Goon Squad

An info-graphic looking at the ice time of the Top 20 NHL Leaders in Fighting Majors.

The perception of hockey fighting is that most NHL teams employ an enforcer who is not a skilled hockey player, but instead plays only a few minutes in a given game when their services are needed to "send a message."

The reality is that more of the players involved in fights are putting in longer minutes. The role of the pure enforcer, as described in the New York Times series on the death of Derek Boogaard, is becoming a rarity in today's faster game.

Larger player images indicate higher total Time On Ice. The graphic focuses on total ice time over the season played so far, as this seemed to better illustrate the value of a skater over average Time on Ice per game (TOI/G). I've made the assumption that a player who has dressed for more games is deemed more valuable to the team. The large numbers (and bandages) indicate the number of fighting majors the player has earned.

As an aside, both Columbus (CBJ) and Anaheim (ANA) have 3 players in the top 20 in Fighting Majors, and both teams and currently in the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference.

The statistics were obtained from NHL.com and Hockeyfights.com on January 4, 2012. The term "Goon" in the title is used ironically.