THN Enforcers Week: Top 5 Fighters In Capitals History

From Tom Wilson to Alan May to Craig Berube, the Washington Capitals have been lucky to be on the same side as quite a few of the league's toughest customers.

From Tom Wilson to Alan May to Craig Berube, the Washington Capitals have been lucky to be on the same side as quite a few of the league's toughest customers.

As part of The Hockey News' Enforcers Week, here are the top five fighters to lace 'em up for Washington.

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The fifth overall pick for Washington in the 1982 NHL Draft, Stevens made his mark on the franchise as one of their top defensemen and best enforcers.

Stevens made his mark on the NHL with his highly-applauded stay-at-home style, but it was his hard hits, big body checks and willingness to fight when he had to that made him a major asset for the Capitals over the course of eight years.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound blueliner was a heavyweight who packed a punch and played a hard-nosed, unforgiving game, and he also broke out as a strong puck-moving defenseman who could be a major threat on offense and rack up points and penalty minutes. He averaged well over 150 per season over his tenure in the District.

Stevens became a regular Norris candidate over the course of his career, and it led him to become the captain of the New Jersey Devils when he did move on from D.C. He still goes down as one of the best fighters to ever drop 'em for the Capitals, and he takes No. 5 on our list.

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Washington's all-time penalty minutes leader and former captain, Dale Hunter, takes the No. 4 spot, though his 63 career fights with the organization rank fifth.

After seven seasons in Quebec, where he earned the nickname "La Petite Peste" (the little nuisance) with the Nordiques, Hunter came over to the Capitals and made an immediate impact. He brought a lot of offense and scored one of the biggest goals in franchise history in the 1988 Patrick Division, but it was also his physicality, booming hits and grit that made him a legend and quick fan favorite.

The 5-11, 198-pound winger was renowned as a beloved presence in the dressing room that also led by example, often being the first to take the ice at practice. Against opponents, he'd pile on the hits, rack up the PIMs and engage in fisticuffs as he became one of the league's toughes and most difficult players to deal with, both as a physical and offensive threat. He's the league's second all-time PIMs leader to boot.

While he was made an example of in 1993 with Gary Bettman dulling out a 21-game suspension for a "dirty" play, Hunter's rough-and-tumble style was one that made him a critical leader. Combine that with his offense and ties to the organization -- the same ones that led to the interim head coaching job in 2011-12 -- and he's one of the Capitals' best fighters to ever play.

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When it comes to the old-time hockey definition of an enforcer, there was no one who did it arguably as well as Craig Berube.

Berube, known as "Chief," made his reputation known in his NHL debut with 16 penalty minutes and two fighting majors. From there, he was one of the league's most feared players thanks to his willingness to drop the gloves.

He didn't average the most ice time with Washington -- granted, he spent the majority of that in the box -- and in 419 games in D.C. over seven seasons, he amassed a whopping 1,220 PIMs. He had a handful of impressive knockouts, too.

He truly embodied the definition of the classic hockey enforcer and ranks seventh on the league's all-time PIMs list with 3,149 over his career. He had just 159 points in his 1,054-game career, but it was his physicality and dedication to sticking up for his teammates and battling hard on a nightly basis that makes him prominent.

Tom Wilson is the player that everyone loves to hate but would take on their team in a heartbeat, and a lot of that is because of that physicality and edge he brings to Washington.

Wilson started his NHL career as a fourth liner and modern-day enforcer known for his punishing -- and at times, controversial -- hits and ability to drop the gloves.

The 6-4, 220-pound heavyweight is relentless, and as he enters his prime, he sits third on the team's all-time fights list with 80 bouts. His Game 7 fight against Braydon Coburn in the 2018 Eastern Conference Final arguably gave the team a major spark needed to win and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they finally exorcised the demons and won it all.

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Not only can he win a fight and play the enforcer role, but he's now a fixture on the top-6 and has shown his capability of being a 50-point scorer. At the same time, he plays on both special teams and is one of the team's best penalty killers.

Looking at his impact and versatility, as well as his modern-day impact as an enforcer and power forward, Wilson takes No. 2 on our all-time enforcers' list, especially with him poised to take over as Capitals' all-time fights leader in the coming years.

There's no question that Alan May is the top fighter to ever take the ice for the Capitals.

May was a regular in the minors before the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Capitals, where he became a fast fan favorite and stepped into a bigger role that would push his career forward.

Known for his hard-hitting, gritty and merciless game, May made his opponent's night miserable night after night. Most importantly, though, he was a protector of his teammates and one of the most feared enforcers. To this day, he's Washington's single-season leader in penalty minutes (339), and he ended up totalling 1,389 PIM during his stint in the District.

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May is also the franchise's all-time fights leader, having dropped the gloves 91 times in five seasons playing for the Capitals. The 6-1, 200-pounder would go toe-to-toe with the likes of Tie Domi and more while never shying away from a scrap, whether it be in response to a hit, sticking up for his team or simply trying to spark some energy.

May is still loyal to the franchise, offering his insight and analysis on the Capitals as a television personality for Monumental Sports Network. And it's that loyalty, as well as how he finally helped Washington reach new heights in 1990, that makes him our No. 1 fighter.