Montreal Canadiens: Ten Scariest Players In Franchise History

2. Chris Nilan

This one is fairly straightforward. Chris Nilan was a dominant fighter in his generation when everyone had a great fighter, or four, on their roster. He made a name for himself almost immediately as he fought both Stan Johnathan and Terry O’Reilly in the same game early in his career.

If you don’t back down from those two, there is no one around the league that could scare you.

Nilan played most of the first eight seasons of his career with the Canadiens and he would have at least 204 minutes in penalties each season. He only had 204 in 1981-82 because he played just 49 games. Getting suspended somewhat regularly will limit a players games played.

Nilan was once suspended eight games for butt-ending Bruins forward Rick Middleton in the mouth as they skated towards one another. He quipped after the game that he merely meant to pop Middelton in the mouth with his glove and not the butt-end of his stick.

He also got a three game ban later in his career for throwing a puck at Pittsburgh Penguins player. Paul Baxter and hitting him in the head. He was suspended yet again for taking a swipe at Ken Linesman, nicknamed The Rat, while Linesman was on the bench and Nilan was being escorted off the ice after being thrown out of the game.

Playing against one of the tougest guys who in the league, who is also crazy enough to thrown pucks at players and attack cheap shot artists while they sit on the bench makes Nilan one of the scariest players in franchise history.

The fact he could also play the game well adds to his scariness as well. He played alongside Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey on perhaps the best defensive line in the history of the game. Being a scorer in the NHL, and seeing that line as your regular matchup would have you a little worried you were not going to be able to put the puck in the net that night.