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Power forward (ice hockey)

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

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]

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

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]
Todd Bertuzzi 1995–2014 [20]
David Booth 2006–2018 [citation needed]
Mel Bridgman 1975–1989
Punch Broadbent† 1912–1929 [11]
Dustin Brown 2003–2022 [21]
Wendel Clark 1985–2000 [13][22][23]
Ryan Clowe 2003–2015 [24]
Erik Cole 2000–2015 [25]
Blake Coleman 2015–present [citation needed]
Charlie Conacher† 1929–1941 [citation needed]
Shayne Corson 1985–2004 [26]
Geoff Courtnall 1983–2000
Kevin Dineen 1984–2002 [27]
Shane Doan 1995–2017 [28]
Gary Dornhoefer 1963–1978 [29]
Brandon Dubinsky 2006–2021 [citation needed]
Phil Esposito† 1963–1981 [14]
Mike Fisher 1999–2018
Theoren Fleury 1988–2006 [citation needed]
Marcus Foligno 2009–present
Mike Foligno 1979–1994 [30]
Nick Foligno 2007–present [citation needed]
Peter Forsberg† 1989–2011 [31]
Johan Franzen 1999–2016 [32]
Gerard Gallant 1984–1995 [33]
Ryan Getzlaf 2005–2022 [34]
Clark Gillies† 1974–1988 [13][22][35]
Doug Gilmour† 1983–2003
Tony Granato 1998–2001
Chris Gratton 1993–2009
Bill Guerin 1991–2010 [36]
Scott Hartnell 2000–2018 [37]
Bobby Holík 1990–2009
Tomas Holmström 1990–2012 [38]
Nathan Horton 2003–2014 [39]
Gordie Howe† 1945–1971, 1973–1980 [12][13]
Dale Hunter 1980–1999 [citation needed]
Jarome Iginla† 1996–2017 [5][10][22]
Jaromír Jágr 1990-2008, 2011–2018
Tanner Jeannot 2021–present
Nazem Kadri 2009-present
Evander Kane 2009–present [citation needed]
Tim Kerr 1980–1993 [10]
Ryan Kesler 2003–2019 [citation needed]
Mike Knuble 1995–2013 [40]
Ilya Kovalchuk 1999–present [41]
Chris Kreider 2012–present [42]
Chris Kunitz 2003–2019 [citation needed]
Andrew Ladd 2005–2022 [citation needed]
Gabriel Landeskog 2011–present [43]
John LeClair 1991–2006 [44]
Anders Lee 2013–present [45]
Trevor Linden 1988–2008
Eric Lindros† 1992–2007 [10][22][46]
Milan Lucic 2007–present [22][47]
Evgeni Malkin 2003–present [48]
Ryan Malone 2003–2015, 2017 [49]
Patrick Maroon 2008–present [50]
Randy McKay 1988–2003 [51]
Scott Mellanby 1986–2007 [52]
Mark Messier† 1978–2004 [10][53]
Brenden Morrow 1999–2015 [54]
Rick Nash 2002–2018 [55]
James Neal 2008–present [56]
Cam Neely† 1983–1996 [7][13][22][57]
Owen Nolan 1990–2011 [58]
Eddie Olczyk 1984–2000
Bert Olmstead† 1948–1962 [15]
Joel Otto 1984–1998
Alex Ovechkin 2005–present [59][60]
Cedric Paquette 2013–present [citation needed]
Michael Peca 1993–2009
Dustin Penner 2005–2014 [61]
Willi Plett 1975–1988 [62]
Alexei Ponikarovsky 1998–2018 [63]
Keith Primeau 1990–2005 [64]
Ryan Reaves 2010–present [citation needed]
Maurice Richard† 1942–1960 [65]
Mike Richards 2005–2016 [citation needed]
Nick Ritchie 2015–present [66]
Gary Roberts 1986–2009 [67]
Tomas Sandstrom 1982–2002 [68]
Al Secord 1978–1990, 1994–1996 [22]
Brendan Shanahan† 1987–2009 [10][13][22][69]
Wayne Simmonds 2008–2023 [70]
Ryan Smyth 1994–2014 [71]
Kevin Stevens 1987–2002 [10][72]
Mats Sundin† 1989–2009 [73]
Andrei Svechnikov 2018–present
Brady Tkachuk 2018–present [74]
Keith Tkachuk 1991–2010 [10][22]
Matthew Tkachuk 2016–present [citation needed]
Rick Tocchet 1984–2002 [10][22]
Rick Vaive 1979–1992 [57]
Pat Verbeek 1982–2002 [citation needed]
Blake Wheeler 2008–present [75]
Tom Wilson 2013–present [76]

References

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