Enforcer (ice hockey)
An enforcer deters violence through fighting and physical intimidation.
An enforcer in ice hockey is a player whose primary role is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposing team. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "fighter", "tough guy", or "goon". Enforcers are expected to react aggressively by fighting or checking offenders, particularly harshly against violence directed at star players or goalies. They are distinct from pests, who seek to agitate opponents without necessarily fighting, and from grinders, who focus on hard work and checking rather than scoring or fighting.
- Typical position
- Winger on the fourth forward checking line
- Scoring
- Typically among the lowest scoring players on the team
- Ice time
- Receive a smaller share of ice time
- Pay
- Not highly paid compared to other players
- Career mobility
- Tend to move from team to team
- Fighting decline
- Major penalties for fighting declined by 25% annually in the first half of the 2011–2012 season
- Fighting frequency 2012
- 0.5 fights per game in 2012
Lore & Background
Enforcers can play either forward or defense, but are most frequently used as wingers on the fourth forward checking line. They are prized for aggression, size, checking ability, and fists, and are typically less gifted at skill areas of the game than their teammates. Some enforcers take boxing lessons to improve their fighting. A few players have combined the enforcer role with strong play in other areas: Tiger Williams, Bob Probert, Chris Simon, and Tom Wilson showed occasional scoring flair, with Williams and Probert playing in the midseason All-Star Game. Terry O'Reilly once scored 90 points in a season, becoming the first player to finish in the top ten regular season scorers while amassing at least 200 penalty minutes, and later became captain of the Boston Bruins.
Sometimes enforcers can do their job by reputation alone. Clark Gillies was among the best fighters in the NHL during his prime, but over time he rarely had to fight because opponents respected and feared him enough not to go after his teammates. Some skilled players, such as Gordie Howe and Jarome Iginla, functioned effectively as their own enforcers. The "Gordie Howe hat trick" refers to a player scoring a goal, assisting on a goal, and being involved in a fight in a single game.
The role of the enforcer has diminished since rule enforcement changed after the 2004–05 NHL lockout to increase game speed and scoring. Although enforcers are not highly paid nor take much ice time, teams are less inclined to keep a roster spot for a one-dimensional fighter who is a liability as a scorer and defender, due to the decrease in fighting. This has led to a decrease in the number of players whose predominant role is enforcer. Instead, more well-rounded players are expected to contribute aspects of the enforcer role. Intimidation and fighting continue to be utilized as a strategy in the NHL.
Reader's Guide
The enforcer has been a notable archetype in ice hockey, described by John Branch in The New York Times as "hockey's favorite archetype"—working-class superheroes and underdogs willing to do the sport's most dangerous work to protect others. Enforcers are often popular on their teams despite being among the lowest scorers and receiving less ice time. John Scott's reputation as an enforcer and fan favorite helped him earn enough fan votes to secure a spot in the 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game, despite having been demoted out of the league at the time. He unexpectedly played a key role in his division's victory by scoring two goals, and fan response led to him being named the most valuable player of the tournament. Fighting skills can allow insufficiently talented or smaller players to play in leagues where their hockey skills alone would not have otherwise granted them admission.
The decline of the enforcer role has been linked to greater awareness of risks from head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). During the summer of 2011, three NHL enforcers died: Derek Boogaard at age 28 from an accidental mixture of painkillers and alcohol; Rick Rypien at age 27 from a confirmed suicide; and Wade Belak at age 35 in circumstances that led a newspaper's police source to categorize his death as a suicide. A year earlier, Bob Probert died of an apparent heart attack in his mid-40s, with later tests indicating brain damage and CTE from his years of fighting. Retired enforcer Georges Laraque suggested that the National Hockey League Players' Association provide counselling to enforcers. Sports journalist Roy MacGregor opined that more should be done, including eliminating the role altogether. John Branch covered Boogaard's death and the "epidemic" of CTE from frequent head trauma sustained by hockey enforcers.
Did You Know?
- Dave Semenko won two Stanley Cups as an enforcer in the 1980s.
- John Scott was voted into the 61st NHL All-Star Game despite being demoted out of the league, and was named MVP after scoring two goals.
- Terry O'Reilly once scored 90 points in a season while amassing at least 200 penalty minutes, finishing in the top ten regular season scorers.
- Three NHL enforcers died during the summer of 2011: Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak.
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