Quotes on tough guys C

[EDDIE SHORE]

Eric [Big Daddy] Cairns
Interesting fact: To keep himself in shape he has boxed for 10 years and done some kickboxing

Arron Asham: Cairnsy is one of the top 5 tough guys in the league. He is a warrior. He'll do anything for the team and all of his teammates will miss him as well as the [Islanders] fans.

Jim Cummins: He was definitely the heavyweight on the team and after witnessing him destroy some guys, I would put him in the top 5 easily. I mean, he hurts guys. It’s one thing to win a fight and it’s another to hurt a guy. He is a huge presence and I think the Islanders made a big mistake by not signing him. He is also a great guy in the locker room.

Paul Kruse: Eric Cairns is a big man. We had a few battles. I don't think I tried anything really different. I had a lot of luck by getting him off balance. He probably has about 6 inches of reach on me. I think I just matched up well against him. He has made a great name for himself and is still active.

Ray Schultz: Nice guy but don't piss him off. Never lost a fight really bad that I ever saw. Big man.

Brandon Sugden: Well, one of my favorites for years and he has been up and down, not up and down in the league, but up and down fighting caliber-wise, and I still think he is top three is Eric Cairns. I think I fought him three times in one game when he was playing for Hartford and I was playing for Worcester in preseason and he beat the living **** out of me the first fight. I don't remember the next few fights but, I guess, my next shift I went out and grabbed him again and we had a meeting with a kind of even fight and then, the third fight, I went out and from what I heard, I beat him to a pulp but I don't remember…


Scott Campbell
Interesting fact: Diagnosed as having vascular migraine headaches caused by the medication he was taking to control his asthma. Retired prior to St. Louis' 1982 training camp due to the headaches and asthma

Jimmy Mann: Not a bad fighter at all.


Jack [Big Bopper] Carlson
Interesting fact: Slated to play the role of Jack Hanson in the movie Slap Shot, but he was offered a contract by Edmonton (WHA) before filming began in 1976 and was competing in the WHA playoffs when filming started

Paul Holmgren: Most complete fighter together with Behn Wilson.

Harry Neale: Best fighter in the WHA.

Larry Playfair: I lost a lot of respect for Carlson because he once picked on a nobody [Bill Hajt] to look good. Got the impression that he was an opportunist as a fighter - not high on the respect scale. He was a pretty good fighter though.


Jeff Carlson
Interesting fact: Finished 2nd in penalty minutes 1974-75 (NAHL) behind Gary Sittler

Kim Clackson: Jeff was the best fighter of all the Carlsons. very tough, better than Jack.


Wayne [Cash] Cashman
Interesting fact: Last player from the original six era to retire. (1983 playoffs)

Tiger Williams: During one scrap, O'Reilly had me down on the ice and Wayne Cashman was trying to kick me in the head with his skates. He got one in through my helmet, leaving a deep cut which required six stitches. But it was obvious he wasn't going to leave it at that. It was then that O'Reilly said, low enough to escape Cashman's hearing, 'Put your head under my body, I'll shield you.' I guess he believed that Cashman was capable of kicking my eyes out.


Zdeno [Big Z] Chara
Interesting fact: Tallest NHL player ever (6’9”). Father Zdenek competed in the 1976 Olympics (Wrestling)

Eric Cairns: Yeah, they hurt though. [Chara’s punches] That was pretty heavy. That was as much as I’ve ever been hit, I think. I got stitches. He hit me on the top of the head. My head looked like a football.

Ray Schultz: Freak of nature, hardest working guy I've ever seen.

Sheldon Souray: [While playing with Chara in Sweden during the lockout] If I could bring one guy home to play for the Canadiens, it would be Zee. He works so hard to improve himself. He’s really blossomed in Ottawa the past couple years and he takes it all with a grain of salt. He’s so competitive, and his work ethic is unbelievable. He pushes me in that way – riding the bike, always with a banana or protein shake in his hand. He’s not a 6-foot-9 stringbean who skates like a piece of spaghetti, he’s a 6-9, 265-pound come-and-get-some. It gives me an appreciation for a Mike Ribeiro or a Saku Koivu who’ll battle Zee in front of the net. You can see what a monster he is, how much uniform he fills up.

Jason Strudwick: Chara is just a monster of a man. I was lucky. He came to Edmonton last summer and I was able to work out with him and spend a lot of time with him. In Kentucky, you didn't know what was going to happen with Big Z. He wasn't very mobile but he worked hard and you can see what he's become-probably one of the most dominant defenseman in the league.

