Who Are the Most Hated Players in the NHL?

The pain in your neck, bane of your existence type of players. These guys are more than just a fly in the potato salad kind of nuisance. They are the hated men on ¼ inch blades who will not hesitate to cross check your face, slash their lumber over your head, or sucker punch the back of your noggin. And they have the suspensions to prove it.

They are the most hated men of the NHL. They know it too, and the majority of them relish the role of being the opposing team's tormentor.

In this modern era of the post-lockout NHL, where speed and skill supposedly rule the day over muck & grind, the pest plays a significant role. Over the last few years however, the pace of the game has once again been slowed, giving rise to the players willing to battle in the corners, as opposed to the players battling each other.

Diminished are the lot of the Enforcers. Those players whose sole purpose was to fling off equipment and go toe to toe with the other team's ruffian. They would both sit in the box for five minutes, and then sit on the bench for the other fifty five. Enforcers fought Enforcers. Obliging each other with a nod or a few words prior to the puck drop, they would engage in their throw down and be done with it. They fulfilled their duty to serve and protect, and still do to some thin extent. But the Proberts and Rays of recent times are long gone, or if you prefer, the Tiger Williams & Dave Shultz's of even longer ago.

Opponents would see the other team's goon and turn away, but the modern day, hated pest actually draws the opponent to them, and more often than not, draws a penalty to boot. The best pests are the ones that cheese off and irritate guys, then stick their hands in their pockets. See Kaleta, Patrick of the Buffalo Sabres. They draw that crucial penalty, and moments later, their team has the power play. For that, they are detested by the other team and, for the most part, loved by the home crowd.

But in addition to that, some of these players are just plain hated. As in an "intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; extreme dislike or antipathy", according to Mirriam-Webster. Hated by the other team, the other fans, and even by some of their own.

So let's take a look at who a few of these wanted men are. Some are still around. Some have moved on. They shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

Chris Simon, Former Minnesota Wild and now of the KHL

Simon received one of the longest suspensions the league has handed out in recent history, a 25-game take-a-seat ruling for using his stick like an Assyrian battering ram on the face of Ranger Ryan Hollweg in 2007. The Nassau County district attorney considered a criminal charge against Simon, but Hollweg said he was not interested in pressing charges. You know, that would be against the unwritten player code. You can't touch the shoulder of a female colleague without a harassment suit, but you can puree a guy's face and all is A-OK.

Simon is a player who has struggled with his image. On the flip side, he has a couple of feel good moments. The Cup he won in 1996 went on a quaint fishing trip with his Gramps; Simon also issued a statement concerning the Hollweg incident, saying there was "absolutely no place in hockey for what I did." Remorse? Perhaps. More like pressure and guilt.

His past play and suspensions however cast an abysmal shadow. He struggled with addiction before Ted Nolan pulled him back on the wagon in the early 90's. A three game suspension resulted from an alleged racial slur directed at Mike Grier back in 1997. Simon was suspended for one game in a 2000 playoff series against Pittsburgh for cross checking Peter Popovic's throat. He got two games for elbowing Anders Eriksson in 2001, two games for cross checking, leaping on and then punching Ruslan Fedotenko, and another two for kneeing Sergei Zubov, both in 2004.

Not to be outdone by the Hollweg incident, in 2007, Simon skated in behind Canuck Jarkko Ruutu and slew-footed Ruutu's leg with his own. After Ruutu went down, Simon decided to use his skate to step on the back of Ruutu's right leg, as if it was a cockroach on the run, and then just skated over to the bench. Simon was given a match penalty for attempt to injure and then ejected from the game.

The following Monday, Simon was placed on indefinite paid leave from the team. In a follow up interview, he said there was "no excuse" for his actions and that he needed time away from hockey. Simon was then suspended for 30 games, the longest suspension for an on-ice incident in modern NHL history. When announcing the suspension, NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell said that this was Simon's 8th hearing for an on ice matter. 8 strikes and you're out then it seems.

