As the speed of the NHL game has gotten faster and faster and the slow-footed, big-bodied behemoths who dominated the corners and board battles have slowly been phased out of the game, massive bodychecks may not happen as often anymore.
But don’t kid yourself, throwing big checks is still a work of art, and there are a few masters out there.
We recently asked a number of NHLers who they thought the hardest hitter in the game was, and you can see the results of that at the top of this article. We’ll take a look at some of those guys and a couple other below and give you a chance to vote for who you think the league’s biggest bodychecker is today. And if your answer doesn’t appear in the poll, write in your vote in the comments section.
Shea Weber, Montreal
Big shot, big meanie.
We all know about Weber’s No. 1 attribute, his blistering shot that has been clocked at more than 108 mph on more than one occasion. But he was also brought to Montreal for that gruff on-ice attitude and strength on the puck that few forwards can battle against.
Weber finished with 169 hits last season to finish in the top 45 and he has 27 recorded hits through 10 games so far this season to be a top 25 players. He brings that power every game, but when you make him angry, he turns into an evil-doer. Check out his face after Ryan Kesler hit him from behind in the World Cup, and imagine what may have happened to Kesler had Weber got to him first instead of Jonathan Toews.
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg
He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds. And he may be even bigger than that.
Byfuglien is a devastating player no doubt and, in our player poll, was the runaway winner. In fact, a few of them mentioned how it looks like he actually lets up on almost all of his hits to prevent further damage and really injuring…well, everyone.
So far this season he has 29 recorded hits in 11 games and ranks 20th league-wide.
Byfuglien’s career is a highlight reel of big checks, but the one that sticks out in our minds is when he blew up Mark Stone.
Milan Lucic, Edmonton
The modern equivalent to Dave Semenko next to Edmonton’s young star?
Despite definitely having some moments where he’s been the victim who’s called out his opponent (remember when he called Alex Emelin a chicken for blowing him up?), Lucic he most certainly a big NHL bruiser and that’s exactly why the Oilers acquired him to play alongside Connor McDavid.
Lucic has 30 hits in 15 games this season to rank as a top 15 player, but his absolutely biggest hit highlights may be in the past. Now watch him go and throw a huge one this weekend.
Alexei Emelin, Montreal Canadiens
We have to follow up Lucic with one of his biggest rivals when he was a member of the Bruins, Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexei Emelin.
The Russian defender is one of those slow-footed players who has adapted as well as he can and has actually looked pretty good so far this season. He ranks sixth in the league with 36 hits so far this season and it seems as though every one of them is massive.
He’s big, but not one of the biggest guys in the league at 6-foot-2, 216 pounds, but he’s very sturdy and is not someone whose tracks you want to skate into.
Matt Martin, Toronto Maple Leafs
In terms of quantity, Martin is the hit king of the NHL. He’s again out front this season with 47 in 11 games after finishing first in the league with 365 hits in 80 games last season. Actually, he’s led the league in hitting each year since 2011-12.
More than the other guys on this list, though, Martin has crossed that line into suspension territory a few times. So, that’s gotta be a knock against him.
The players in the video at the top mention a few other players, who we’ve included in this poll. Vote on who you think the NHL’s biggest hitter is or, if your choice doesn’t appear in the poll, leave a write-in vote in the comments section.
