NHL BIGGEST HITS Of All Time | OFFICE BLOKES REACT!! 

No hitting without the puck, that’s interference, no checks to the head, it used to be legal if you used your shoulder, but they’ve changed to it protect health. No jumping into checks, that’s charging. No elbows or knees.

Blokes, I think you'd like a video that explains the hockey "code", which is the unwritten rules surrounding how the players unofficially police the game themselves. That includes the expectation that you stand up for your teammates no matter who you are. Also, Daz you're right about helmets. They grandfathered them in and there was even one guy not wearing a helmet into the 90s!

"Holy mackinaw, what a hit by Phaneuf!"

Helmets weren't made mandatory until 1979/80, and even then there remained a "grandfather clause" where a player who hadn't worn a helmet up until that point could continue to play without one, but all incoming players HAD to wear one. The last helmetless player, Craig MacTavish, didn't retire until 1997!

I remember, back in 1995, a Boston University hockey player by the name of; Travis Roy was in his very first game. He took to the ice, and 11 seconds later, was checked by an opponent and he went head first into the boards. He shattered the vertebrae in his neck, and sadly became a quadriplegic. He went on to start his own foundation for spinal cord injury research, and raised millions to help find better treatments, assist people with bills, wheelchairs, and accessible housing. Unfortunately, he ultimately passed away. May he RIP. 😢

The elbow lift is basically part of the "shoulder shiv" where they follow through with the hit and shove off a player during the hit. Also when the game is practically decided in the final minutes, it's considered "cheap" to start throwing bodies at players unless there's some bad blood. Players generally take exception to excessive checks during that time. Love seeing hockey back on this channel. My fav sport.

U guys have to check out the video How one violent hit snowballed into years of championship hockey between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, one of the biggest rivalries in the nhl back in the 90's early 2000s

One of the first things my hockey coach taught me when I was little was to keep your head on a swivel, meaning, don't get caught looking down at the puck. Keep your eyes up so you can see that you're about to get blasted.

I grew up playing football and the hardest hit I ever took was in a pick-up hockey game.

1979 or 80 was the first year new players had to wear helmets. anyone already in the league were never required to wear one. Craig MacTavish was the last player to play without a helmet in the NHL. He retired after the 96-97 season.

3:26 yes sir it is! ☺️ Dave is right because of the speed they are making contact , the hits are harder. And they might not look it on the ice but in person most of these guys are beasts! Lol

I think it’s about time for an NHL video about skills rather than physicality. I don’t think you Blokes have done one out of all your videos so it’d be nice to see one that showcases what truly makes the game great.

Playing hockey for decades, and I’ll say first hand that open ice hits feel like car crashes. I’d much rather a shoulder into the boards. However, not everyone plays by the rules and I have been hit square in the back multiple times into the boards. It is not a pleasant experience and I’m lucky I still have all my teeth! #1 rule is keep your head up!

Back in the day the goalies didn't wear masks. When I was a kid some of these guys smoked cigarettes on the bench. These guys are on another level

Thanks for all 3 awesome reactions today, Esp this one! 🤟🥂❤

You're right Daz, players regularly played without helmets until the early/mid 80's in the NHL. I took my visor off at the first opportunity, aged 18 at Senior level in the UK. It cost me around 30 stitches from 3 sticks to the face which you have probably seen (under my chin, between my upper lip and nose and through my left eyebrow), plus I lost two teeth from a shot puck that deflected off my stick into my mouth. I remember feeling like I had chewed a couple of tic tacs. I skated to the boards, spat them out and lined up for the face off. It was Saturday night and no dentist was open until Monday so you just crack on. It was a badge of honour. I always felt that playing without a visor had a phycological impact on some opponents, especially around 2008 when every player born after 75 in the UK had to wear a at least a half visor. I was born in 74, the year before the rule change and at 34, was one of a handful of players still playing without a visor in the league that year. Check out Dan Cleary (Detroit Red Wings) in the TV series 'Road to the Winter Classic'. He loses 10 teeth, gets stitched up and gets back on the ice in 'time honoured fashion'. Watch the full 2 minutes. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K_rY3AGvpoA.html

Well, the joke is, "Give Blood, Play Hockey"

2:49 "and they're giants!" lmao

Ok, time for some NHL skill videos. Watch a video on Bobby Orr, or Wayne Gretzky, and players, who changed the game. Then there’s Goalies like Patrick Roy, Tim Thomas, or Martin Brodeur… I am a lifelong NHL fan. There’s a lot more to the game than just the brutality. There’s a hell of a lot of skill, beauty, and finesse.