After the 2007 / 2008 campaign, Simon went to play with the Russian KHL team Vityaz Chekhov. Good riddance.

Jeremy Roenick, Retired

Roenick was in the league a looong time. Five teams over the course of two decades to be exact. But the man once known for his 50 goal and 100 point seasons in the early 90s became primarily known for his on, and off ice antics.

A thorn in the side of his opposition, the fans, team management, and even his own teammates, Roenick made headlines by actively running his mouth during the NHL lockout. At a time when fans were desperate for hockey and for the league to avoid an impasse, he graciously indicated that those people who think that NHL players are spoiled could kiss him. And not on the mouth. He further dead-panned that those "fans" who felt that way should no longer attend or even watch the games.

You can bet the NHL, who was actively trying to reform its image and reach out to a new fan base, was cringing. And he started a brew-ha with the Flyers when he claimed to be suffering from a concussion in order to extort injury pay during the lockout, even though team doctors cleared him to play. Nice.

Roenick, who was infamous is his criticism of NHL owners and the NHLPA during the lockout, further stirred the pot in 2006 by claiming USA Hockey had "blackballed" him by excluding him from the American national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. He claimed, "I'm a lot better player than my points indicate." He had six goals and seven assists in 32 games when he made that comment. Yeah, I think we'll pass.

On February 8, 2006, The Star Ledger reported that Roenick had been identified as one of several NHL players implicated in something termed Operation Slapshot: a fancy name given to an initiative to uncover a nationwide gambling ring. His name was overshadowed in that controversy only because the name Gretzky wasn't.

In the 1996 Western Conference semi-finals between the Avalanche and the Blackhawks, Roenick, after scoring on Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy, later said, "I'd like to know where Patrick was in Game 3, probably up trying to get his jock out of the rafters." Roy retorted with his now-famous line, "I cannot really hear what Jeremy says because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ear." That about sums it up.

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers

To earn the title "Public Enemy Number 1," you have to do something pretty unscrupulous. But in and around Edmonton, that was the name that was attached to Chris Pronger in 2006. A result of the controversy surrounding his trade request, this was not the first time Pronger's name had been connected with mud.

In 1994, during his debut year with the Whalers, Pronger was arrested for drunk driving. He was also involved in a barroom brawl, and was considered by some to be immature. Managing to stay out of the negativity for a while, it all came racing back in recent years.

During the Conference Finals of 2007, Pronger was suspended for one game for a check on the Red Wings winger Tomas Holmstrom. He later criticized the Canadian media's coverage of the incident, stating, "The league should make its own calls, not be pressured into anything by the media, and more to the point, the Canadian media." In the final round, Pronger was again suspended for elbowing Senators winger Dean McAmmond in the head.

Then in 2008 Pronger was involved in an incident with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler. Pronger, after tussling a bit with Kesler, stomped on Kesler's leg. Kesler was not injured, and upon initial review the NHL did not suspend Pronger. However, the league later reviewed the incident again and gave Pronger an 8-game suspension.

Ottawa's Chris Neil, no angel himself (ask Chris Drury's chin) said of Pronger, "I don't go out and stab a guy in the back after the whistle like Pronger does. Or slash you in the backs of the legs. Or grab you. That's what he does."

Pronger will likely play out his career with the Broad Street Bullies, as the Flyers were once affectionately known. Fitting.

Jordin Tootoo, Nashville Predators

Maybe this guy got fed up with some name calling during his adolescent years. If so, he has been taking it out on the NHL since his first year in 2003.

Tootoo picked up a pair of "Gordie Howe hat tricks" when he notched a goal, an assist, and a fighting major early in his career. More recently, Tootoo's pest-like personality rose dramatically when he was suspended by the NHL for five games for punching defenseman Stephane Robidas of the Dallas Stars with his gloves on. Robidas suffered a concussion and was unconscious. It wouldn't be the last time accusations of dirty play would be leveled at Tootoo.

