Theme Week - Though Guys

[ScottyP 226]

Theme Week - Tough Guys 

 

Man, what a great topic for them week! I grew up on Don Cherry, watching Coaches Corner every Saturday night, eating up every bit of hockey/tough guy knowledge! For this media spot, I’m gonna write about my favorite WHL goons and some beauty’s from the VHL! First up, let’s chat about the WHL….again I grew up going to every Seattle Thunderbirds home game with my dad and back in the early 90’s it was a gong show almost every night! My top WHL tough guys are as follows:

 

Brett Duncan - ‘92-‘93 Season - Seattle Thunderbirds - This dude was an absolute Psycho! Often paired up with the much more talented and NHL Vet Brenden Witt…Duncan went nuts almost every game that season…he was hitting everything and droppin’ the mitts none stop. He played 64 games that season, had 0 goals, 12 assists and 343 PIMS…no fear, reckless and a maniac…loved watching him play!

 

Kevin Popp - ‘94-‘95 Season - Seattle Thunderbirds - Popp was my favorite player during his time with the T-Birds. Only player who I actually bought their jersey (and had him sign it!). He wasn’t the toughest, but he would go with whoever. And he would line guys up nightly and lay the absolute hammer on guys with open ice hits. With 257 PIMS he was active, but he was also a decent stay at home defensemen who didn’t hurt the club. He was a “The Man” in my eyes as a 10 year old. LOL 

 

Paul Ferone - ‘95-‘96 Season - Seattle Thunderbirds - While he didn’t have crazy PIM stats (241), he absolutely had the fastest hands I’ve ever seen from a hockey fighter…When he dropped the mits, he was ready to throw ‘em and throw ‘em he did…#7 was a stud, would go with anyone and most of the time, beat ‘em down. 

 

Kerry Toporowski - ‘90-‘91 Season - Spokane Chiefs - I barely remember “Topo”…when I first started going to games as a youngster…but what I do remembered is him being a total goon…he had 505 PIMS in 65 games…that’s wild and almost unbelievable…but he also contributed from the backend with 11 goals and 16 assists. Spokane won the ‘ship that year and had absolute studs Ray Whitney and Pat Falloon just lighting it up with 185 and 138 points on the season respectively. 

 

Man! Memory Lane…Now on to the VHL!

 

I got two of my favs:

 

John Jameson - Prague Phantoms - Season 90 - Jamo had 244 hits and 311 PIMS in 72 games! What’s better is he had 101 points that season too! Just a goon who also filled up the stat sheet! A plus 29 w/10 GWG, clutch as they come. Hated playing against him that season…but in season 93 (his final season) I got to play alongside Jamo and loved every second of it! 

 

Rip Wheeler - Calgary Wranglers - Season 90 - Rip was a wrecking ball that season…Most hated (especially from the Vancouver locker room - Thunder and Scurvy are all time haters!)…but the stats speak for themselves.. 325 hits, Rip hit everything that moved that season. At -22, Rip was definitely a liability out there, but he made up for it with open ice bangers and shots of whiskey after the game. And with only 129 PIMS, Ripper was relatively disciplined, while still laying the wood on the opposition. 

Edited yesterday at 05:13 AM by ScottyP

[Scurvy 1,751]

Well.... let's start at the beginning.  Popp and Ferone were some def killers in the WHL back in the day with Ferone being the toughest middleweight I have ever seen probably.  He was as tough as player to ever play the game in Seattle and fought true heavyweights with ease.  Kerry Topororoski was playing same time I was and I was thrilled to have never ever played a game against this dude.  The dude fought EVERYBODY in every game. I watched him play a lot and he fought every game at least once.  Even in playoffs and memorial cup in 91 he tried to fight Lindros.  On a stacked team with Whitney and Pat Falloon he was a savage.  Rough break in training camp in Detroit with army injury but beast in the southern leagues.  

 

NOW, in your VHL toughs you include John Jameson @Frank which I totally agree with. A Brendan Shanahan type player who could do it all..fight and score.  Hall of fame worthy and a good model to build a player on. 

 

BUT...to include Rip Wheeler in any conversation involving toughness is embarrassing.  You started Rip's career saying you were going to be the next Eric Lindros.  Or did you mean Brett Lindros????  Your career started out well in Calgary with 325 hits your second season.  Impressive for sure.  But next season you had 93 hits and 36 PIMSs (Yes..36). Hardly tough guy numbers.  I mean to quote the great Murray Chadwick, "you could skate around the ice with a carton of eggs and not break any out there."   Oh wait ...you never watched the best hockey movie of all time!   

 

Have a good weekend @ScottyP and see ya sunday in Idaho

 

 

[ScottyP 226]

That was a golden response bro…hahahah

[Thunder 1,315]

Everything was good until I fact checked it.  Rip Wheeler tough guy….. nahhhhhhhh