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(1) Brad Marchand
Marchand faking an injury - Photo credit: USA Today Sports
Was there any doubt over who would be the top seed among the cheap shot artists? Want to lay a check on Marchand? Well he'll go for your knees. Skating towards a loose puck on the boards, Marchand will knock your skates just hard enough to put you in a position where you'll get injured. Skating with Marchand behind you? If you stop, he'll elbow you in the head, if you don't, a spear to the nuts is more likely. Are you playing injured? If Marchand knows, he'll go after you after every whistle, hacking and slashing and hoping you hit back. He's the dirtiest player in the NHL, and also possibly the ugliest.
Marchand is not only a cheap shot artist, but he whines constantly about other players doing mean things to him and his teammates. If the first game of the first round series the Bruins played against Detroit, he was interviewed during the intermission, and instead of giving the usual hockey player "we need to give 100%" fluff, he complained that the Red Wings were getting away with too much stuff, broke down crying, shivved the interviewer with a sharpened toothbrush, and kicked the camera man in the knee, with skates on!
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(4) Terry O'Reilly Ken Linseman
Photo credit: Getty Images
Oh no, oh my god. Ken Linseman has come in late and hit O'Reilly from behind. There's blood everywhere and... is that an eyeball? This is too much. Affectionately called "The Rat" before Brad Marchand took over the moniker, as much as Bruins fans want to make "Little Ball of Hate" stick, it just doesn't. Linseman was considered the most notorious cheap shot artist of his time, and instigated his fair share of bench clearing brawls. He faced criminal court for kicking a player in the head in junior, and was known for gouging players in the eyes during scrums. What is this, WWE?
Linseman wasn't originally included in the bracket, but the fans get what they want, and Linseman was requested repeatedly. Linseman was so notorious, that he made Sean McIndoe's list of the biggest dirtbags of all time. Sean McIndoe is DownGoesBrown for those that don't know.