Marty McSorley

Marty McSorley was one of the most-respected tough guys in all of hockey; a hard-nosed player who worked his way up to the NHL from the Junior “D” ranks in Ontario. McSorley won two Stanley Cups in Edmonton, and showed versatility by being playing defence and right wing.

McSorley arrived in Edmonton in 1985, after the Oilers acquired his services from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Oilers general manager and coach Glen Sather felt he could never have too much protection for his speedy star players. He also felt that if the Oilers had enough raw toughness to intimidate the opposition, the ice would open up for Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier.

McSorley did his job admirably, racking up 265 penalty minutes in just 59 games played in the 1985-86 season. While he never repeated those high PIM numbers as an Oiler, he established himself as one of the top heavyweights in the game. As an enforcer, he was a key member of Edmonoton's 1987 and 1988 Stanley Cup victories.

After the 1988 playoffs, the Oilers traded Gretzky and McSorley to the Los Angeles Kings. McSorley was integral to the trade, as the Kings wanted him to protect Gretzky in California. Ironically, McSorley would be a King longer than Gretzky; save for a half-season spent in Pittsburgh, McSorley would remain with the Kings until 1995-96 season. His most famous memory with the Kings is a battle with Toronto Maple Leaf star Wendel Clark.  During the 1993 Campbell Conference Finals, he and Clark fought in one of the great scraps of all time.

McSorley spent time with the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks before the Oilers re-acquired his services for the 1998-99 season. Shoulder problems plagued him that year, and he could only play in 46 of the team’s games. In 1999, McSorley signed on with the Boston Bruins, shortly after joining the team, his career would come to an abrupt end. On February 21, 2000, McSorley was handed a game misconduct for a vicious stick-swinging incident that left Vancouver Canucks tough guy Donald Brashear unconscious and bleeding.

The league suspended McSorley for one full year, and the incident would eventually end his pro hockey career. While he went on to coach the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League beginning in 2002, McSorley may never fully redeem his reputation after the Brashear incident.

In 961 career NHL games, McSorley recorded 359 points and 3,381 PIM.

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