Top Ten: Most Hated Current NHL Players
The NHL is a brutal and hard hitting sport. Naturally players get a bad reputation. Unlike other sports in the NHL players are allowed to fight and express their displeasure with other players. This is not a list of just enforces and fighters, actually a lot of players on this list do not fight. This is the list of the top ten most hated players. The MSB Hockey staff all helped in making this list.
10. Ryan Reaves: Reaves is one of the strongest players in the NHL and that is probably all he is. Reaves has been mic’d up and shown trying to pic fights during the Stanley Cup Finals with just about every Cap. Reeves only has 27 career NHL goals, which is rare because he has 68 career NHL fights. All and all Reaves is a guy that is solely on the ice to pick fights and stir things up.
9. Andrew Shaw: A head hunter that rarely fights, Shaw has a reputation for jumping into hits. This video says it all.
8. Evander Kane: Kane is a very talented all around player… the problem is he just does not do well in locker rooms. Players on his own teams in Winnipeg and Buffalo did not like Kane. Kane is known on teams as being a “problem child” some hits and fights he has been in have been known as “Selfish”. Kane signed a long term deal with the San Jose Sharks, hopefully for the Sharks Kane changes his way. Check out this article on Kane.
7. Radko Gudas: Gudas is a goon with a bad reputation. Gudas is probably the worst player on this list skill wise. To his credit Gudas is one of the few European hockey players that hits and fights. Gudas has been suspended multiple times and has the longest suspension of any player on this list at ten games. The other thing about Gudas is that he is a cheap fighter, Gudas has tried to fight much smaller guys than him.
6. Milan Lucic: Lucic has a bad reputation for dirty hits. Lucic is in the same category as Tom Wilson as he is just a bigger dude than most players. For a power forward Lucic has some goal scoring skills. Lucic is wildly inconsistent with his play but his physical play continues. Usually the only fans of Lucic are the team he plays for because of hits like this.
5. Tom Wilson: While MSB may be a Washington Capitals website/blog it would be wrong if we did not have Wilson on this list. Caps fans love Wilson for his grit, hard work, hard hits and fights. Out side of Caps fans just about the entire league hates Wilson. Wilson has been suspended numerous times for questionable hit. I personally love the way Wilson plays and think he gets a bad reputation just because he is bigger and faster than most players. Other players on this list are smaller and do cheap shots to get a bad reputation. Wilson just hits hard.
4. Steve Downie: Downie is an instigator that will actually fight, Downie prefers to fight non-fighters like one time he instigated Alex Ovechkin to drop his gloves and helmet but Matt Bradly jumped in to fight for his captain. Downie has had cheap hits after cheap hits throughout his career. Downie’s reputation has hurt his career along with some injuries. Downie is still listed as an unrestricted free agent so it felt right that he made this list.
3. Kris Letang: Letang is not the only Pittsburgh Penguin on this list. Letang is a guy that everyone wants to fight. Letang is an above average defender that everyone wants to fight. TJ Oshie has tried to fight Letang several times and when he finally did it was the biggest a$$ kicking of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs and all NHL fans rejoiced. One time Letang slashed someone in the neck… that video follows. Letang has earned his spot on this list.
2. Brad Marchand: A decent player that has a gross habit of licking players. Marchand is a small instigator who always backs out of fights. Marchand prides himself in making dirty hits and making players want to drop the gloves with him then hiding behind an official. Marchand is a guy constantly ripped on social media by all NHL fans. Marchand is a player that if he wants to act tough he needs to back it up, which he never does. Marchand’s nickname is “the rat” for a reason.
1. Sidney Crosby: Crosby has had less than a handful of fights in the NHL and had a reputation for being a good player. Crosby is a cheat shot artist, at one point he went behind a player and slashed him in the testicles with his stick. Crosby has also slashed another players finger off. Crosby also has a “cry baby” reputation which means he likes to whine to the officials a lot. Crosby has been seen asking officials for calls on legal hits just because he did not like the contact. No doubt Crosby has his fans but he is also one of the most hated players by other players and fans.