You should do some NHL skills videos (best dekes, saves, etc)

from my experience, open ice hits hurt way worse than if you’re up against the boards. the boards usually absorb most of the impact

at lot of these hits are awesome but if the clips all played out a little longer the replays are even more crazy and worth watching for sure. Not sure why they got cut out of the video you guys watched but still good. Love the content, thanks blokes.

Ice hockey is an under appreciated sport, it’s just as physical and physically demanding as NFL, but they play 82 games in the regular season

8:45 The change to helmets started in the 1970s. If a player started his career not having to wear one, he could continue to not wear one, but for rookies it was mandator, so there were a lot of helmetless players left around in the 1980s. Hell, at one time the goalies didn't wear masks. None of them, which is insane! I think goal masks started circa the 1950s. .o

Keep in mind NFL plays 17 games, and hockey plays 82 games. That's a hell of a lot more punishment playing every other day.

At 7:18 the Blackhawks player almost died. The game was delayed and he was in the hospital for a couple days.

@5:49 one of the craziest moments in hockey history. "Off the floor, on the board..."

In hockey, there is something called a "suicide pass". It's usually a defenceman passing the puck up-ice to the forwards. Except it's a slow moving pass, and is coming from behind. The forward has to track the puck, instead of keeping his head up to look for opposing players closing in for a hit.

Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player not to wear a helmet, he played his last game in 1997

A great joke in America is Canadians are the nicest people you'll ever meet unless you put a hockey stick in their hand

"Holy Mackinaw" is a Canadian commentary thing 😂. I hear it called every Toronto Maple Leafs broadcast. Heck, we even say it! 🇨🇦

“Holy Mackinaw” is a catch phrase by Toronto Maple Leafs Play-by-play announcer Joe Bowen. “Phaneuf” is defence man Dion Phaneuf. Always happy to translate hockey-speak for you blokes.

Before the late 80's hockey players protected their brain by growing a huge head of luxurious Hockey Hair ☺

12:40 "Holy Mackinaw, what a hit by Phaneuf!"

about time you did more hockey

1979 BOTTOM LINE: Helmets in hockey became more prevalent in the 1970s, and their usage was made mandatory in the NHL in 1979. The requirement was prompted by a series of serious head injuries and high-profile incidents, ultimately leading to a safer playing environment for players.

A basic summary of the rules for hitting in hockey: - Don't go after someone away from the play. If they have the puck or just got rid of it, they're fair game. - Don't hit from behind, especially around the boards. - Don't hit above the shoulders or below the knees. - Don't use your stick as a weapon or to impede the other player. - Don't lead with the elbow - shoulder or hip first. - Don't accelerate into a hit more than necessary - generally, if you jump into the hit, you're going to get a penalty for charging. - Don't mess with the goalie unless you want the entire opposing team to beat the crap out of you. Daz is right that requiring helmets is relatively recent (1979) - and any players who started playing in the NHL before that time were allowed to continue playing without helmets if they wanted to. The last one played as recently as 1997.

scott stevens from the devils didnt fuck around when it came to open ice hitting. if you cut inside to the middle of the ice, you were in the danger zone.

1) There was reportedly a discussion in the NHL this season about the perception that more players are "unnecessarily" starting fights after a teammate was hit hard but legally. The referees can issue a penalty for instigating a fight, but they rarely do. 2) The NHL actually prohibits full facial shields and cages unless a player is already injured. I'd love to hear the NHL try to make a sane argument for keeping this rule. Imagine visiting a construction site, and instead of being told you must wear a hard hat, they said you could not have one until you were hit in the head once.

