TOP 5 TOUGH MAPLE LEAFS OF THE DECADE

   With the end of the decade on the horizon and a crazy decade for the Maple Leafs I've decided to compile a list of the top 5 guys the Maple Leafs employed over the decade. We all love a guy who is willing to put his neck on the line for his teammates. It is hard to match a passion for the game that these tough guys had, constantly dropping the gloves to get the team amped up, or protecting the smaller guys on the team. Whether you agree with the role of a tough guy one thing you cannot dispute is their love for the logo they wear, so without further a due here is the top 5 tough guys from the 2010-present season

*All Stats are relevant to how long they played with the Toronto Maple Leafs - Not their whole careers

5. Mark Fraser - Defenseman - 64 GP - 118 PIM

Mark Fraser was definitely not the most skilled defenseman in the game but he brought his toughness every night. Dropping the gloves with some of the scariest guys in the league at the time like Shawn Thornton, Adam Mcquaid, Lane MacDermid, Zack Kassian and the ever annoying Brandon Prust. Fraser was also not afraid to throw his weight around (just ask Jeff Skinner) Unfortunately the fighting and hitting wasn't enough to keep him in a Maple leafs encreseted jersey for too long, only playing for two seasons. His toughness was also on display when he took a puck right between his eyes from a booming slapshot from his bruins opponent Milan Lucic. Fraser would get up on his own accord and skate off the ice. For that he has earned a spot on my list.

4. Matt Martin - 132 GP - 173 PIM

More recently, and probably the last real tough guy to lace them up for the Maple Leafs is Matt Martin coming in at #4. Martin quickly immersed himself in Leaf land , often sticking up for the little guys like his best buddy Mitch Marner. Weighing in at 220 lbs and a towering 6'3 its no surprise this guy could throw his fists around. With the Leafs having a new GM and having John Tavares in their sights it was time to move on from Martin, but one thing is for sure, this guy isn't afraid of anyone in the league and he proved that with his short time here in Toronto.

3. Mike Brown - 112 GP - 213 PIM

This is where things start to get tough (pun intended). Coming in hot at #3 is the infamous Mike Brown. Mike Brown is the smallest guy on this list, but definitely one of the baddest. Weighing in at 205 LBS and standing at 5'11 he left it all on the ice every shift. Fighting some of the baddest dudes in the NHL (often much bigger than him) it always seemed his opponent towered him, but that didn't stop Brown from pummeling his opponents into the ground. Brown actually had some good speed, that mixed with his vicious ways made for some pretty good hits. One of his more memorable moments in a Leafs jersey was when he bloodied up Philadelphia Flyers Tye McGinn (6'3 , 218 LBS) with a couple of right hands. If you haven't seen it , make sure to youtube it, you won't be disappointed.

2. Frazer McLaren - 62 GP - 179 PIM

How could we ever forget the era of big Frazer McLaren? McLaren was an absolute mutant (6'5, 230 LBS) and he was not afraid to show it. Often taking on the biggest guys and often taking them out. He struck fear into any opponent crazy enough to try and take him on- fighting guys like Chris Neil, John Scott, and Brandon Prust, just to name a few. One of his most memorable fights in a Maple Leafs Jersey was when he knocked out David Dziurzynski of the rival team Ottawa Senators. Not even one minute into the game Dziurzynski mistakenly dropped the gloves with McLaren and the both of them started throwing bombs, unfortunately for Dziurzynski, McLaren caught him with a haymaker and it was night-night for the Senators forward. One of the nastiest Maple Leaf players in recent memory which is why he easily takes number 2 on my list.

1. Colton Orr - 232 GP - 637 PIM

This list would not be complete without fan favorite Colton Orr. Colton Orr wore a Maple Leafs jersey for an impressive 6 years by cementing himself as the teams keeper. Nobody touched one of the skilled guys without having to answer the bell with Orr. He quickly jumped into the hearts of fans by constantly dropping the gloves to give the team some energy or to protect his teammates. With only 13 points while he played for the leafs, clearly indicated why he was on the team. The list would be way to long to point out all of the tough guys he fought but just to name a few he took George Parros, John Scott, Brian McGrattan, and Milan Lucic. Its hard to pick out his most memorable moment just because he has had some great fights but for me personally it was his on-going battle with Matt Carkner of the Ottawa Senators. These two warriors fought 6 times, which was pretty much every time they had the pleasure of meeting up on the ice. Orr was able to knock him out cold and make Carkner look silly for even contemplating the idea of fighting this warrior. It was sad to see him leave, but it was one hell of a time when we got to watch Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren share the same ice and team which was definitely the scariest line for the Maple Leafs.

Honorable Mentions:

• David Clarkson - 118 GP - 185 PIM
• Nazem Kadri -561 GP - 387 PIM
• Jay Rosehill - 72 GP - 198 PIM

Sources: 

Hockey-reference.com

Hockeyfight.com