Top 10 London Knight Tough Guys

Since 1968-69, the London Knights have provided the hockey world with some of the best junior hockey and junior hockey players. Known for the NHL stars they've produced like Darryl Sittler, Dennis Maruk, Craig Simpson, Jason Allison, Dino Ciccarelli, Brendan Shanahan and more recently Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Steve Mason and Patrick Kane. The Knights are also known for the tough guys they've produced over the years.

What follows is surely a highly disputable list of the top ten tough guys the Knights have produced in the history of the team. All-time OHL career penalty minutes is a factor in the judging, however, it's the complete package that the players are ultimately graded on. In fact, only 4 of the top 10 career PIM leaders make this top 10. Leadership, post OHL success and historical significance also play important roles.

Tough Guy #10 - Gary Sittler

Yes, Gary Sittler. The younger brother of the first big star to go on to a great NHL career after wearing the green and gold makes the top 10 on his own merit and does not ride on his brother's coat tails (ok - maybe a bit). Darryl's brother played with London from 1969 to 1972. In the pre-intimidation era, Gary still spent significant time in the penalty box, averaging 3.6 minutes per game. Never playing a game in the NHL, Gary did rack up 376 PIM for the Saginaw Gears of the IHL in 1975-76.

Tough Guy #9 - Justin McPolin

Who? Justin played with the Knights for 2 seasons, 1995-96 and 1996-97, the years the Knights were breaking CHL records for futility. Amassing 311 PIM in just 80 games with the Knights, Justin immediately found work in the ECHL upon graduation. His career was cut short in 1998-99 after punching a referee in the face while playing for the Jacksonville Lizard Kings.

Tough Guy #8 - Don Martin

He was one of two top 10 members to captain the Knights. Don put in three seasons with the team from 1985 to 1988 and amassed 429 PIM in 175 games. Don was drafted 103rd overall by the Oilers in 1988 but never played a single NHL game. What makes Don one tough guy is the fact that his minor league career spanned from 1988 to 2003, never playing on one single team for more than one season at a time. In total, Don played for over 20 teams in 3 countries. It should also be noted that Don played 6 seasons of professional In-line hockey from 1993 to 1998.

Tough Guy #7 - Bert Wilson

Bert makes the list because he was the first green and gold single season PIM leader. In 1968-69, he led the team with 160 PIM. Bert went on to a fairly lengthy career in the NHL, playing 478 games with the Rangers, Blues, Kings and Flames.

Tough Guy #6 - Dan Bouchard

Not the goalie with the most career PIM with the Knights - that was Jordan Willis with 62 PIM in 123 games. However, Bouchard had 55 in just 41 games during his lone season with the Knights, 1969-70. Dan went on to play 14 seasons in the NHL with the Flames, Nordiques and Jets.

Tough Guy #5 - Brandon Sugden

Another player from the desolate years from 1995 to 1997, Brandon spent 422 minutes in the box in only 86 games - almost 5 minutes per game. He was still good enough to be picked 111th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs and although still waiting to play his first NHL game, as of 2009-10 Brandon has moved on the KHL in Russia to spread his scorn.

Tough Guy #4 - John Erskine

'Big John' solidified the Knights defense in their rise from the dead between 1997 and 2000. His OHL career totals of 590 PIM in 170 games would probably have been higher if opposing players didn't simply avoid fighting him. Regardless, the numbers were enough to rank him 5th on the Knights all-time list. John has settled into the NHL nicely, playing with Dallas, the Islanders and currently with Washington.

Tough Guy #3 - Brandon Prust

The only London born player on the list, Brandon topped his 3 year OHL career off with a Memorial Cup win in 2004-2005. Number 7 all-time on the Knights list with 537 PIM, Prust racked up 71 in just 15 games during the Knights' Memorial Cup run in 2005. Brandon has shown promise with Calgary and Phoenix of the NHL.

Tough Guy #2 - Louis Debrusk

A fan favourite wherever he's played, especially in London, Louis ranks number 6 on the all-time list with 570 PIM. Louis put in 3 seasons with the Knights from 1988 to 1991. In 11 NHL seasons with Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Phoenix and Chicago, he spent more than 19 hours (1161 minutes) in the box over 401 games.

Tough Guy #1 - Danny Bois

In 4 seasons with the Knights, Danny registered 911 PIM in 236 games. That number put him 252 minutes ahead of number 2, Brad Marsh, who played 1 additional season for the team. For the final 3 seasons, Danny also served as the team captain. After being drafted 97th overall by Ottawa in the 2001 draft, he played one game with the team in 2006-07, getting in a fight. He is now pursuing the dream in the Chicago Blackhawks system.