovetchkin had to think twice before entering his zone eight tom Wilson tom Wilson plays a different kind of tough he’s not as big as Charara but he’s still a force at 6’4 and over 200 lb he hits hard plays fast and knows how to score goals too but what makes Wilson stand out is how close he plays to the edge sometimes he crosses the line he’s been suspended multiple times for illegal hits that’s made him one of the most hated players outside of Washington but also one of the most valuable players to his team wilson protects his teammates sets a physical tone and plays in all situations even though he’s known for his rough style inside the Capital’s locker room he’s respected as a leader many see him as one who could take over as captain when Ovuchkin steps down love him or hate him Wilson has made a big impact on the game nine ryan Reeves ryan Reeves brings old school toughness to the modern NHL he’s not on the ice to score goals or make fancy plays he’s there to hit fight and protect when Reeves is in the lineup opponents know they can’t take cheap shots without consequences he’s one of the last true enforcers left in the league he hits hard for checks aggressively and doesn’t hesitate to drop the gloves coaches use him to wear down the other team and keep star players safe of course with that kind of role there are risks reeves has been suspended for illegal hits too but for many teams his presence is worth it he brings confidence to the bench and fear to the other side 10 chris Pronger chris Pronger was tough in every way at 6’6 he used his size to control the game from the back end he could crush you with a hit block your shot or take the puck and lead a rush the other way but it wasn’t just about size pronger played smart he was physical but also skilled he could get inside players heads with trash talk and body checks then turn around and make a perfect pass in 2000 he did something only one other defenseman has ever done he won both the Norris Trophy as best defenseman and the Hart Trophy as league MVP that’s how good he was he also knew how to lead pronger helped take multiple teams deep into the playoffs and won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 when the pressure was high he played even better
50 Comments
How do you have Reaves and Wilson over Lucic?
Wendell Clark, Stan Johnathan, John Wensink, Marty McSorley
Not have Vladimir Constantine off in this is just despicable
Willi Plett, Behn Wilson and Wayne Cashman were 3 tough guys!
No love for Iginla?
I would take him over Wilson or Reeves anyday
Mario Lemieux
Eddie Shore! I'm sure there were others from yesteryear!
No Boogeyman? 🤔
Wtf is this list?
What kind of list is this 😂😂😂you didn’t even mention the ultimate toughest player ever, and that’s WENDEL CLARK no body tougher❤
Nobody, and I mean nobody was tougher………….then Derek Plante
Scott Stevens isn't tough, he's a THUG!
I don't like Howe or Reeves. Reeves barely been in any fights compared guys like probert or Domi. Gordie Howe barely had any fights
4:00 you state one of Scott Steven's most famous incidents was when he knocked out Eric Lindros with a thunderous hit. You show the same hit 6 times in a row, some from different angles. But dude, that hit wasn't on Eric Lindros…. that was Kevyn Adams. You should have known that because Eric Lindros was playing for Philadelphia, and the guy you showed being hit 6 times was wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. The only thing you might have gotten correct was that it was around his own blue line, which was close to where Lindros was hit lol
What about Wendell CLARK ????
This list is terrible bob probert at nine????
John Ferguson for the Habs was always in fights. Protecting the pocket rocket, the flower and company.
There are dozens of players just as or tougher than all ten here. Tie Domi, Wendell Clark, Dave “Charlie” Manson, Donald Brashear, Darren McCarty, Marty McSorley Shane Chulra. Not to mention none of the old time goalies wore masks.
The vast majority are Canadians, of course. Having Reeves over Wendell Clark is a DEI nomination joke.
We miss you pronger.
WTF 6 9
Some great photos on here I’ve never seen, the Geordie Howe elbow and the Probert cocked and loaded. Chris Pronger is one of the best defensemen ever, he could control the game.
No mention of Rocket Richard showed me that this is just a preference selection as opposed to the real one. John Ferguson also should have been mentioned, Chris Milan, John Kordick on and on! It's ironic that one would include Gordie Howe but not the "Rocket" the Rocket might be considered the toughest of them all combined with talent. So B.S. on this selection
How come the Cleghorn brothers aren’t on this list? Two crazy fuckers.
No mention of Dave Semenko??? Dude fought Muhammad Ali for cryin’ out loud!
How you can leave Laraque off this list?
Ryan Reeves?!??? Really??? How the hell is Wendel Clark not on this list. Pound for pound top 5 toughest NHL's of all time!!!
A boxing promoter once offered Gordie Howe a contract as a heavyweight boxer. Howe was undoubdtedly the toughest player ever. Nobody wanted to fight him.
Wendel Clarke was also a beast. I never saw him outright lose a fight. He was a true warrior.
Larry Robinson, Dustin Byfuglien
So many names over looked. Could be a very long list. Scott Parker was always one of my favorites
Theres about 50 guys tougher than 8 of these guys
Domi smiling while getting beat by probert never fails to make me laugh.
Stevens was a dirtbag, cheap shot artist
I think Stu Grimson was way underrated toughness wise. He used to give Probert a run for his money or won every time they fought… 🔥🔥🔥
Bill "Goldie" (also "Harpo") Goldthorpe
Wheres Billy Smith?
Crazy not to include Terry "Taz" O'Reilly.
Tim Horton!!
Scot stevens was a piece crap he ended careers he shouldnt be on your list dirty player
What about tiger Williams didn't he have over 4,000 penalty minutes
In a short career there wasn't much tougher than Bob gas off
Kevin McClellan
Funny stat… Gordie Howe only got 1 Gordie Howe hat trick
Hey Pronger wakey wakey
This is a terrible list. Tom Wilson or Ryan Reeves over ANY 70s Broad Street Bully is adorable. In fact, no Flyers player on this list at all is discrediting. Messier too, when Semenko was on the team too?!?!?! No Laraque?!?! I mean….c'mon!
What no Ogie Ogalthorpe on this list LOL!!! great list
The toughest players played in the D!! PROBERT KOCUR GRIMSON SHANAHAN MCCARTHY HOWE
The Stevens hit on Lindros they showed over and over again? THAT WASN’T LINDROS!!! 😂😆🤣
But he did once smoke him
Horseshit
🤔💭 There's no way a list like this doesn't include Cam Neely!!!
Tie Domi?