Trevor Linden body checks Jeff Norton
The legendary point man for the Vancouver Canucks was not known for any sort of aggressive hitting styles on the ice. Here though is one of his classic moments where he delivers a clean hit to Jeff Norton. This was a well-timed throw into the boards. The referee managed to get out of the way of this hit just in time to see it happen. Norton unfortunately also ands on a couple of fans laps.
Milan Lucic body checks Mike Van Ryn
High speed hockey action comes to an abrupt halt when out of the left corner and literally out of nowhere, Milan Lucic pummels Mike Van Ryn into the panes. Lucic solidly sends Ryn in, shattering the pane with tremendous force. Van Ryn is clearly shaken up while a teammate looks for glass shards possibly stuck behind his teammate’s jersey. Van Ryn has unfortunately seen more than his share of injuries because he appears to be an easy target from strongmen like Lucic.
Vladimir Konstantinov body checks Claude Lemieux
This classic hit from 1996 sees veteran Claude Lemieux exercise some great acrobatics on the receiving end of a Vladimir Konstantinov hip check. Colorado is aggressively pursuing a goal towards the Detroit end when Lemieux’s breakaway is thwarted. Konstantinov comes through cleanly on the hit which sees Lemieux land awkwardly on his head. Thankfully he gets up right away and keeps in the play before the whistle goes.
Darcy Tucker body checks Sami Kapanen
Former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Darcy Tucker is known for his style of aggressive play. He has racked up several penalty minutes in his great career. He knows how to get fans excited. This hit stands as the best he ever delivered. It is a clean and legal hit against the boards that catches Philadelphia’s Kapanen completely off guard. The force of the hit rocks Kapanen so hard that it is painful to see him struggle to the Flyer bench afterwards.
Jiri Fischer body checks Daniel Sedin
Detroit’s Jiri Fischer is calmly but cooly about to give one of Vancouver’s Sedin twins what seems like a normal hit. Incredibly Fischer delivers a solid enough hit to literally punch a great opening into the glass. Thankfully this glass gave enough not to shatter and cause any injury to both players and the audience members.
Mike Pecca body checks Teemu Selanne
This hit took place during a great game where Vancouver’s Mike Pecca absolutely routed future hall-of-famer Teemu Selanne. Any footage of a good Winnipeg Jets game is classic footage. Both players were going at seemingly normal speeds when Pecca bowls into Selanne, the force making Selanne an instant gymnast near center ice. Shortly afterwards both teams enter into a full out on-ice brawl with both teams having tons of players getting into fights.
Scott Stevens body checks Eric Lindros
Number one draft pick Eric Lindros had his career cut short because of crushing hits like this one from New Jersey legend Scott Stevens. Lindros is coming back into the opposing zone with the puck when he is elbowed by Stevens. Arguably this is an illegal hit. Even though the commentators state that Stevens shoulder hit him first, but the footage really tells a different story. Stevens was an enforcer and made his career out of hits, yet also showed solid leadership in New Jersey.
Larry Robinson body checks Gary Dornhoefer
Larry Robinson playing in a Montreal Canadiens Uniform was some great hockey. Robinson was a hard worker both on and off the ice. This hit against Gary Dornhofer is one of the greatest hits in hockey history. As he pummels Dornhofer into the boards, a part of the boards busts out. Play was stopped in order for maintenance people to hammer the boards back into place. One of the reasons this hit is so great is because it is a clean hit, and a return to this kind of consistent hitting would be welcomed by all fans instead of devastating destruction into the glass.
Dion Phaneuf body checks Denis Hamel
When Dion Phaneuf was in a Calgary uniform he created great chaos on the ice. He also created excitement and some memorable moments. This cleanly delivered hit to Denis Hamel sent the Ottawa Senator flailing to the ice. He was able to bounce back up right away and continue an aggressive game.