Chris [Chelly] Chelios
Interesting fact: Oldest NHL player between 2005-2007 season

Brian Propp: He never goes after tough guys. He just goes after guys who won’t fight when nobody else is on the ice. You think he’d do that to Jim McKenzie ?


Shane [Chainsaw] Churla
Interesting fact: 2nd cousin of former NFL Super Bowl MVP (XXVI – 1991), Mark Rypien, a 10-year NFL veteran

Jeff Beukeboom: ultimate team player and a great leader. All offense, no defense in his fights and a guy who played hard every shift.

Dean Chynoweth
Interesting fact: Coached Canada's World Championship Under-18 team in the 2004 IHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship

Bob Boughner: A heavy puncher. He was not afraid to stand in and throw punches. Dean was both my first ever pro fight (AHL) and first fight in the NHL.

Kevin Cheveldayoff: Dean was a very tough competitor and was someone you were always happy to have on your side when you went into battle. He came to play every night and every night you knew what you would get from him. He is a great person off the ice and a great leader in the room.

Rod Dallman: Dean is a smart guy. He worked hard at his game and was a well liked player. You could tell he was going to be a coach someday.

Kevin Kaminski: Dean was a great all around D-man who played with GRIT, TOUGHNESS, and whatever it took to win!

Derek Laxdal: Dean was tough and is a good man.



Enrico Ciccone
Interesting fact: Became part-time hockey analyst and player agent after retirement

Rick Tocchet: He's tough, I wouldn't say he's the toughest, but he's pretty tough. He's more crazy with his stick. He can do something real nuts. That's why people are leery of him. Sometimes I don't like the way he uses his stick, he comes in high. I've fought him a couple of times and both times I've tried to throw punches with him and both times, he's thrown me down by my pants. He's not a guy you're real scared of but he is tough.


Kim Clackson
Interesting fact: NHL-record for most games in a career without scoring a goal (106)

Mel Bridgman: A very tough fighter.

Clark Gillies: Although Clackson wasn't especially big, he was a tremendously gifted fighter and a damn good lefty.

Rick Jodzio: A guy that had a good rep. Possibly top 10 material.

Mark Johnson: I would definitely call him a scrapper. Kim wasn't a big guy (5-foot-10, 195 pounds), but he wouldn't back down from anyone. He was never intimidated.

Al Secord: A real pest, really annoying player.


Aubrey [Dit] Clapper
Interesting fact: Clapper’s grandson Greg Theberge played in the NHL. First player in the NHL to play 20 seasons. First player to be selected to the NHL’s All-Star team at two different positions (RW 1931 & D 1940,41,44). He was the first player for whom the Hall’s waiting period was waived

King Clancy: [Red] Horner once decided to take on of their [Boston] best players, Dit Clapper. As we were leaving the dressing room on this particular night, he said to me, “I’m going to stop this Clapper tonight!” “Well Red, you’d better be very careful because this fellow know how to fight, but you don’t know the intricacies of boxing.” “Well,” said Red, “I’m going to try him anyway.” Horner was game enough to take him on all right, but before he knew it Clapper had him down on his knees with a couple of punches. When I knelt beside him to ask if he was hurt, all that Red could say was, “Gee, that fellow can hit!”



Kerry [Sharky] Clark
Interesting fact: Broke his neck after a check by the late Marc Potvin. Had two surgeries on his spine

Shawn Byram: I played with Kerry in Midget and Junior and I think he is one of the toughest guys who never played in the NHL. I think he should have played in the NHL for sure. He was a great guy from good stock. Kerry always went after the toughest guy on the other team, no matter what. We were playing Baltimore in Springfield and during the warm-up, I was stretching by the red line. I was still this stary-eyed kid taking in as much of the pro game as I could. This guy was skating around for the Skipjacks that had to be 6' 8" and I was staring at him. I couldn't believe how big he was. Kerry Clark saw this and on his first shift he takes a run at this monster and drops the gloves in what was nothing short of a David vs Goliath fight. The big guy was Mark Hatcher, Kevin and Derian's brother.

Glenn Johannesen: Both Dean [Ewen] and Kerry are younger than I am, so I didn’t spend a lot of time with them away from the rink. Both were very good team players and worked hard. Given the skills that they had, I think they did well for themselves. I liked both of them, but spent a bit more time talking with Kerry only because he was a Saskatchewan boy who grew up in towns where I did, and his uncle Barry Melrose’s dad and my dad knew each other very well.

