Canadians dominate toughest of the tough

Fighting has been part of the National Hockey League for as long as the sport has existed, but the fraternity of enforcers is dwindling as teams place a premium on skill and speed in an era of heightened concern about head injuries.

Here's a rogue's gallery of some of the league's most ferocious fighters through the years, all of them Canadian except for Chris Nilan (American):

Tiger Williams, 1974-1988, 3,966 penalty minutes. He made a living as an enforcer for five teams, though the 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward could poke in some goals, too. He led the league in penalty minutes in 1976-77 and 1977-78 and set a career high with 358 minutes with the Los Angeles Kings in 1986-87.