Check out Clint malarchuk Goalkeeper damn near died on the ice (skate to the jugular)

great collection of hits! that video must have took a long time to make

Hockey athletes are by far the toughest. The way I always say it is a hockey player can pretty much play any other sport not professionally, but they can pick it up and do it. You can’t take a player from any other sport put a pair of skates on them and send them out to play a pick up game, it would never happen they couldn’t do it. The speed and the physicality is unmatched not to mention it’s the only sport where on a consistent basis I watch players get cut open, stitched up and get right back out on the ice, fearless.

I like you guys a lot, I've watched a ton of your stuff. I love how you watch NFL videos. I am a big time hockey fan. My team did not make the playoffs, so I have not been happy to watch what is going on currently. I hope you can get into hockey. That and NFL football are my favorite sports to watch.

Dave’s eyelashes are so eye-catching every video I can’t help but look at them

you guys should go to an ice hockey game it's so fun in person

One thing is for sure, you & the local fan blokes don’t want to get in a tangle with a visiting hockey club when they are at the pub after a game. Buy them a cold one instead. Win or lose. They don’t mind serving up knuckle sandwiches and spitting chicklets.

The Chara on Pacioretty is one that should be in all these compilations

It's funny how a hit that is merely considered a "check" in Hockey would likely get a footballer ejected and maybe suspended.

There was one player so feared that no one ever hit him. His last name was Satan. When he retired he said his one regret was that he never got to play for the Devils.

I love hockey by far my favourite sport to play. Love throwing my body around. Plus it’s the only sport you can throw some hands beside MMA and boxing.

Remember too that in hockey your landing on ice not grass. No forgiveness from the ice

Holy Mackinaw Is a Joe Bowen trade mark call he use to do the Toronto Maple Leaf games on tv but he now is the radio guy. He uses that call on big hits.

Happy Mother's day everyone!

(Don Cherry rock em sock em ) for a real Big hits montage. This is what every Canadian Hockey player would watch as a kid. ;)

I would love to see you guys react to the career highlights of Dominik Hasek - he was arguably the greatest goaltender ever, and extremely unorthodox style that was jaw-dropping. Love the page

I like to say that football is a contact sport where as hockey is a collision sport

This is the best of 3 Real Manly sports. The other 2, Rugby and Ladies beach volleyball

You also got to remember their blades for their skates are super sharp

open ice hits usually hurt less cuz you can slide on the ice

I guess I could put it like this ice is nature's concrete

7:45 he broke his sternum

Would love for you guys to listen to some NHL trash talk/chirps videos

Watch the greatest goalie saves... A thing of beauty..

Helmets became mandatory for the 1980 season. Older players were grandfathered to the old rules and not required to wear one.

And the NHL regular season is 82 games too 😂

I don't know if RU-vid would allow it but the worst hockey accident I've ever seen was a guy's skate come up and hit the juggler of the goalkeeper I believe... So much blood so fast

There is a video called 'The Code' that will give you all unwritten rules for fighting

Even the goalies never used to wear helmets... Coined the phrase/s "All goalie have a screw loose in their head to play that position". / "All goalies are crazy/mental" or "They are a different breed of player".

Hockey players used to not wear helmets. Even when I was a kid in the 90s there were still a few players who chose not to wear helmets.

10:14 - Was that Bob Cole's voice I heard? I didn't know he did Leafs games for someone other than the CBC.

Spittin' Chiclets

The last guy to not wear a helmet in hockey was the mid 90's. He was a defencemen for the Flyers and he must have been in his mid to late 40s at the time. Cant remember the name. Hockey is all about eye for an eye and fulfilling debts. If you level one of the players with a good hit, it doesn't just get accepted as "ah well...good hit". You'll get payback in the game, later in the season or the following season. Hockey players have ridiculous memories for these type of things...they remember things from Youth Minor Hockey. Look up Darrian Hatcher on Jeremy Roenik or Todd Bertuzzi getting revenge on Steve Moore or Marty McSorely on Donald Brashear for extreme examples.

