The 10 worst pests in the NHL

Most teams have at least one: the plague is a type of player that has existed in professional hockey for a long time.

Most often small in stature, but not exclusively, the plague specializes in sneaky blows and knows exactly the words to use to annoy the opponent. She also has the gift of making an infuriating gesture, such as trying to intimidate a recruit, a goalkeeper or an important player who is not inclined to be robust.

• Also read: He receives 80 stitches after being cut by a skate

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Speaking of a fight: most often, the plague will not go into battle when its assailant sees red to the point of wanting to tear off his head. No, the plague will rather carefully choose its opponent (greetings to Brad Marchand) to generate maximum frustration.

This is also what distinguishes the plague from the brawler, who will almost never refuse an invitation to drop the gloves and who, most of the time, sends his messages more with his fists than with a panoply devious tactics.

It’s an art, if you will, and often, the pest is a popular player with his teammates and his team’s fans (with the exception of Sean Avery, who was quite an act).

There are still several players who fill this role successfully in the National League.

Here, in no particular order, are the 10 most effective pests in the NHL:

Brad Marchand, Bruins de Boston

He does everything: he chatters, he strikes sneakily, he hurts opponents when he’s not licking them and he almost never lets his gloves drop in front of someone who has a minimum of experience in this matter. He also has the gift of doing something hateful and getting away with it without being punished. For 16 seasons now, Brad Marchand has been perhaps the ultimate pest in today’s hockey. He is also a very good player. He will annoy you throughout the game and he will be the one to score the winning goal. Especially if the match goes into overtime.

Max Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs

Here is another one who is well known in Montreal. Max Domi is more than capable of playing hockey, but he seems to enjoy conflicts and exchanges of sweet words more. Unlike Marchand, however, he is a little less reluctant to go into battle with an opponent who knows how to defend himself. Either way, Domi knows how to be disruptive. CH defender David Savard has had to deal with the situation on more than one occasion since the start of this season.

Garnet Hathaway, Flyers de Philadelphie

Strong and capable of brawling, Hathaway would be exclusively a tough guy if he didn’t have:

– Spit on Erik Gudbranson

– Skated Jon Quick in the face

– Sneak hit and injured Luke Hughes (a rookie), Jarred Tinordi, Zach Werenski and a few others

In short, Hathaway is a scourge for his opponents. After stints in Calgary, Washington and Boston, he is more in his element than ever as a member of the Flyers.

Yanni Gourde, Seattle Kraken

Rookie at 26 in the NHL, double Stanley Cup champion a few years later, the Quebecer can score goals and does not back down from anyone, even if he is not the strongest. Gourde is a pure agitator, who talks, who hustles, and who sometimes escapes him a little. But he is still useful to his team.

Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadian

There is a scrum in front of the net. Who finds himself below the pile, lying under the goalkeeper, his body half in the goal? Brendan Gallagher. The referees clean up after the scrum, send players to the cell. Who yells at them? Brendan Gallagher. The CH plays an ordinary match, without emotion, against a bottom club. Who throws the gloves in front of their best defender? Brendan Gallagher. The opponent is counting on a star player who tends to act. Who is going to shove it in his face and enrage all his teammates? Brendan Gallagher. The team needs a goal at all costs. Who will enter the goal with the puck? Brendan Gallagher.

Ryan Hartman, Wild you Minnesota

On a team that has its large share of robust elements, Ryan Hartman is possibly the ringworm in chief. Once capable of producing offensively (34 goals in 2021-2022), the 30-year-old American is now a support player, having however lost none of his ability to light fires. If he has not yet taken action, this season, he was suspended twice, last year, for a dangerous trip and for throwing his stick at a referee. And how can we forget that evening in March 2023 when he blew up the “somewhat soupy” Jordan Binnington?

Ridly Greig, Sénateurs d’Ottawa

Canadian fans discovered him during the last coaching camp, when his hit to the head of Kirby Dach, to say the least, ignited the powder for a while between the two teams . Maple Leafs fans also know him well since he knocked Morgan Rielly off his feet last February after hitting an empty net with a slap shot. He knew very well what he was doing. He was also suspended, in September 2021, for having delivered a double check to the face of Quebecer Pierre-Luc Dubois which required 15 stitches.

Michael Bunting, Penguins de Pittsburgh

Revealed in 2021-2022 with the Maple Leafs when he had a 63-point season, the Ontarian not only showed off his offensive skills: he was also a talented pain in the ass, as evidenced by his 103 minutes of penalties accrued the following season. While several plagues attack the officials, Bunting is attacked by them. He was also suspended in April 2023 for hitting a rival in the head. More recently, Arber Xhekaj darted him in the crotch… it was certainly not for nothing!

Ryan Lomberg, Flames de Calgary

Small, but surprisingly strong, the Ontarian has a “heavy metal” look and a personality, on the ice, that suits his appearance. Alex Pietrangelo, who suffered a knee from him in the Stanley Cup final in 2023, could talk about it. Same thing for Trent Frederic, who was furious one evening in April 2023, when Lomberg tried to give him a submission hold in the middle of a match. Lomberg is, however, a player appreciated by his teammates. He must have obtained the respect of many on November 29, when he only listened to his courage by dropping his gloves in front of Mathieu Olivier.

Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators

Come on, a two-for-one. The Tkachuk brothers are undoubtedly among the most unpleasant players to face in the NHL. The two are part of all the scrums and are real specialists in the exchange of “sweet words”. Matthew, like Brad Marchand, carefully chooses his opponents when he throws down the gloves. Brady chooses a little less, but likes to take advantage of a certain element of surprise. Worthy sons of a father, Keith, who was not much more subtle, the Tkachuk brothers put on a show and all teams would take one or the other without hesitation.

Honorable mentions:

Trent Frederic, Bruins de Boston

Zachary L’Heureux, Nashville Predators

Michael Eyssimont, Lightning de Tampa Bay

Brandon Duhaime, Capitals de Washington

Corey Perry, Oilers d’Edmonton

Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers

Brandon Tanev, Kraken de Seattle