Power forward (ice hockey)

Ice hockey forward known for their skill and physicality From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In ice hockey, power forward (PWF) is a loosely applied characterization of a forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals and would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties.[1] It is usually used in reference to a forward who is physically large, with the toughness to dig the puck out of the corners, possesses offensive instincts, has mobility, puck-handling skills,[2][3] may be difficult to knock off the puck or to push away from the front of the goal[4] and willingly engage in fights when he feels it is required.[5] Possessing both physical size and offensive ability, power forwards are also often referred to as the 'complete' hockey player.[6][7]

Alexander Ovechkin, considered by many as one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, is often described as a "power forward".

Historically, power forward was not originally a hockey term, finding comparatively recent origins from basketball.[8][9] Harry Sinden, former president of the Boston Bruins, claims power forward first became part of hockey terminology because of the style of play of Cam Neely, an NHL player from 1983 to 1996, who could play ruggedly and also score goals.[7][10]

Punch Broadbent was one of the first players who pioneered the style before the NHL was founded in 1917,[11] while Charlie Conacher, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead are likewise considered quintessential examples of power forwards in the decades before the term entered hockey vernacular.[12][13][14][15]

NHL players described as power forwards

 †  Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

More information Player, Career ...
Player Career Ref
Josh Anderson 2014–present [16]
Nik Antropov 1996–2015 [17]
Jason Arnott 1993–2013 [18]
David Backes 2006–2021 [citation needed]
Jamie Benn 2009–present [19]
Sam Bennett 2015–present
Todd Bertuzzi 1995–2014 [20]
Tyler Bertuzzi 2016–present [21]
David Booth 2006–2018 [citation needed]
Mel Bridgman 1975–1989
Punch Broadbent† 1912–1929 [11]
Dustin Brown 2003–2022 [22]
Dino Ciccarelli 1980–1999
Wendel Clark 1985–2000 [13][23][24]
Ryan Clowe 2003–2015 [25]
Erik Cole 2000–2015 [26]
Blake Coleman 2015–present [27]
Charlie Conacher† 1929–1941 [citation needed]
Shayne Corson 1985–2004 [28]
Geoff Courtnall 1983–2000
Lawson Crouse 2016–present [29]
Kevin Dineen 1984–2002 [30]
Shane Doan 1995–2017 [31]
Gary Dornhoefer 1963–1978 [32]
Pierre-Luc Dubois 2017–present [33]
Phil Esposito† 1963–1981 [14]
Mike Fisher 1999–2018
Marcus Foligno 2009–present
Mike Foligno 1979–1994 [34]
Nick Foligno 2007–present [citation needed]
Peter Forsberg 1989–2011 [35]
Johan Franzen 1999–2016 [36]
Gerard Gallant 1984–1995 [37]
Ryan Getzlaf 2005–2022 [38]
Clark Gillies† 1974–1988 [13][23][39]
Doug Gilmour† 1983–2003
Chris Gratton 1993–2009
Bill Guerin 1991–2010 [40]
Ryan Hartman 2015–present
Scott Hartnell 2000–2018 [41]
Paul Holmgren 1976–1985
Tomas Holmström 1990–2012 [42]
Nathan Horton 2003–2014 [43]
Gordie Howe† 1945–1971, 1973–1980 [12][13]
Jarome Iginla† 1996–2017 [5][10][23]
Jaromír Jágr 1990-2008, 2011–2018
Tanner Jeannot 2021–present
Dakota Joshua 2021–present [44]
Evander Kane 2009–present [45]
Tim Kerr 1980–1993 [10]
Ryan Kesler 2003–2019 [citation needed]
Matthew Knies 2023-present [46]
Mike Knuble 1995–2013 [47]
Ilya Kovalchuk 1999–2024 [48]
Chris Kreider 2012–present [49]
Andrew Ladd 2005–2022 [citation needed]
Gabriel Landeskog 2011–present [50]
John LeClair 1991–2006 [51]
Anders Lee 2013–present [52]
Claude Lemieux 1983–2004, 2008–2009
Trevor Linden 1988–2008
Eric Lindros† 1992–2007 [10][23][53]
Milan Lucic 2007–present [23][54]
Evgeni Malkin 2003–present [55]
Ryan Malone 2003–2015, 2017 [56]
Patrick Maroon 2008–2025 [57]
Randy McKay 1988–2003 [58]
Scott Mellanby 1986–2007 [59]
Mark Messier† 1978–2004 [10][60]
Brenden Morrow 1999–2015 [61]
Rick Nash 2002–2018 [62]
James Neal 2008–present [63]
Cam Neely† 1983–1996 [7][13][23][64]
Owen Nolan 1990–2011 [65]
Terry O'Reilly 1972–1985
Eddie Olczyk 1984–2000
Bert Olmstead† 1948–1962 [15]
Joel Otto 1984–1998
Alex Ovechkin 2005–present [66][67]
Dustin Penner 2005–2014 [68]
Corey Perry 2005–present [69]
Willi Plett 1975–1988 [70]
Alexei Ponikarovsky 1998–2018 [71]
Keith Primeau 1990–2005 [72]
Aliaksei Protas 2021–present
Mikael Renberg 1993–2004
Maurice Richard† 1942–1960 [73]
Mike Richards 2005–2016 [citation needed]
Nick Ritchie 2015–present [74]
Gary Roberts 1986–2009 [75]
Tomas Sandstrom 1982–2002 [76]
Al Secord 1978–1990, 1994–1996 [23]
Brendan Shanahan† 1987–2009 [10][13][23][77]
Wayne Simmonds 2008–2023 [78]
Ryan Smyth 1994–2014 [79]
Eric Staal 2003–2023
Jordan Staal 2006–present [80]
Kevin Stevens 1987–2002 [10][81]
Mark Stone 2012–present [82]
Mats Sundin† 1989–2009 [83]
Andrei Svechnikov 2018–present
Tage Thompson 2017–present
Brady Tkachuk 2018–present [84]
Keith Tkachuk 1991–2010 [10][23]
Matthew Tkachuk 2016–present [85]
Rick Tocchet 1984–2002 [10][23]
Alex Tuch 2017–present
Rick Vaive 1979–1992 [64]
Blake Wheeler 2008–2025 [86]
Tom Wilson 2013–present [87]
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