John Ferguson and Larry Robinson should be on there. Maybe even Rocket Richard.
I think it might be Robinson myself. But if not, it's definitely Kordic. I gotta go with Larry Robinson though.
Nilan was a great fighter, but he wasn't a heavyweight per se. He could beat larger guys though.
I have a great tape of only Boston-Montreal fights from 1969 to 1996. Incredible. All the fights between those two teams for those years. Amazing footage. Hours and hours. lol
Roberge wasn't that great and Lupien was a terrible fighter.
I don't know who is the best fighter in Habs history. It could well be Robinson who rarely fought or a non-enforcer type.
From this list Nilan is the obvious choice as the best enforcer. Though I must ask why John Ferguson isn't on the list.
Nilan was a player I saw play. He might not have been the greatest talent and he played in an era when lesser talents could play but look at his playoff stats. He played 111 playoff games. And he only got 17 playoff points and 531 PIMS. He was a good enough goon to actual dress in the playoffs and see time on the ice. That means he could be an effective player even in the plyoffs and rarely was in the pressbox.
Nilan was a top enforcer for at least a decade. He had some good seasons where he contributed offensively. John Ferguson was a better enforcer but he isn't one of the choices.
Nilan was a great enforcer. in 85/86 the Habs as a darhorse won the cup. He played 18 playoff games and got a crazy 141 PIMS and 3 points. That says a ton about him and the effectiveness he had in his role.... even in the playoffs.
Compared to Ewan, Kordic and the others that trumps them big time.
Haveing seen the habs for 40 years
John Ferguson comes to mind.
He was never a clutch and grab fighter, stood his ground and boxed with his both hands up. Those they tried to out box him made for some of the alltime best Hockey fights ever.
Eddy Shack could attest to this
I don't know who is the best fighter in Habs history. It could well be Robinson who rarely fought or a non-enforcer type.
From this list Nilan is the obvious choice as the best enforcer. Though I must ask why John Ferguson isn't on the list.
Nilan was a player I saw play. He might not have been the greatest talent and he played in an era when lesser talents could play but look at his playoff stats. He played 111 playoff games. And he only got 17 playoff points and 531 PIMS. He was a good enough goon to actual dress in the playoffs and see time on the ice. That means he could be an effective player even in the plyoffs and rarely was in the pressbox.
Nilan was a top enforcer for at least a decade. He had some good seasons where he contributed offensively. John Ferguson was a better enforcer but he isn't one of the choices.
Nilan was a great enforcer. in 85/86 the Habs as a darhorse won the cup. He played 18 playoff games and got a crazy 141 PIMS and 3 points. That says a ton about him and the effectiveness he had in his role.... even in the playoffs.
Compared to Ewan, Kordic and the others that trumps them big time.
If you're talking about an effective player AND goon, then the winner HAS to be John Ferguson. Ferguson had enough skill to play on a line with Beliveau! He was also considered the toughest player in the NHL until Orland Kurtenbach came around.
Nilan played with Carbo and Gainey on the checking line, which also takes skill, but I would rank Fergie #1 if you are looking at it from that angle.
Souray should be added to the list too, of course. Forgot about him. He's a killer.
As for a straight fight, Kordic, Robinson, Souray and maybe Ferguson would have beat Nilan more than Nilan got them. But Nilan was extremely tough for his size. I miss NAILS!
From that list - Nilan. (His bouts with Jay Miller were classic)
Overall it has to be Ferguson. He was the one of the first ever "policeman" in the game and from my father's recollections he was an absolute terror, who apparently started off his NHL puglist career by mopping the floor with reigning heavyweight Ted Green.
HM: Larry Robinson - Few guys in the league wanted a piece of Big Bird before he made a mess of Dave Schultz and no one wanted a piece of him afterwards.
Sorry I forgot to put Ferguson in the list. I'm 33 so back in the '70 I was still a kid and my knowledge of that time is limited.
I never saw Robinson fight though... I would like to see Big Bird in action
Robinson was a beast, the reason he never got into a lot of fights is because no one had the guts to challenge him. During the Philly Broad Street Bully days Dave Shultz made the mistake of going after Larry, it was pretty much a one punch affair and Shultz was helped off the ice. After that no one went after Robinson again.
From that list - Nilan. (His bouts with Jay Miller were classic)
Overall it has to be Ferguson. He was the one of the first ever "policeman" in the game and from my father's recollections he was an absolute terror, who apparently started off his NHL puglist career by mopping the floor with reigning heavyweight Ted Green.
HM: Larry Robinson - Few guys in the league wanted a piece of Big Bird before he made a mess of Dave Schultz and no one wanted a piece of him afterwards.
Nilan didn't do all that well with Miller, it was Kordic who pounded Miller.
Robinson was probably the second best fighter of his era, next to Clark Gillies.
