Four times in the history of the National Hockey League’s
Toronto Maple Leafs, a player has accumulated 300 or more minutes in penalties
during one regular season. Despite Gary Bettman’s propaganda regarding the
unpopularity of fighting in the NHL, two of the three players to top 300 PIM
are pretty much considered legends by many Toronto hockey fans.
Tie Domi
Tie Domi holds the Toronto Maple Leafs record for the most
PIM in a single season with 365 in 1997-98. Domi finished second in the NHL
that season, seven PIM behind Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks. This
was Tie’s career high, topping the 347 he sat out with the Winnipeg Jets in
1993-94.
Domi totaled 3,515 PIM during his NHL career, ranking him
third all-time behind Dave Williams and Dale Hunter. Tie played 1,020 regular
season NHL games between 1990-91 and 2005-06 with the New York Rangers, Jets
and Maple Leafs. Originally, he was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs at
the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, 27th overall.
Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams
Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams was the previous owner of the Toronto
Maple Leafs record before Domi came along. Williams sat out 351 in 1977-78.
This total was 54 behind league leader Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz, who split his
season between the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Williams topped
this total by seven PIM in 1986-87 with the Los Angeles Kings.
Dave is the all-time NHL penalty minutes leader with 3,966
in 962 games. Tiger played in the NHL from 1974-75 to 1987-88 with the Maple
Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Hartford
Whalers. He was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs at the 1974 NHL Amateur
Draft, 31st overall.
Williams also topped 300 PIM in the previous season. In
1976-77, Dave led the National Hockey League with 338 PIM, 64 more than the
next man, Dennis Polonich of the Detroit Red Wings.
Brian Curran
In 1989-90, a less than memorable Maple Leaf sat out 301
minutes in the sin bin. Brian Curran tied with Dave Manson of the Chicago
Blackhawks for sixth place in the category. The NHL was led in 1989-90 by Basil
McRae of the Minnesota North Stars with 351. Curran’s career high came in
1986-87 with the New York Islanders when he sat 356 minutes.
Brian totaled 1,461 PIM in 381 NHL games over his career. He
played from 1983-84 to 1993-94 with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders,
Toronto, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. He played with Toronto between
1987-88 and 1990-91. Originally, Curran was a second round pick of the Bruins
in 1982, 22nd overall.
