August 8, 2023 by Josh Boulton

The Edmonton Oilers have been blessed with multiple Hockey Hall of Fame players, including a couple of future Hall of Famers, two of the top three all-time leading point scorers. While they are lauded more for their legendary scorers, the Oilers have also been home to some great hitters over the past 44 years.

Here’s my list of the top five hardest hitters in Oilers history in order of era played.

1. Mark Messier (1979-1991)

Regarded as one of hockey’s greatest leaders, Mark Messier played during a transitional period in NHL history. Messier was not only one of the Oilers’ most skilled player during the glory years, he was also one of their toughest. A new era of skill was exploding league-wide from the late 1980s into the 1990s, but Messier was clearly cut from the old superstar cloth, being more than willing to defend himself the old fashioned way. “Moose” would hit anything in his way to the puck. The six-time Stanley Cup Champion ranks third on the NHL all-time scoring list, just ahead of Gordie Howe, which is fitting, because the two legends had a similar reputation for blending toughness and dirtiness with their elite offensive ability.

2. Bryan Marchment (1994-1998)

Bryan Marchment suited up for the Oilers for three and a half seasons during the 1990s, during which he had two of his top five best statistical seasons out of his 17-year NHL career. The late defenceman was infamously suspended 13 times in his first 12 seasons. One of his more memorable hits in Edmonton came in 1995 against Mike Gartner, who suffered a partially collapsed lung during the incident. Marchment appears on many lists of the dirtiest players of all-time because of his tendency for knee-on-knee contact, but others remember him more fondly as the king of the hip check, which he perfected during his career.

3. Chris Pronger (2005-06)

Yes, Chris Pronger only played one season with the Oilers, but he helped lead Edmonton all the way to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. The Hockey Hall of Fame blueliner is widely recognized as one of the hardest hitters to ever play the game. Pronger struck fear in his opponents and would punish anyone who dared skate into his corner in the defensive zone. In just 80 games and four grueling playoff rounds with the orange and blue, Pronger still carved out a legacy in Oil Country as one of the toughest players in franchise history.

4. Zack Kassian (2015-2022) 

Zack Kassian delivered exactly 1,000 regular season hits in during his 412 games in an Oilers jersey. Kassian will always be remembered for the chaos he caused during a memorable 2017 playoff run. It’s interesting to note there were other Oilers’ players who had more hits during that playoff season. However, the Windsor, Ontario native was so violently invested in each of his 30 hits, that when they landed, they packed a massive punch. It also created an electricity at Rogers Place whenever Kassian would come barreling down on an opposing player. Consistent, he was not. But at times, he could be as hard-hitting and effective as anyone.

5. Darnell Nurse (2014-present)

Darnell Nurse is a physical specimen, who at times has been asked to do more than he should. Since 2007-08 (when the NHL started tracking hitting stats) the feisty Hamilton, Ontario native is tied for fourth all-time in hits in a single game with 12. In nine NHL seasons, Nurse has dished out 1,226 total hits during the regular season, which is good for 57th in hits by a defenceman all-time. At his current average of 2.19 hits per game, he should crack the top 40 by the end of the 2023-24 season. The addition of Mattias Ekholm on the back end should allow Nurse to play a more physically focused game.