Comments on: Saluting a true enforcer: Dave Semenko

By: Old Skool

Old Skool — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 17:49:57 +0000

I have little to no respect for big players that don’t use that advantage to it’s full potential. For instance…I disliked the way Lemieux would whine all the time about guy’s holding him or his stick etc….At 6’6 you should be able to overcome that. Conversely I really liked how his winger Jagr (another big man) would break for the net with two defencman hanging off of him and still fight through it and would score, and never complain about it. He just used his size to his advantage. Something Penner does not do often enough.

By: chucker

chucker — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:05:47 +0000

Racki: I don’t know if I’d call Kurri big at all. But yah nonetheless on the other points, yah it’s interesting I guess how players are pigeon holed.

Not Penner big but he was 6'1" and 195-200 when he played. Pretty decent size, but yeah, not massive.

By: Racki

Racki — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 21:18:47 +0000

I don’t know if I’d call Kurri big at all. But yah nonetheless on the other points, yah it’s interesting I guess how players are pigeon holed.

By: chucker

chucker — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:36:13 +0000

Funny you should mention Neil. I think he’s the ideal style of player for this role in the new NHL. He can play minutes effectively when not throwing them. Same with Lucic.

It’s funny how guys in those days, more so than now I think, got put into a role by the scouts and GM. Even Kypreos was a goal scorer in junior with big PMs. Lowe was an offense first defenseman, but they wanted him to be a stay at home guy because they got their hands on Coffey. Lots of people don’t know the pedigree of a lot of players and how they came to be.

Storts was the captain of his team in junior I believe. Also scholastic player of the year.

I think in the other topic you’re seeing this on the discussion of Dustin Penner. The guy is big, but he’s more of a finesse type player. Kurri was a big guy two (not saying DP is Kurri) and he was notorious for shying away from the corners and being a guy who wanted nothing to do with the scrums. So I guess to an extent, there is still some pigeon holing of players these days.

Good topic.

By: Racki

Racki — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:30:07 +0000

Yah those types definitely are rare.. we’d all love to have one on our teams. I like Stortini, because he can at least play hockey. Not the best at it, but for an “enforcer” (is it OK to call him that? ) he is pretty capable and not prone to too many mistakes at all. But having a Carcillo / Lucic / Neil type would be nice!