Top 5 Iconic NHL Hits
At first I wanted to do a post about the greatest hit in NHL history. Then I realized there was no way for me to pick just one hit as the greatest of all time. Think of how many hits there have been in the history of the NHL, probably over a million. There have been tons of devastating hits throughout the history of the NHL. Different eras have had their own iconic hits and hitters. I'm struggling to even pick 5 iconic hits for this list. I could probably put a list of 100 devastating NHL hits together. Somehow I narrowed the list down to five iconic hits in NHL history. These are five of the biggest hits in the history of hockey, but not necessarily THE five biggest. These are also iconic hits. They are hits that every hockey fan will know about when you bring it up. I'm aware these are not the only iconic NHL hits, there are plenty of other huge hits. I could only pick 5.
5. Larry Robinson on Gary Dornhoefer
This hit by Larry Robinson is not only one of the hardest in NHL history, it is one of the most iconic. This hit from the 1976 Stanley Cup Finals symbolized the end of the the reign of the Broad Street Bullies. The Flyers terrorized the league the two seasons prior, and nobody could match the Flyers physicality. Larry Robinson and the Montreal Canadiens were the team to finally stop the Flyers. This hit did not single handedly end the Broad Street Bullies domination, but is a symbol for their demise. Robinson literally broke the boards with Dornhoefer's body. The Canadiens went on to win this series, and the Flyers were never the same again.
4. Brian Campbell on R.J. Umberger
This is the era defining hit for the post lockout NHL. From the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell absolutely destroys Flyers forward R.J. Umberger at the blueline. This one of my all-time favorite hits. Umberger is knocked into next week, and could barely get up after this hit. Obviously Umberger was concussed on the play, but this was still an incredibly clean hit. This could easily be considered the hardest hit of all time.
3. Scott Stevens on Paul Kariya
This is one of the most talked about hits in hockey history. It's the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals and the greatest hitter in NHL history, Scott Stevens, absolutely destroys Paul Kariya of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Despite being knocked out cold, Kariya would return later in the game and score for the Mighty Ducks. What an incredible hockey moment.
2. Wendel Clark on Bruce Bell
This is my all-time favorite NHL hit. I believe this is from 1986. One of the toughest players to ever play the game, Wendel Clark just absolutely steamrolls Bruce Bell behind the net. This hit was so devastating because both players were skating at such high speed. Bell was never the same again after this hit, and was soon out of the NHL. This hit is still incredible to watch, even after watching it a hundred times.
1. Scott Stevens on Eric Lindros
The best hitter in NHL history strikes again with one of the most famous hits in NHL history. It's the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, and Philadelphia Flyers star Eric Lindros skates through the middle of the ice with his head down. In comes New Jersey Devil's defenseman Scott Stevens with a vicious open ice hit that knocked Lindros into la-la land. Lindros had 5 career concussions prior to this hit, and this gave him his sixth. He was never the same again. This hit ended his career with the Flyers, and he was traded to the Rangers the following summer. Eric Lindros could have been one of the best players in NHL history, but instead will be remembered for his concussions. Lindros suffered numerous concussions during his NHL career, and they greatly affected his production. He was an all time player when he was on ice, but staying on the ice was an issue. Lindros had to retire at just 34 because of multiple head injuries. It's a shame he got caught with his head down so often.
