The 25 best NHL agitators of all-time

When you think of the "agitator" label, there's probably no one who comes to your mind quicker than Marchand. Often cited as "The Rat," the longtime Boston Bruin and later Florida Panther star epitomizes every definition of the label. Hockey fans will never forget when he licked the faces of Leo Komarov and Ryan Callahan in the 2018 playoffs. He's super pesky when on the ice and is constantly getting under the opposition's skin, just as he did to Justin Williams in the 2019 playoffs when he gouted him into a cross-checking penalty then laughed it off. He's among the all-time greats in this category because he's also one of the most talented players in the world, with more than 1,100 games played and multiple Cups. 

Tucker often drew the ire of his opponents for his verbal jousting and physical play despite his smaller stature. He put that on full display in 2003 when he charged the Ottawa bench in search of Chris Neil, setting off a massive brawl. While pesky with his choice of words and mannerisms, Tucker also delivered bone-crushing hits, sometimes crossing a line. He blew out Michael Peca's knee in the 2002 playoffs and knocked out Sami Kapanen in the 2004 playoffs. He was able to do all of this while being a capable scorer, even putting up 61 points in one season. 

A newer entry to the list, Tkachuk is an elite player who doubles in the art of psychological warfare. It's not uncommon to see him chirping the opponent whenever he's on the ice and doing so while grinning the entire time. He has gotten under the skin of some of the greats, famously having a rivalry with Los Angeles' Drew Doughty for years. When watching a game with Tkachuk involved, it's easy to find him since he's always parked right in front of the goalie, and the second the play stops, he's the first one in the middle of the muck. That's why he's constantly among the league leaders in drawing penalties. 

The term 'psychopath' is often used to describe Barnaby's style of play. He relished in getitng under someone's skin. A grin and smirk were a part of his uniform just as much as his team's sweater. That smile of his, even while being punched in the face, was infuriating for opponents. One of his most famous displays was when he faked an injury and then immediately jumped up after his theatrics to start a line brawl against Philadelphia in 1996. 

If Perry isn't on your team, chances are you're not a fan of his. He's one of those guys that every hockey fans hate besides his own fanbase. That's because Perry is an annoying player, which is far from a diss. His ability to irate opponents with his words and physical play after the whistle has consistently benefited his teams. Occasionally, he goes too far, but more times than not, he's getting them off their game, and sometimes a man down. Some of his pesky moves included stealing Marian Hossa's stick during a playoff game and tossing it down the ice. Likewise, he squirted a water bottle into another player's face during a timeout. 

The toothless face of the Broad Street Bullies era has to be on this list. He famously pulled off a two-hand slash against the Soviet Union’s top player, breaking his ankle, and helping to lead Canada to a 1972 Summit Series win. He was a pesky player in every sense of the label, often seen hooking or slashing a player behind the play to try to incite them. Those same tendencies carried into the faceoff circle, where he would try to draw reactionary players. 

Playing with a chip on his shoulder, Kadri plays the game like a bat out of hell. He's become a legitimate scorer at the next level, all while being an irritant for his opponents. Early in his career, he led the entire league in penalties drawn with 49 during the 2015-16 season. His antics have crossed the line at times, particularly during postseason play, where he has seen three separate suspensions for retaliatory hits. One of his iconic "agitator" moments was the 2022 playoffs when he collided with Jordan Bennington in the net. The entire series saw St. Louis trying to knock him off his game, only for him to pot a hat trick in the following game. 

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Tkachuk household. The Ottawa captain is a physical specimen who isn't afraid of anyone, and he makes that clear. He once challenged the entire Detroit bench to a fight during a 2023 game. Like his brother, he's a force posted up in front of the goalie and, as a result, finds himself in many scrums throughout the game. He's always engaged when on the ice and is willing to toss his body around, as evidenced by his NHL record 16 hits in one game. 

The brand of agitation that Wilson plays isn't just his ability to chirp, but the intimidation he brings to the opposition. He certainly can annoy the players he's up against, but he also does what he can to instill fear into them, as well. Wilson’s loose-cannon nature was on full display against the Rangers in 2021 in a game where he punched a downed player in the head, then body-slammed Artemi Panarin. The chaos carried over into their next game, which began with fights before the play even started. Wilson is a guy you hate to play against, just ask goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who was so ticked off by a late swing that he took a penalty after swinging his blocker at Wilson in 2023.

There aren't many players who could win the title of most hated player in the league. Lemieux would certainly be on that short list. He laid out Kris Draper face-first into the boards during the 1996 playoffs. While playing a dirty game meant to rile up the opponent, he shied away from dropping the gloves, which would only infuriate players further. That was why his post-whistle bumps on goalies resulted in so many penalties, as defensemen would take shots at him, but he would laugh it off and take the man-advantage for his team. 

From a young age, it was clear that Fleury had a knack for causing havoc in games. He sparked a brawl during juniors in 1988 after a "machine gun" celebration aimed at the Soviet Union bench following a goal. From that point on, Fleury carried the "agitator" tag. Where he lacked in size, he made up for it with grit, constantly badgering opponents and taking on larger defensemen with no fear in the hopes of drawing a penalty. 

