The 50 skaters with the most penalty minutes, 1917–18 to 2017–18

Every skater on this list is ranked on one number: penalty minutes in the regular season between 1917–18 and 2017–18. Nothing else is weighed, and the figures each ranking rests on are in the table.

Penalty minutes — the leading 15. Every one of the 50 is in the table below.

#	Player	Pos	Seasons	Penalty minutes	Games	Goals	Points
1	Tiger Williams	L	1974–75 to 1987–88	3,966	962	241	513
2	Dale Hunter	C	1980–81 to 1998–99	3,565	1,407	323	1,020
3	Tie Domi	R	1989–90 to 2005–06	3,515	1,020	104	245
4	Marty McSorley	D	1983–84 to 1999–00	3,381	961	108	359
5	Bob Probert	L	1985–86 to 2001–02	3,300	935	163	384
6	Rob Ray	R	1989–90 to 2003–04	3,207	900	41	91
7	Craig Berube	L	1986–87 to 2002–03	3,149	1,054	61	159
8	Tim Hunter	R	1981–82 to 1996–97	3,146	815	62	138
9	Chris Nilan	R	1979–80 to 1991–92	3,043	688	110	225
10	Rick Tocchet	R	1984–85 to 2001–02	2,972	1,144	440	952
11	Pat Verbeek	R	1982–83 to 2001–02	2,905	1,424	522	1,063
12	Chris Chelios	D	1983–84 to 2009–10	2,891	1,651	185	948
13	Dave Manson	D	1986–87 to 2001–02	2,792	1,103	102	390
14	Scott Stevens	D	1982–83 to 2003–04	2,785	1,635	196	908
15	Donald Brashear	L	1993–94 to 2009–10	2,634	1,025	85	205
16	Willi Plett	R	1975–76 to 1987–88	2,572	834	222	437
17	Gino Odjick	L	1990–91 to 2001–02	2,567	605	64	137
18	Matthew Barnaby	R	1992–93 to 2006–07	2,562	834	113	300
19	Gary Roberts	L	1986–87 to 2008–09	2,560	1,224	438	910
20	Chris Neil	R	2001–02 to 2016–17	2,522	1,026	112	250
21	Joe Kocur	R	1984–85 to 1998–99	2,519	820	80	162
22	Ken Daneyko	D	1983–84 to 2002–03	2,516	1,283	36	178
23	Brendan Shanahan	L	1987–88 to 2008–09	2,489	1,524	656	1,354
24	Scott Mellanby	R	1985–86 to 2006–07	2,479	1,431	364	840
25	Basil McRae	L	1981–82 to 1996–97	2,457	576	53	136
26	Ulf Samuelsson	D	1984–85 to 1999–00	2,453	1,080	57	332
27	Jeff Odgers	R	1991–92 to 2002–03	2,364	821	75	145
28	Jay Wells	D	1979–80 to 1996–97	2,359	1,098	47	263
29	Shayne Corson	L	1985–86 to 2003–04	2,357	1,156	273	693
30	Lyle Odelein	D	1989–90 to 2005–06	2,316	1,056	50	252
31	Bryan Marchment	D	1988–89 to 2005–06	2,307	926	40	182
32	Garth Butcher	D	1981–82 to 1994–95	2,302	897	48	206
33	Shane Churla	R	1986–87 to 1996–97	2,301	488	26	71
34	Kelly Buchberger	R	1986–87 to 2003–04	2,297	1,182	105	309
35	Dave Schultz	L	1971–72 to 1979–80	2,294	535	79	200
36	Laurie Boschman	C	1979–80 to 1992–93	2,262	1,009	229	577
37	Brad May	L	1991–92 to 2009–10	2,248	1,041	127	288
38	Ken Baumgartner	L	1987–88 to 1998–99	2,242	696	13	54
39	Kevin Dineen	R	1984–85 to 2002–03	2,229	1,188	355	760
40	Rob Ramage	D	1979–80 to 1993–94	2,226	1,044	139	564
41	Keith Tkachuk	L	1991–92 to 2009–10	2,219	1,201	538	1,065
42	Bryan Watson	D	1963–64 to 1978–79	2,212	878	17	152
43	Steve Smith	D	1984–85 to 2000–01	2,139	804	72	375
44	Stu Grimson	L	1988–89 to 2001–02	2,113	729	17	39
45	Terry O'Reilly	R	1971–72 to 1984–85	2,095	891	204	606
46	Al Secord	L	1978–79 to 1989–90	2,093	766	273	495
47	Ron Stern	R	1987–88 to 1999–00	2,077	638	75	161
48	Mick Vukota	R	1987–88 to 1997–98	2,071	574	17	46
49	Gord Donnelly	D	1983–84 to 1994–95	2,069	554	28	69
50	Luke Richardson	D	1987–88 to 2008–09	2,055	1,417	35	201

How this list is made

Ranked on penalty minutes in the regular season, 1917–18 to 2017–18. Players are ranked on that number alone and on nothing else: there is no judgement here about who was better. Where two are level they share a rank, and the list runs past fifty when fiftieth place is shared, because splitting a tie would mean choosing between them on no stated basis.

Counting statistics only. A rate — an average, a percentage — needs a minimum number of appearances before it means anything, and no such minimum is published that this site could cite. Inventing one would put a number nobody chose at the centre of a ranking. A total needs no cut-off: most goals is a fact with nothing hidden in it.

No player on this list was still playing in 2017–18, the last season the figures cover, so every career here is complete as far as the regular season goes.

Career figures from the Hockey Databank project, obtained free of charge and copyrighted by it. Regular season only; the play-offs are not counted.

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