Tony Twist says game is worse without enforcers, players are to blame as much as league

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TJ Tucker
March 31, 2023 (10:45)

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Tony Twist, a former NHL player known for his intimidating fighting style and involvement in over 100 on-ice altercations during his 10-year NHL career, has expressed disappointment with the direction the league has taken in the past two decades. In an interview with The Athletic, he acknowledged the improved skill level of players today but lamented the absence of enforcers, which he believes has led to a loss of self-regulation among players. In his view, this development has ultimately made the game worse.

"The intimidation set the tone so that everybody could play and the fans got to watch the best players: Brett Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Al MacInnis. Nobody's taking cheap shots. Why? Nuclear weapons. Mike Keenan instilled in me, 'It's not how many times you fight. It's how many times you don't have to fight because your presence is enough to keep everybody in line.'"

According to Twist, the NHL's "gunslingers" had disappeared by the year 2000. While he understands the reasons behind this change, he believes that modern-day players are failing to address issues that should not be ignored.

Still, that doesn't mean everybody has to lay down and throw their f�� binky in the middle of the ice when they see something happen. They don't have to skate by and pretend they didn't see it. The whole mindset has changed, and I blame the league, but I also blame the players for buying into the league's program. When you take the opportunity to police yourselves out of the game and expect the league to police for you, nobody's doing that."

As a result, Twist contends that the leadership within NHL locker rooms is no longer as strong as it once was in previous years, while third and fourth lines do nothing but eat ice-time.

"At the end of the day, it takes a passing of the baton to make a championship team, and you can't build a baton-passer. He builds himself. His testimony and performance dictates that he can pass the baton. Those guys that have the baton, well, it's either not being recognized by that player or there's no responsibility to owning the value you have to that team. I'm tired of hearing the whiny little f�� who says, 'The world is against me.' No, you know what? Own your job! Own it! Find an answer. Don't whine. Don't make excuses. Own the job. I want to see more of that, and then the rest will follow suit."

"As a consequence, your third and fourth lines are mutes. Their influence on the game can only be measured by their minutes on the ice. When, in fact, your third and fourth lines, when given the opportunity, will keep the team in check. So it's not the minutes on the ice as much as it's the minutes off the ice and how valuable that player can be in the dressing room and in practice."

Twist's viewpoint is likely to resonate with traditional hockey fans who frequently express dissatisfaction with the reduction of fighting and the absence of enforcers in today's game. Nevertheless, it appears that the NHL has sought to distance itself from such a style of play due to the severe and enduring injuries that many enforcers had to live with when their careers ended. It is highly improbable that the NHL will revert to the "Wild West" mentality of the past.