THN Enforcers Week: Top 5 Montreal Canadiens Fighters of All-Time

In their history, the Montreal Canadiens have had a long list of courageous enforcers, including some of the best to ever drop the gloves in the NHL.

Fighting has always been part of the game of hockey. While it may be on the decline, it's not dead yet. Last season, the Montreal Canadiens were seventh in the league in 2022-23 with 29 fighting majors. Arber Xhekaj and Michael Pezzetta led the way with nine fights a piece.

The glorious history of the Canadiens is adorned with a long list of tough players who  were willing to stand up for their teammates, including Sprague Cleghorn, Terry Harper, Pierre Bouchard, Larry Robinson, Pete Mahovlich, Mike McPhee, Doug Risebrough, Mario Tremblay, Turner Stevenson and Sheldon Souray. And from the current roster, we must include Brendan Gallagher, the Habs warrior who is often seen bloodied after a skirmish.

In a category of his own, there was Maurice Richard. While the Rocket is legendary for his goal-scoring prowess and captaining a Canadiens dynasty, his intensity on the ice meant that he was no shrinking violet. As chronicled in Dick Irvin's book The Habs, NHL referee Red Storey said, "Richard didn't start trouble too often, but when he got involved he usually finished it."

In this piece, we will look at players who acted as enforcers for the Montreal Canadiens. Their willingness to drop the gloves had the ability to change a period, change a game and in some cases, even change the outcome of a playoff series.

(Statistics are for regular season only. Fight numbers via hockeyfights.com)

Career: 500 games | 303 points | 1216 PIM | 42 fights (for MTL)

John Ferguson is widely considered to be the NHL's first enforcer. While not big in stature, Ferguson policed the ice with the reputation of the league's toughest player. For eight seasons, all with the Canadiens, the Vancouver native protected Montreal's best players, especially Jean Beliveau.

Ferguson made his NHL debut on October 8, 1963 at the Boston Garden, playing on the Canadiens top line with Beliveau and Bernie Geoffrion. Just 12 seconds into the match, Ferguson fought and beat the Bruins' 'Terrible' Ted Green. Ferguson was involved in a second dust-up later in the period but ended the game with two goals and an assist.

Ferguson took full advantage of playing with Beliveau to demonstrate that he was a multi-dimensional threat. He led all rookies in scoring during the 1963-64 season and finished as runner-up in the Calder Trophy voting. 'Fergie's' career high 29 goals and 52 points in 1968-69 coincided with his high-water mark in penalty minutes with 185. 

In his book, My Life in Hockey, Beliveau wrote, "But the club's new toughness was best personified by the most formidable player of the decade, if not the club's history -- John Bowie Ferguson. Fergie was the best fighter I've ever seen in the NHL, but he wasn't a brute enforcer. He could beat you, variously, with his fists, his play in the corners, or his scoring ability."

Ferguson's unheralded gift to five Stanley Cup winning teams of which he was a part, may have been in the Canadiens locker room. Beliveau penned, "Fergie's greatest contribution was his spirit; he was the consummate team man and probably succeeded in intimidating more of us in the dressing room than he did our opponents on the ice. You would dare not give less than your best if you wore the same shirt as John Ferguson."

Career: 688 games | 225 points | 3043 PIM | 174 fights (for MTL)

Quite simply, no one fought more for the Montreal Canadiens, and it's not even close. Chris Nilan is ninth in league history in most penalty minutes in a career accrued while skating for Montreal, the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. But it was with the Canadiens where 'Knuckles' earned his nickname and his reputation.

Nilan was selected in the 19th round of the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft, 231st overall, from Northeastern University. He went on to play parts of nine seasons with the Canadiens, showing a willingness to take on all comers. Nilan displayed a scoring touch with a career-high 21 goals during the 1984-85 season and won a Stanley Cup with the Habs in 1986.

Currently a podcaster, Nilan begins every show with his motto, "When I stepped on the ice, I never backed down and I never stayed down."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYcUWF3YW4I[/embed]

Career: 1056 games | 252 points | 2316 PIM | 85 fights (for MTL)

Like the two players above, Lyle Odelein was not gifted with above-average physical size. But the rugged, stay-at-home defenseman knew how to use his size to become one of the toughest rearguards of his era. 

In six full seasons with the Canadiens, the native of Quill Lake, Saskatchewan, was a frequent pugilist with a fight card that included the likes of Matthew Barnaby, Bob Probert, Craig Berube, Mike Peluso, Tim Hunter, Dave Brown, Gino Odjick and even Chris Nilan, who was with the Boston Bruins at the time.

While not blessed with offensive talents, under the tutelage of head coach Jacques Demers, Odelein saw some time on the power play scoring 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points during the 1993-94 season; the same year that saw him reach his career high in penalty minutes at 276. Odelein won a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993.

Career: 1156 games | 693 points | 2357 PIM | 87 fights (for MTL)

Shane Corson is easily the most productive player on this list in his 19-season NHL career playing for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dallas Stars. Corson was solid at both ends of the ice plying his trade with considerable grit, especially during parts of ten seasons with the Canadiens.

Corson was a regular 45 point scorer with his best offensive season coming in 1989-90 where he scored 31 goals and 75 points for the Canadiens.

But Corson also fought, and fought a lot for Montreal particularly in heated rivalry games with the Boston Bruins and the Quebec Nordiques. Randy Moller, a Nords defenceman, was a frequent dance partner for Corson. He also had a few run-ins with the Leafs Tie Domi.

Corson never failed to stand up for his teammates even when the opponent was a much larger player.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI7R4hlBXdU[/embed]

Career: 244 games | 35 points | 997 PIM | 31 fights (for MTL)

As the phrase goes, 'the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.' John Kordic's tenure in Montreal was brief, lasting just 115 regular season games. But the 6-foot-2, 210 pound native of Edmonton, Alberta made a huge impact in Montreal where fans in the Forum chanted his name "Kor-dic! Kor-dic! Kor-dic!"

Canadiens head coach Jean Perron called Kordic "the best fighter in the league." Perron went on to say, "Nobody could take John Kordic."

Kordic's time in Montreal overlapped with Chris Nilan. With the player nicknamed 'Rambo' taking some of the fighting load, Nilan was able to focus on his checking role, on a line with Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey.

Kordic won a Memorial Cup, a Calder Cup and was part of the Canadiens 1986 Stanley Cup winning team. Kordic tragically lost his life to substance abuse at the age of 27 years old.