Jacob Stoller speaks with Sean O'Brien of the Calder Farmstead Podcast about AHL analytics and prospect trends. <em>Bill Armstrong</em> [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk5ODU4MDU4OTI5NjQ1MTg0/bill_armstrong_1500x1000-1.jpg] <em>Bill Armstrong</em> It's no secret that the management suites of the NHL are filled with former players, but it may perhaps surprise you how many could straight-up brawl back in the day. And for some of those players-turned-execs, they did it in the minors or the WHL during a time when things popped off on the regular. So while the on-ice talents of someone like Steve Yzerman are well-known, some of his GM peers had skills you may or may not have known of. Here's a look at the toughest NHL GMs, based on their playing days. BILL ARMSTRONG, ARIZONA COYOTES Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Armstrong played defense in the AHL and IHL for nearly a decade and suffered no fools. His most brutalizing season came in 1994-95 when he posted 244 PIM with the Providence Bruins, the third year in a row that he hit at least the 200 PIM mark. Here he is taking out tough guy Terry Ryan: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvAWc3pvNOE[/embed] ROB BLAKE, LOS ANGELES KINGS Not only is Blake a Hall of Fame defenseman and Stanley Cup champion, but he could do damage during his heyday at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds. Blake didn't fight often during his NHL career and given how good he was in other aspects of the game, it made sense for him to stay out of the box. But we also have to consider that many guys wouldn't want to drop the gloves with him. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfBgoCfHav4[/embed] JIM NILL, DALLAS STARS Perhaps the most incredible thing about Nill's fighting style is how calm he was during some epic bouts in the 1980s. He was undoubtedly strong and could play some defense during tilts, but he would also take punches without batting an eye; he was basically the T-1000. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2d5yHjdA68[/embed] MIKE GRIER, SAN JOSE SHARKS Coming from a football family, Grier definitely falls into the category of "mess around and find out." He wasn't racking up big PIMs during his 14-year career, but check out any of his tilts and you'll see a strong competitor who ended things often. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJu9_FKcmhU[/embed] BRAD TRELIVING, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS Another big defenseman, Treliving played at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, winding his way through the minors in the 1990s. Playing for the scrap-happy Columbus Chill of the ECHL, Treliving topped out at 234 PIM in 56 games - and he wasn't even the busiest player on the team thanks to the likes of Barry Dreger and Cam Brown. BILL GUERIN, MINNESOTA WILD Stanley Cup winner, 40-goal scorer, big dude at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. Guerin was a prototypical power forward who made his mark in the NHL for years and within those seasons came a lot of fights. He topped out at nine with the Edmonton Oilers in 1998-99 but even had five in his final NHL campaign with Pittsburgh. BRIAN MACLELLAN, WASHINGTON CAPITALS A power forward at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, MacLellan spent about a decade in the NHL and scored 30 goals on two occasions, once with the Kings and once with the North Stars. He could also throw down when called upon, as you can see here. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIcT6xWfYtg[/embed] PAT VERBEEK, ANAHEIM DUCKS Known as the 'Little Ball of Hate' during his playing days, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Verbeek didn't back down from anyone, even starting a fight with Eric Lindros one time. Verbeek threw down eight times as a rookie in 1983-84 with New Jersey and beat that with nine in Hartford six years later. DON SWEENEY, BOSTON BRUINS Nearly a lifelong Bruin (he played one season in Dallas before retiring), Sweeney was a mainstay on the Boston blueline and he could defend himself when need be. He even rocked Marty McSorley with a big hit back in the day - and that's never for the faint of heart. BARRY TROTZ, NASHVILLE PREDATORS While Trotz got into coaching pretty early on, he did play in the WHL during the wild 1980s. One of his Regina Pats teams, coached by Jack Sangster, was known as "Sangster's Gangsters" and Trotz had 115 PIM - which was only good for eighth on the squad. He had 155 the next season, though fellow D-man Al Tuer had an astonishing 486.