In 2007, Tootoo delivered a head shot to Daniel Winnik of the Phoenix Coyotes that some felt should have resulted in another suspension. There's nothing lower than a guy known to be a headhunter.

According to Tootoo: "I'm not going to change my game. That's what got me here, and that's what's going to keep me there." No argument here.

Sean Avery, New York Rangers

Where to begin with this guy? In the 03 / 04 season, after only being in the league for a few years, Avery played 76 games for the Kings, and scored nine goals and 19 assists. Avery also led the NHL in penalty minutes with 261. His time with the Kings was marked by a number of publicized controversial foot-in-mouth utterances.

In a 2005 preseason game, Denis Gauthier of the Coyotes checked Kings forward Jeremy Roenick, leaving Roenick with a concussion. Avery's response was, "I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up." Obviously, this generated publicity, and not the good kind.

Avery again made news during the regular season of that same year when Georges Laraque of the Oilers, a black player, claimed that Avery called him a "monkey" during a 2005 game between the two teams. The incident was never proven and Avery adamantly denies it ever occurred.

Avery was fined $1,000 by the NHL on November 15, 2005 for intentionally diving during a game, and then was fined another $1,000 a day later after publicly criticizing Colin Campbell about it.

In 2006 Avery and Brian Hayward, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks broadcaster and former Montreal Canadiens' goalie, had a heated discussion in the Kings dressing room over Hayward's on air comments during a Kings vs. Ducks game. Hayward had accused Avery of avoiding a fight with Ducks' forward Todd Fedoruk. Avery began the argument by uttering that Hayward was an "embarrassment."

Hayward responded by saying "How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade." Near the end of that same season, the Kings decided to suspend Avery, stating that he would not be with the team for the remainder of the year. A source claimed it was because Avery reportedly had an argument with assistant coach Mark Hardy and refused to participate in a practice drill. What a baby.

A few other gems about our boy Avery: He was fined by the NHL over a situation where he allegedly made an off colored remark concerning Islander Jason Blake's diagnosis with a rare form of Leukemia. And the NHL recently changed the interpretation of an unsportsmanlike conduct rule because in a 2008 playoff game, Avery stood in front of Devils goalie Marty Brodeur and, while facing him, waved his hands and stick in the air like he was trying to hail a cab in a rainstorm. Following the Rangers victory in Game 5 of the series, Brodeur did not shake Avery's hand. Avery responded: "Everybody talks about how unclassy I am, and fatso over there forgot to shake my hand."

And then there's this. In April 2008 it was announced that Avery would be spending the summer offseason interning at Vogue magazine. Are you kidding me? According to a fashion report, "Avery is a self-confessed clotheshorse who has been known to give girlfriends advice on how to dress, and in interviews has expressed a dream to become a fashion editor after his days on the ice." What do you even say about that?

To further define this guy, check out his now infamous "sloppy seconds" comment. In December of 2008, Avery actually informed reporters that he had a statement to make. Nothing like a guy who gives the heads up to the media when he is about to make an ass out of himself.

According to the Wikipedia entry:

"He proceeded to make the following comment directed towards Flames' defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, and presumably also Kings forward Jarret Stoll, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend Rachel Hunter.

'I'm just going to say one thing. I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight.'

Within hours, the NHL suspended him indefinitely for 'conduct detrimental to the league or the game of hockey.' His comments were met with near-unanimous condemnation by the Stars organization, fellow players and fans alike."

I guess all of the above can be summarized by a 2007 poll of 283 NHL players, in which 66 percent said that Avery was the most hated player in the league. Jordin Tootoo was a distant second at 5.5 percent.

It's pretty bad when your peers are polled and almost two thirds of them come up with your name. But there you have it. Said Avery before a 2007 second round playoff series with the Sabres: "I'm going to hurt them, I'm going to hit them, I'm going to be in their face as much as I can." His team lost that round by the way. A true jerk, all around.