Top-5 Enforcers In Minnesota Wild History

The Minnesota Wild have made it known in the last couple of seasons that they are one of the 'grittiest' teams in the NHL with a lot of physical presence on the active roster with guys who stick up for each other. 

Last year the Wild finished third in the NHL with the most fights at 35, the year before they finished second in the NHL with 35. 

Throughout the years they have had many enforcers like Matt Johnson and Zenon Konopka to more recently with Marcus Foligno, Ryan Reaves and Pat Maroon.

205 GP 544 PIMS 54 fights (with the Wild)

Like many other guys on this list, Boogaard didn't play many games with the Wild or in the NHL, but he deserves to be number one. It is unfortunate what ended up happening to Boogaard when he tragically passed away at age 28, but the Wild were certainly fortunate to have him play five seasons for them. 

Anytime he was on the ice, opposing teams gripped their stick a little harder. 

Fight wins aren't a stat that is tracked in the NHL but I only recall Boogaard losing two fights, one to Zdeno Chara and another to Eric Godard. 

His 6-foot-7, 265-pound frame was one of the biggest in the NHL. His physical presence was known throughout the league that if you were going to take a run at one of the Wild's star players, Boogaard would be right in your face the next shift. 

The former seventh-round pick carried the nickname the 'boogyman' with him wherever he went. It was developed when he was little and stuck all through his time in the NHL. 

One thing about Boogaard that sets him apart from most enforcers is how much he truly respected his teammates. He enjoyed fighting in the NHL but most importantly he enjoyed sticking up for his teammates. 

He is certainly missed but will go down as the greatest enforcers and teammates the Wild have ever had. 

227GP 698PIMS 61 fights (with the Wild)

Matt Johnson played 10 seasons in the NHL with three different teams. He played five years with the Los Angeles Kings, one with the Atlanta Thrashers and four seasons with the Wild, where he ended his career with 227 games played in a Wild sweater. 

The former Wild captain racked up 1,523 penalty minutes in the NHL with 698 of them coming with the Wild. He is the current Wild leader in fights despite only playing 227 games for Minnesota. 

The 6-foot-5 forward collected 15 goals and 22 points with the Wild but was mainly known for his big hits and fights. Like, Boogaard, Johnson was the ultimate teammate. He stood up for his team when someone got hit hard and wore the captain patch during the 2002-03 season. 

Unfortunately, Johnson has struggled after he retired from hockey and recently had a documentary on him called "Searching for Matt Johnson."

396GP 415PIMS 33 fights (with the Wild)

Marcus Foligno is the only current player on this list to still play in the NHL and he is still with the Wild today. He currently ranks second all-time behind Cal Clutterbuck for most hits in Wild history. 

Like everyone on this list, Foligno is an incredible teammate. He is the current assistant captain for the Wild where he has played 396 total games across six seasons. 

Not only does Foligno get in fights and stick up for his teammates, but he also provides elite-level defense as a forward and has made a name for himself as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. 

Not to mention, he also scored 23 goals two seasons ago with 42 points and racked up 21 points last year in 65 games. 

During his time in Minnesota, Foligno has become a fan favorite and has developed the nickname 'Moose' which has turned into T-shirts and signs fans bring to the arena. He is more than just an enforcer; he is a leader who shines in other aspects of the game as well which makes him a cornerstone on a good Wild team. 

He is set to enter the last year of his contract after having a fairly disappointing season last year where he wasn't as dominant as years past, in terms of defensive play. But he has another year to prove to the Wild's brass that he can still play at an elite level at age 31. 

227GP 296PIMS 26 fights (with the Wild)

Clayton Stoner is the only defenseman on this list and was known as a great physical and defensive defender. He played 360 games in the NHL across eight seasons. 

Not only did Stoner record 26 fights with the Wild, but he racked up the hits and blocked shots as he became a true physical net front presence that was hard to get by, a goaltender's dream. 

The 6-foot-4 defender played three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks after playing 227 games across five seasons with the Wild. 

He was later drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft where he played a couple of pre-season games before announcing his retirement after he was played on the injured reserve list before the 2017 season even started. 

Despite only playing 227 games with the Wild, Stoner ranks 16th in Wild history in blocked shots and fourth in fights.

114GP 246PIMS 24 fights (with the Wild)

Lastly, Brad Staubitz might be someone Wild fans forgot about despite making his presence known with 24 career fights with the Wild in only 114 games. 

He only played two seasons with the Wild from 2010-2012 and played 230 career games with four different teams before retiring after the 2014 season. 

Staubitz wasn't the biggest enforcer in the league, but he sure was a tough one, just ask Ryan Reaves about him. 

For whatever reason, I remember one specific fight of Staubitz. It was his fight against Rick Rypien of the Vancouver Canucks. Staubitz always had a heavy right hand which he landed on Rypien. 

Staubitz's 24 fights currently ranks fifth all-time in Wild history only one ahead of Brad Brown who played three years for the Wild. But Staubitz's sneaky physical presence has landed him fifth all-time for greatest enforcers in Minnesota Wild history.