Kevin Kaminski: Sharky was one of the best teamates I've ever had! He knew his role and did it with "PRIDE"! He would crash and bang and stick up for his teammates in any situation! You knew he held himself accountable to do his role, and he loved to do it! I think he was one of the only enforcers to know every other tough guy. He would talk to them before every game and then go and duke it out with them! Like I said "friend or not" he did his job! He was also a leader with his work ethic on and off the ice, as well as in the locker room! He earned everthing he got! To a great "Friend" and teamate! Thanks for all the memories!

Paul Kruse: He was the ultimate team guy. He would do anything for anybody at any time. He would fight anyone and fought everyone. I don't remember him losing too many. He could throw strong with both hands. He scored around 20 goals that year and every time he would score he would do the moonwalk down the center of the ice and finish it off with the three amigo's dance. It was priceless......until the next shift when the other team would respond by putting out the 5 toughest players they had!!!! I felt Sharky deserved a better fate than he received. I felt bad sometimes when I was called up as I thought he should have been the one going.

Wendel [Boomer] Clark
Interesting fact: Cousin of Joey Kocur and Barry Melrose

Bob McGill: Have the utmost respect for Wendel Clark. One of the toughest guys, regardless of size, I’ve ever known.


Sprague [Peg, Husky] Cleghorn
Interesting fact: Was part of the first brother combination being captains of an NHL team. Once while nursing a broken leg he beat his wife with a pair of crutches

Jack Adams: Hockey is a tough game nowadays [the 1960s], but is a picnic compared to what it used to be. The [Joe] Halls and [Billy] Coutus and [Sprague and Odie] Cleghorns . . . have no counterparts in the game now. If you were lucky enough to skate by them in one piece they’d turn and hook their sticks at your face or crack you over the head . . .That Cleghorn, why, that son of a bitch was an unwashed surgeon.

King Clancy: He was a block of granite. Sprague was one of the best as well as one of the roughest players the game has ever known. He was once asked how many fights he had in his NHL career and he replied, “do you mean just stretcher cases?” He’d skate over to the Montreal bench where they kept a big can of talcum powder, sprinkle some of it on his hockey glove, and then run the glove up and down the shaft of his stick. Then he’d glare over at our bench and we knew that he was ready – ready to give one of us the butt end of his stick. We’d begin to wonder which one of us would be nursing cracked or broken ribs before the night was over. Sprague could slip that butt end into you like a knife.

Red Dutton: If some of the longhairs I see on the ice these days [the 1970s] met Sprague Cleghorn, he’d shave them to the skull. Jesus, he was mean. If you fell in front of Cleg, he’d kick your balls off.

Frank Finnigan: A viscious player. Sprague Cleghorn once hit Eddie Gerard across the throat with his stick and Gerard lost his voice forever. Cleghorn was a tough customer, and he was a big man too. One night Buck Boucher was down on the ice and Cleghorn kicked Buck. But, oh, Cleghorn cut them all – Gerard, Nighbor, Cy Denneny – with his stick.
Well, I did hit Cleghorn one time – And he went down. Oh, he was treacherous. Oh, he was tough.


Glen Cochrane
Interesting fact: Moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, after his retirement and opened a Little Caesar's Pizza franchise

Clark Gillies: This was a real tough guy - Kinda scary actually. He packed a good punch in his best days.

Jimmy Mann: Free thrower and wild.

Bob Nystrom: That guy was trouble, I had a hard time dealing with his style of fighting. I never got hurt by him and most of his punches were off the mark [in the first fight]. The second fight was a wrestling draw.

Darryl Stanley: Cochrane had wide shoulders and was extremely tough.


Charlie [Big Bomber] Conacher
Interesting fact: Scored the fastest GW goal in NHL history (6 sec on Feb.6,1932 vs Boston 6-0). Scored the goal on which three assists for the first time were awarded in the NHL (Feb.14,1931 Tor-Det 1-1)

King Clancy: I was supposed to have started a lot of fights and never really finished them. Maybe that’s because Charlie Conacher often saved me the trouble and many times rescued me from a trouncing, too. With him on my side I’d have taken on Jack Dempsey! He was a great,great scorer and a wonderful friend. A hard-hitting hockey player, too. When you got into a tough game you were happy to have him with you. Conacher was a rugged individual, was Toronto’s policeman for many years and a great one. He didn’t go looking for trouble, but if it came along he would clear it up.

Frank Finnigan: Conacher just used to take the New York Telephone book and tear it in half.
One time he took Harold Cotton and held him by the ankles out of the Lincoln window right over New York City – that’s how he lost his hair. Conacher was just like Tarzan. He could drink a twenty-six-ounce bottle of liquor and down it like a coke.



