These players dropped the gloves the most of anyone to ever put on a Florida sweater

The Florida Panthers are entering the team’s 30th anniversary season, one that promises to honor and celebrate the first three decades the franchise has been around.

While the first things that come to mind are generally big goals or memorable games, there is another side of the game that can be tapped into simply by uttering a handful of names.

Say “Paul Laus” to any Panthers fan and you’re all but guaranteed to see smile creep onto their face, or bring up Peter Worrell and watch their eyes light up as they instantly are flooded with memories of one of the many pummelings that made either of the aforementioned enforcers two of the most popular players in team history.

This week, The Hockey News is hosting Enforcers Week, a time to celebrate the toughest guys the NHL has to offer both now and historically.

Here at THN Florida, that means taking a look at the players who dropped the gloves the most during their time with the Panthers.

The list, as those familiar with Panthers history can probably imagine, is a bit top heavy.

1. Paul Laus

530 GP 1702 PIM 169 Fights (all with Florida)

Florida’s OG enforcer, Laus played his entire NHL career with the Panthers and was a fan favorite from the start. The first years of the franchise featured a team full of hard-nosed veterans who knew on most nights they’d have to out work their opponent to emerge victorious, and Laus was the muscle on a team full of guys you wouldn’t want to mess with.

2. Peter Worrell

342 GP 1375 PIM 113 Fights (with Florida)

Had 17 fights and 179 PIM in one season with Colorado (03-04)

Peter Worrell was a sight to behold on the ice. His massive frame and steely glare could strike fear into the heart of any man, and boy oh boy could he back that up with what he could do with his fists.

3. Scott Mellanby

552 GP 953 PIM 36 Fights (with Florida)

Played 1431 games for five teams over 21 seasons. 111 total fights and 2479 career PIMs.

The time Scott Mellanby spent with the Panthers is known for a lot more than fighting, but his spot on the all-time list cannot be ignored. Florida’s first power forward was a consistent scoring threat, locker room leader and also responsible for the franchise’s rat-throwing tradition.

4. Darcy Hordichuk

124 GP 249 PIM 29 Fights (with Florida)

NHL career was 542 games, 129 fights and 1140 PIM deep

Darcy Hordichuk played parts of three seasons over two stints with the Panthers, from 2002-2004 and then in 2010-11. His ratio of fights to games played with Florida would have him exactly where he should be on the list of the team’s all-time fighters.

5. Gregory Campbell

363 GP 312 PIM 26 Fights (with Florida)

NHL career was 803 games, 70 fights and 696 PIMs.

Florida originally drafted Gregory Campbell in the third round of the 2002 NHL Draft, and he ended up playing parts of six seasons with the Panthers from 2003 to 2010. Now he’s the Panthers Vice President of Player Personnel and Development and acts as the General Manager of the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s AHL affiliate.

Honorable Mentions

Ed Jovanovski, Bill Lindsay and Rhett Warrener each dropped the gloves 25 times while with the Panthers.

Jovo played 362 of his 1128 NHL games with Florida, but his 25 fights with the Panthers were more than the 21 he had with the Coyotes and Canucks combined.

Lindsay also fought more with Florida than anywhere else (25 with the Cats to 21 combined with Calgary, Atlanta, Montreal and San Jose), and his 46 career fights came in 351 less games than Jovanovski.

Warrener actually had more career fights (51) than both Lindsay and Jovo, and he did it in less games too. Warrener fought 25 games in 217 games with Florida and another 26 times in 497 combined games with Buffalo and Calgary.