During Linseman's heyday, from 1978 to 1992, he was labeled "The Rat." Just like another man with that nickname in Brad Marchand (also on this list), Linseman was relentless with both his jawing and antics. He once kicked a player in the face with his skate during juniors. That dirty play set the stage for his NHL career, during which he had a few notable spearing incidents. He also mastered "turtling," which saw him hit a player in hopes of sparking a fracas, and when challenged, he would skate away, aiming to draw a minor penalty.

How much did Tikkanen talk trash on the ice? It reached a point where the term "Tikkanese" was born, referring to his blend of Finnish, English, and Swedish that created a rapid-fire tongue like nails on a chalkboard. He was one of the first players to master the art of shadowing the opposition's top player, doing all he could to knock them off their game.

You don't play hockey with the name "Tiger" and become anything but an agitator, right? Williams lived in the penalty box more than any player ever has, holding the NHL record for most penalty minutes. When he wasn't committing fouls, Williams was a top-tier pest. He was the one who created the iconic "riding the stick like a horse" celebration. Back then, when he did it, it was a sign of disrespect and would occasionally lead to brawls. 

It's been reported that Ott was avid at studying the scouting report of the next team he'd be facing. Well, not the report you're thinking of. He would research and do his homework on his opponents to the point of knowing what personal information he could use against them. His chirps weren't necessarily rooted in evilness, though. He once mocked Claude Giroux during a game as the two were set to take a faceoff, letting the Flyers captain know just how much better he was at winning the draw, famously saying on a hot mic, "I'm fifth in the league in faceoffs. Check NHL.com."  

Burrows discovered his niche in the league right away. He got to play alongside the Sedin twins and knew that he wasn't needed for his production but rather for his ability to wreak havoc on the other team's mental well-being. He went as far as biting Patrice Bergeron's finger during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. 

Avery saw hockey differently. To him, it was psychological warfare. Whatever he could do to disrupt a player, particularly the best player on the ice, he would. That was never more evident than in a 2008 playoff game when he turned his back on the play, skated towards New Jersey netminder, Martin Brodeur, and proceeded to wave his hands and stick in front of him to "blind him." The move was so controversial that the league created the "Avery Rule" the very next day to stop the nonsense. 

Domi was more than a fighter. He encapsulated everything there is to being an agitator. Domi was tremendous at baiting opponents and mocking them until they snapped. One of the most iconic fan-player interactions saw Domi at the center of it, as a Flyers fan heckled him in the penalty box. He responded by squirting water at the fan, who then leaned over and fell into the box, where Domi greeted him with multiple punches. 

There are rare occasions where the tough, physical potstirrer is also one of the best players on his team. That was Hunter, the only NHL player ever to record 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes in a career. He was once suspended 21 games for hitting Pierre Turgeon after the play as he celebrated a goal. Nothing was off the table for Hunter, who would slash players and shove his glove into opponents' faces just as frequently as he would score on the other end. 

Similar to Matt Cooke, Downie was a dirty, overly aggressive player. His name is attached to some of the longest suspensions in league history, including a 20-game suspension for a late hit on Dean McAmmond that occurred in the preseason, before he ever played in his first NHL game. His hotheadedness reached new heights in the AHL in 2009, when he slashed a referee, resulting in a 20-game suspension. 

The Lithuanian defenseman was very skilled at timing his hits, rarely delivering dirty hits. He did, though, unleash many clean yet painful body blows over his career in the 1990s. Kasparaitis was an expert at hip-checking, with no hit of his being more memorable and devastating at the same time as his open-ice shot on Eric Lindros. 

The two-time champion played with wreckless abandonment. He even went as far as to wear extra-hard, armor-like pads not just for protection, but to create an even stronger force when delivering hits. He was so good at chirping that he even made Tie Domi break character. Domi sucker punched him, knocking him out after dealing with Samuelsson's antics all game. 

It's debatable if Cooke should be on this list. Many, and rightfully so, would simply call him the dirtiest player. That being said, there's no denying that Cooke found a way to get under the other team's skin every single game. His hit on Boston's Marc Savard, which knocked him unconscious, led to the NHL banning all blindside hits in 2010. Three years later, his skate blade sliced the Achilles of Erik Karlsson, though the league determined it was not intentional. Cooke was suspended six times for a total of 27 games in his career. 

There's nothing dirty about what Kesler was able to do on the ice. He was a Selke Trophy winner who could defend with the best of them. The forward was so good at shadowing top players that he could simply frustrate opponents just by shutting them down. Add to that his intensity level, and he is one of the best "lowkey" agitators the game has ever seen. 

The new-age agitator, Bissonnette (or BizNasty, as he's better known to fans), not only chirped on the ice, but even more so on social media. While he would mock himself to disarm his competition, he would go just as hard on other players around the league with viral posts during his playing days. His six seasons saw him serve as an enforcer on star-studded teams in Pittsburgh and early on in Phoenix.