Lionel [Big Train] Conacher
Interesting fact: Was a light heavyweight boxing champion of Canada and faced heavyweight boxing champion of the World Jack Dempsey in a four-round exhibition in the summer of 1924. Was voted Canada’s top athlete of the first half century (1950). Took the first ever penalty shot in the Stanley Cup playoffs (Mar.25,1937 vs Boston 0-4)

King Clancy: He scored as well with his fists as his teammates did with the puck!
We were playing in Chicago one night, and though nothing was at stake for us, the Hawks needed the points. Before the opening whistle Lionel says to me “Don’t get flashy, King, and come down my side looking for goals!” But the game’s barely started before I get the puck and, seeing a little opening, decide to sally up the ice just for luck. I whip down Lionel’s side and the next thing I know he’s unhooking me off the high wire at the side with the reminder, “Little man, didn’t I tell you not to come down my side tonight?”

Frank Finnigan: As tough as his brother. The Conacher brothers were about two hundred and twelve pounds, no stomach on them at all, all muscle.

Tommy Gorman (NHL-manager): One night Lionel Conacher was playing cards in a room with Billy Burch and others. All of a sudden, Red Green threw an apple core and hit Conacher in the eye. Lionel leaped from his chair and chased Red down a hall. Green slammed a door behind him at the end of the hall only to have big Conacher draw back and make a shoulder lunge at the closed door. Conny missed the door but he crashed into the wall so hard that some of the back section of the building actually collapsed -- with Conacher and Green beneath it. It cost the hockey club $500.

Frank Selke: [Busher]Jackson once scored a goal and in his exuberance , high-sticked Lionel Conacher. Even though big Connie was an exceptionally clean player, you didn’t high stick him because of his fistic skills. He belted the Busher and the war was on.

Bill Cook
Interesting fact: Oldest Art Ross winner ever (37,5 years old in 1933)

King Clancy: A fine scorer but a very rough individual.


Bert [Pig Iron] Corbeau
Interesting fact: Was the first player to play for both the original Canadian teams (Canadiens & Maple Leafs). First player to reach the 100 PIM plateau (1926-27)

King Clancy: He was a great big roughneck who later became a good friend of mine. The first time I played against Corbeau in Montreal, he cross-checked me across the back of the neck and sent me flying into the chickenwire. I fell down , and of course he fell on top of me – knees first. Only his relatives would have called it an accident! When I was able to stagger to my feet, I wanted to remind Corbeau that he shouldn’t get the idea he could throw me around like an empty flour sack anytime he felt like it. I swung my stick at him and splintered it across his broad back. He didn’t even flinch. I don’t think he ever noticed!



Shayne Corson
Interesting fact: Brother in-law of Darcy Tucker

Dean Chynoweth: A player that chirped a lot at me on the ice. I didn’t have a lot of respect for him but I had never fought him until then [on Long Island]. It was a good fight.

Paul Kruse: I really enjoyed watching the beating Eric Cairns gave Shayne Corson a few years back. I'm not a huge Corson fan going back to his days in Edmonton. He just always had a lot to say. I'll leave it at that.

Bob McGill: Corson was a pretty tough guy - Along the lines of Gary Roberts.

Jay Wells: The type of guy that was an opportunistic fighter and looked to fight only when he knew he would look good doing so. Very concerned about how he "looked" to the fans - his "image". Also one to make a big issue out of wins that he had amongst his teammates, which wasn't always well received. Corson was a pretty damn good fighter - Just too opportunistic.

Patrick Cote
Interesting fact: Scored only one goal in 105 NHL-games

Dean Mayrand: Pat Cote is a huge strong man that commands respect when in the lineup. As a hockey player, Pat's the most intimidating guy to play against, not only because of his toughness & size but because he skates very fast and can run guys right out of the rink. I had good fights with Pat probably because I was so nervous, though we both fight pretty similar (open) so it made for a good fight.




Billy [Beaver] Coutu
Interesting fact: First player to be expelled for life (for attacking referees Jerry Laflamme & Billy Bell)

Frank Fredrickson: Our coach Art Ross objected to some bad calls the referee had made. We lost the game - and the Cup - but after it was over. Ross got us together in the dressing room and said 'okay, the first man who gets the referee gets a $ 500 bonus. 'Well, we had a big French boy on our team named Billy Coutu who was straight out of the woods; the minute he saw the referee, he let him have it unmercifully and absolutely knocked him out. And, sure enough, Ross gave him a $ 500 bonus. 'But in the final analysis, it was a tragic episode. The matter was brought up before the NHL board of directors, and Coutu was suspended for life, yet it was Ross who had inspired it. I've never forgiven Art Ross for that'.


