Buffalo Sabres Top 5 Most Penalized Players In History
Feb 10, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and Ottawa Senators right wing Erik Condra (22) fight during the first period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Since the introduction of the Buffalo Sabres to the National Hockey League in 1970, many players have suited up in the blue and gold – or in some cases, the red and black – and hit the ice. In today’s “all-time” list, we’ll look at some of the bigger enforcers that have played for the Buffalo Sabres over the past years.
From Rob Ray to Matthew Barnaby, Jerry “King Kong” Korab to Lindy Ruff, Jim Schoenfeld to Mike Hartman…. there have been many players in Buffalo Sabres history who have racked up penalty minutes like nobody else’s business.
But aside from the top five penalty-getters in Buffalo Sabres history, one interesting point about this list: there are no really “recent” players on it. With the way the NHL operates now, the role of the enforcer just isn’t there at the same capacity it used to be. Throughout this slideshow, I’ll also pull some more recent players who have been considered enforcers and see how they match up with these guys.
But for now, without further ado, here are the top five most-penalized players in Buffalo Sabres franchise history.
5. Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby played right wing for the Buffalo Sabres between 1992 and 1999. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1992, with the 83rd overall selection.
Over the course of his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres, Barnaby appeared in 317 games. In that time, he managed to wrack up 1,248 penalty minutes – fifth most of any player in Buffalo Sabres history.
For the folks at home, that amounts to roughly 3.94 penalty minutes per game over the course of his seven (some partial) seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.
During his time with the Buffalo Sabres organization, Barnaby also managed to rack up 427 penalty minutes with the Rochester Americans – over the course of just 98 games throughout two seasons. That’s an average of 4.36 penalty minutes per game at the AHL level.
After his time in Buffalo, Barnaby would go on to play for Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, the Rangers, Avalanche, Blackhawks and Stars before hanging up the skates in 2007.
His NHL career as a whole found him rack up a total of 2,732 penalty minutes in 896 games played, averaging 3.05 penalty minutes per game. His career-high single-season record for penalty minutes came in the 1995-96 season, when he was served with 335 penalty minutes in 73 games. This would end up being third-most for most penalty minutes in a season by a player in the Sabres franchise.
Oh – and a fun, more recent comparison? Patrick Kaleta, who has appeared in 360 games with the Buffalo Sabres, has always been known as an “enforcer” but in comparison to Barnaby’s 1,248 penalty minutes, has accrued only 542.
4. Brad May
Brad May’s NHL career lasted until 2010, but it all began right here, with the Buffalo Sabres.
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May, a left winger, was drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He’d end up playing seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, from 1991 until 1998.
All in all, May would appear in 425 games with the Buffalo Sabres. In that time, he would rack up 1,323 penalty minutes — fourth most of any player in Buffalo Sabres franchise history.
That’s an average of 3.11 penalty minutes per game during his time with the Buffalo Sabres.
Of course, his penalty minutes aren’t the thing that most Buffalo Sabres will remember May for. It’s the May Day goal, of course, but regardless of that goal, May was known as an enforcer.
Nonetheless, May went on to play for Vancouver, Phoenix, Colorado, Anaheim, Toronto and Detroit before hanging up his skates.
His NHL career saw him rack up 2,360 penalty minutes in 1,129 games – an average of 2.09 penalty minutes per game.
As a rookie in the NHL in the 1991-92 season, May set his career-high record with 309 penalty minutes in just 69 games, as a 20-year-old. To this day, he still holds the Buffalo Sabres record for most penalty minutes by a rookie.
3. Larry Playfair
Larry Playfair actually had two stints with the Buffalo Sabres, appearing first with the team between 1978 and 1986, and then coming back between 1988 and 1990.
He racked up 1,392 penalty minutes, third-most of any player on the team in history. Having played 577 games with the NHL squad, he averaged 2.41 penalty minutes per game during his time with the Buffalo Sabres.
Playfair, a defenseman, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 13th overall in 1978.
In between his stints with the Buffalo Sabres, Playfair also spent some time with the Los Angeles Kings.
All in all, his NHL career saw him appear in 731 games, racking up 1,925 penalty minutes in that time – an average of 2.63 penalty minutes per game. His most-penalized season came in 1981-82, when he racked up a career-high 258 penalty minutes in 77 games.
Here’s a fun bonus fact for you: Playfair’s ultimate career-high in penalty minutes actually came in his junior career. In the 1977-78 season in the WCHL, he racked up 402 penalty minutes in 71 games with the Portland Winter Hawks. He then added 58 penalty minutes in just eight playoff games that season.
His rookie season in the NHL, the following year, he had 60 penalty minutes in 26 games. He also added 148 penalty minutes in 45 AHL games with the Hershey Bears that year, his only time ever spent in the AHL.
2. Mike Foligno
Long before his sons Marcus and Nick hit the NHL ice, Mike Foligno was tearing it up in the National Hockey League. The forward was drafted third overall in 1979 by the Detroit Red Wings, and it was there he began his career. But he’d soon join the Buffalo Sabres, and would spend many seasons there, betwen 1981 and 1991.
Overall, he’d appear in 664 games with the Buffalo Sabres and would rack up 1,450 penalty minutes in that time – an average of 2.18 penalty minutes per game.
His career-high for penalty minutes would come in the 1987-88 season with the Buffalo Sabres, when he’d rack up 220 penalty minutes in 74 regular season games. The only other time he broke the 200 mark was the 1980-81 year, when he had 210 penalty minutes.
After leaving Buffalo, Foligno continued his NHL career with Toronto and Florida before hanging the skates up in 1994. He ended his NHL career with 1,018 regular season games played, and 2,049 penalty minutes in that time, an average of just over two minutes per game.
Aside from our top guy – to be revealed next – Foligno played the most games out of anyone on this list with the Buffalo Sabres, so it’s no big shocker that he’d end up near the top of the list.
1. Rob Ray
Would there possibly be anyone else to top this list but Rob Ray?
In 888 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Ray managed an incredible 3,189 penalty minutes, averaging 3.59 penalty minutes per game.
His single-season high was set during the 1991-92 season, when he got 354 penalty minutes in just 63 games — an average of 5.62 penalty minutes per game!
Ray also racked up 496 penalty minutes in 125 regular season games with the Rochester Americans over the course of three seasons, averaging 3.97 penalty minutes per game with the AHL club.
To date, Ray still holds multiple Buffalo Sabres penalty-related records. He holds the top two spots for most penalty minutes in a single season (354, 1991-92 and 350, 1990-91), and his 169 penalty minutes in the playoffs are the most of any Buffalo Sabres player in franchise history.
During his time with the Sabres, he led the team in penalty minutes in nine seasons, and at this point, it seems like Ray will continue to hold the top spot for most-penalized player in Buffalo Sabres history for the forseeable future.
Other notable players who didn’t make the top five list: Lindy Ruff, who racked up 1,126 penalty minutes during his playing time with the Buffalo Sabres; Jim Schoenfeld, who had 1,025 penalty minutes; Mike Hartman (890) and Jerry Korab (870).
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