The Scaries: Which NHLers inspire the most fear in 2024-25?

Credit: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 18: Brandon Tanev #13 of the Seattle Kraken poses for his official headshot for the 2024-2025 season on September 18, 2024 at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Liv Lyons/NHLI via Getty Images)

Happy Halloween. Almost. It’s spooky season, which always coincides with the opening leg of the NHL calendar. It’s fitting, because a significant element of the sport is making your opponent fear you, whether it’s retreating as you carry the puck toward them, wincing when you have them lined up for a hit or, if you’re a head coach, quaking when you speak.

With that: I introduce the first edition of the Daily Faceoff Scaries, a breakdown of the NHL’s most frightening people in 10 different attributes.

Fittingly, the New York Rangers, who rank first in our power rankings this week, take home the most Scaries of any team.

SCARIEST COACH: Patrick Roy, New York Islanders

The easy answer for scariest coach is John Tortorella, but his methods are evidently wearing thin in Philadelphia according to the standings, so Saint Patrick is my answer. Not only does he inspire players as a firebreathing motivator, but his nearly unrivalled resume as a clutch player adds to the reverence his players have for him. How can you not look up the only man ever to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP three times?

As Isles first-line center Bo Horvat told me, the intimidation vibe around Roy could not be more real, even for the Islanders’ top players.

“Oh, it definitely is,” Horvat said. “I don’t think he’s trying to be intimidating. It’s just, ‘That’s Patrick Roy.’ He’s got that aura about him. His presence, obviously his success speaks for itself. When he’s telling you to do something, you’re going to listen.”

SCARIEST GOALIE: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, is regarded as the world’s best goaltender by most. But Shesterkin is right there, and he may be the toughest goaltender to solve when he’s on one of his trademark heaters.

Shesterkin stormed out of the All-Star break to post a .929 save percentage over his final 23 games of the 2023-24 regular season. And look at the Rangers’ second-round series versus the Carolina Hurricanes last postseason: Carolina outshot them in all six games, but it didn’t matter since Shesterkin posted a .919 SV% in the series. He can live in a team’s head when he’s hot.

SCARIEST SHOT: Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres

Pour one out for Utah HC’s Michael Kesselring. For two glorious days, he held the NHL EDGE record for the fastest in-game shot at 103.77 mph. Then Thompson ripped his patented one-timer at a whopping 104.69 mph in his Sabres’ game against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday, producing a lively rebound off Alex Lyon’s pad, which Jason Zucker deposited in the net.

What makes Thompson’s shot so scary: it’s not like he’s a defenseman who uncorks it once in a while from the point. As a forward, he’s constantly threatening netminders with it. So far in 2024-25, he’s recaptured his elite form of two seasons ago, burying seven goals in 10 games.

SCARIEST HITTER: Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers

Trouba is the closest facsimile we have to Scott Stevens today. If you’re not keeping an eye out for the Blueshirts captain, he’ll freight-train you into oblivion, sometimes on a textbook-clean hit, sometimes on a borderline hit, the latter of which is even scarier. Trouba isn’t the only punishing hitter in the game today – nobody enjoys getting caught by Tom Wilson – but no one since Stevens has shown such a knack for changing the face of a given game and eliminating opposing players with violent body blows.

SCARIEST 1-ON-1: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

I don’t blame anyone who would choose Connor McDavid for this answer. But the category isn’t best 1 on 1; it’s scariest. MacKinnon dashes into the opposing zone with a combination of speed and ferocity that reminds me of Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. The player trying to stop him is the one in danger of getting run over, not vice versa.

SCARIEST GM PHONE CALL: Kelly McCrimmon, Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone. Jack Eichel. Noah Hanifin. Tomas Hertl. The list goes on and on. If you get a call from the Golden Knights about a trade, hang up. Every year, they stop at nothing in their pursuit of shiny new stars to add to their powerhouse lineup. Not only is it scary for a rival GM to get a call from McCrimmon, but it’s just as scary to see his name pop up on your phone if you’re a Golden Knights prospect. They’ve drafted eight players in the first round and traded six of them.

SCARIEST PHOTO: Brandon Tanev, Seattle Kraken

His annual petrified expression, pictured at the top of this article, has become a headshot-day staple. Asked about the meaning of it one year, Tanev said he really did see a ghost one time in the background while his photo was being taken. He was joking, of course. Or was he?

SCARIEST FIGHTER: Arber Xhekaj, Montreal Canadiens

Matt Rempe is a terrifying presence at 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, but Xhekaj is NHL’s the unofficial leader in cans of whoopass per 60 right now. According to voters at hockeyfights.com, Xhekaj is 14-2-2 so far in his NHL bouts between the regular season and preseason, scoring victories over intimidators such as Ryan Reaves, Tanner Jeannot and Pat Maroon.

SCARIEST GOALIE MASK: Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils

Not only does Markstrom’s current mask art, courtesy of Jordon Bourgeault, feature a macabre aesthetic, but it pays homage to the urban legend that inspired New Jersey’s team name. The design includes torn book pages depicting the goatheaded creature believed by some to roam the Pine Barrens.

SCARIEST TRASH TALKER: Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Tkachuk is the worst type of player to get under your skin. He’s darn good at trash talking, as was revealed in the Amazon FACEOFF: Inside the NHL series, when he suggested to the Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand, “Never seen a captain quit on his team before.” Tkachuk is also big and strong, so if you try to hurt him because he agitated you, he can hurt you back. Scariest of all, he’s an elite scorer and reigning Stanley Cup champion, meaning he backs up his mouthiness. That’s a tough puzzle for an opponent to solve. Mr. Jigsaw would be proud.

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