Last player to play without a helmet was 1997. Not that long ago which is crazy!

The mtl winnipeg one is so dirty. Hit him after the goal was scored, while he was vulnerable. Thats a big part of it. Who did you hit and how vulnerable were they.

Oski we we, oski wa wa holy Mackinaw tiger cats eat em raw is a CFL football chant in Hamilton Ontario Canada Mackinaw is a shortened Ojibwe Tribe (indigenous) word for The Great Turtle, we call North America Turtle Island in indigenous culture. Stay blessed 👊🏼

The last player to not wear a helmet was Craig Mactavish who was the last player from the era where they weren't mandatory to retire. He played on the 1994 Rangers Stanley Cup champs. These are almost all legal hits. Some borderline... but its a shame because you see them almost never anymore because they have made it highly punishable to make anyone's head a first point of contact. On these big hits it's almost impossible to avoid because you're hitting a lot of these guys doing what they were never taught to do: look at the puck with your head down. For what its worth hockey players are incredibly underrated as athletes and are probably the best in the world in many ways. They have to have the strength, the fitness, the toughness, the mental sharpness and focus while being the best skaters in the world and having a special level of hand eye coordination. They can skate backwards better than most people walk forwards. The game is so intense that when someone stays on the ice for more than a minute they are completely gassed. And goalies can lose 10 to 20 pounds in a single game.

One of the last players to not wear a helmet was Craig McTavish in the mid 90s

Did he just come off after a power play? You are learning the game fast!

Apparently, the big hits are not the ones they worry the most about, not that they aren't concerning also, but its the low grade trauma on every single rep, in both practice and games that contributes. As such, there's far less head trauma in hockey.

"What is this?..." THATS A LEAFS FAN YOR YA

7:08 The covid games look funny, with no fans in the seats. .o

Craig MacTavish was the last player in the NHL to without a helmet in 1996/97.

Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player to play without a helmet. He retired in 1997.

essentially Shinty and Hurling on ice, with more teeth.

When I first started to watch Hockey the Goalies didn't wear facemasks.

I think you guys would like the video “The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting in Hockey” Its a great video and will answers your questions.

If you liked this check out the end result of Paul Karyias hit by Stevens. One of the most inspirational moments probably in hockey history

Hockey video you should watch. Playing through the pain

Ok I have to ask since we are in hockey now. Please check out the Clint Malarchuk incident.

Last guy to play without a helmet was 1997 I think

There are rules to hitting. You are right about the one where you can't hit a guy not playing the puck. Also you can't "launch" or leave your skates to hit someone. If a guy is facing the boards you can't run him from behind into the boards. Then there are the high hits and leading with your stick etc....

Definitely easier to knock someone down who has all their weight on 3mm blades 🤷🏻‍♂️

The concussion problems in the NHL are terrible. Many careers have been ruined. When you see a game up close, you realize that many of them are 6’4” 230 pounds, and they are FLYING.....much faster than anyone cam run. The collisions are severe.

Illegal hits: from behind, elbows, at the knees, boarding, charging The code exists because player solidarity doesn't extend to other players even though they're all in the same union. The team owners, Gary Bettman and the TV broadcasters like it this way. Not all hockey is and has to be played this way.

Have you guys watched the playing through the pain vids or worst injuries vids?

Not only did players not wear helmets…….goalies also had no head/face protection!. Also the hockey fights went on longer than they do today. Check out some old videos.

These definitely weren't the biggest hits of "all time", most of these just happened within the last few years.

On every football play that doesn't end in a score or out of bounds ends on a tackle. Hockey isn't the same. The majority of body checks won't take you off your feet

Has anyone been killed while playing hockey? Not just from a bad hit during active play, but also from a fight or retaliation for unsafe play. I can imagine the latter two happening in lower level leagues.

They didn’t mandate helmets until the 80’s, but you were grandfathered in if you didn’t want to wear one. Last player without a helmet retired in the 90s.