Craig Coxe
Interesting fact: Native Californian who scored San Jose Sharks’ first goal (Oct.4,1991 vs Vancouver 3-4). Scored the goal that Bobby Smith picked up his 1000th point on (Nov.30,1991 vs Toronto 4-3)

Daryl Stanley: Coxe didn't lift a lot of weights but preferred to do a lot of push-ups to develop his strength.


Shawn [The Barbarian] Cronin
Interesting fact: Earned a degree from University of Illinois before becoming a pro

Glenn Johannesen: Two guys who I think were a couple of the toughest to ever play the game, Tony Twist and Shawn Cronin. These guys were good, clean and very tough fighters. I respected both of them for their ability and approach to toughness.


Troy Crowder
Interesting fact: Retired at the age of 24 in 1992 only to make a comeback later on

Jacques Mailhot: A nasty, hungry fighter who was as strong as a bull, and had great reach.

Bryan McCabe: He beat the snot outta me in my rookie year. He put my nose on the other side of my face. I learned in a hurry that I wasn't a tough guy.


Jim [Cummer] Cummins
Interesting fact: Got a rude welcoming as an NHL-rookie when Flyers goalie Ron Hextall got suspended six games for mixing it up with Cummins during a preseason game on Sep.22,1991. Cummins was suspended three games for the altercation

Bob Boughner: Jim's a good buddy of mine. All offense, especially early in his career. He throws a heavy punch. With guys getting bigger and stronger, it's getting tougher for Jimmy to fight the heavyweights.

Todd Ewen: A true middleweight. Jim can be very effective in the aggressive player role although unfortunately, I believe he never used his icetime to his full advantange. He has pretty good hands and a good shot. What hurt him as a player is the fact that he was always reacting instead of acting. He would have been more effective stirring the pot and causing other fighters to attack him by being a defensemans worst nightmare. Hit, hit and hit some more. Never achieved his true potential as a player. As a fighter he didn't hit very hard. Good balance and endurance. As a middleweight, he would have been the perfect compliment in a one-two punch like a Chase- Twist combination.

Ray Schultz: I only played with Jim for a bit and I best remember him for the "knuckle buster" helmet he would wear. Definitely a tough customer that was never short on finding a good story to tell.

Brent Severyn: Jim was a guy that you noticed right away the first time you played against him. He worked extremely hard and didn't take any crap from anyone. Tough but honest out on the ice. You can respect a guy that puts on the hard-hat every time he hits the ice. Any one coming out of Michigan State and getting 338 minutes in penalties in the AHL has to have some guts. You want to cheer for guys like that.

Jason Strudwick: Jim is a physical player who never shys away from a fight. He has done it a long time and knows how to be effective. You have to know who you're fighting and their tendencies and Jim fights a wide open fight with very little defense. He wasn't a really big guy to fight like that. Most of the smaller guys would fight more technical, but not Jimmy. We had a couple of good fights and I'd see him after and say hello.


Brian [The Colonel] Curran
Interesting fact: Had 4158 PIM’s in his hockey career

Kerry Clark: He was a pure leader. He played in Boston when the NHL was at it's peak for toughness. He has to go up against guys like Dave Brown every night. He was signed for a reason. He commanded respect and didn't have to say much to get that respect. He earned that respect through his actions.

[spiderarms]

Interesting comments from Tiger Williams on Cashman. Classic comments by O'Reilly!

[Travis24]

Does anyone have any comments from NHLers about Terry Carkner? The only thing I remember is a GM saying he had huge hands at the draft or something. Carkner was one of my favorites and certainly underrated! Eddie, I am not busting balls about him not being in your post, I am just seeing if anyone has any quotes about a guy I really enjoyed here in Philly (and other spots--esp Quebec and NY).

[Travis24]

IMO Cochrane's greatest hockey moment came when with Maine. He did a flying leap from the boards at the player bench into a brawl. I think it was against Moncton. Then I believe he beat up Larry Robinson's brother while shirtless. Great stuff. I have only ever seen highlights of this brawl. But man, it looked wild.

[gillies]

it's interesting hearing clark gillies call somebody else "kind of scary"... for a guy as tough as clark gillies to say that about glen cochrane.. you know that cochrane was the real deal..