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Rick Rypien or Dave Tiger Willams?


cuporbust

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Just curious to hear what you think about these two iconic tough guys. 

 

Ive often wondered what the outcome would have been if these two battled. I am and always will be a massive Rypien fan , and on a personal note , losing Rick was tuff to take outside being a hockey fan. On the hockey side , he is probably one of the toughest guys to have ever played in a Canucks uniform. That being said , tiger in his day was an absolute menace. Anyone that can rack up over 300 penalty minutes in one year obviously has an aggressive streak to say the least. 

 

So simply talking hockey, who would you want as your middleweight enforcer on your all time Canucks team ? 

 

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It's a toss up. Even from the 80s the game had evolved in so many ways that tigers style of fighting may not have been effective anymore. That being said, he is an iconic 'heart and soul'  guy that any team needs. I was young watching hockey in the early 90s, so obviously I didn't even have a chance to see tiger play, but my dad loved him. Fun fact, met the guy, and he was a awesome character. 

 

I would have to go Ryper. One of the toughest fighters I have ever seen. Worked hard every shift and would do anything for the team. I also found it difficult when he passed having depression with friends hit very close to home with me op. 

 

On a modern canucks dynasty, in my opinion you would have to go Ryper.. 

Or both.... Both. The answers both. 

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I would actually have to go with Rypien.

 

Williams was tough, but part of what made him intimidating was the fact that he would drop with anyone, at anytime.

 

Pound for Pound, Rypien was the most talented fighter that this team has ever had.

 

#2 I would probably place Curt Fraser

 

#3 Tiger Williams, just slightly ahead of #4

 

#4 Stan Smyl

 

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Great thread! Like others have said, this is a hard pick. I think Rypien was the better technical fighter, but Williams had 20 lbs over him and was a mean mean man.

 

I'm gonna have to go with Williams, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rypien would hold his own between them.

 

Next thread should be Odjick or Brashear

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21 minutes ago, shayster007 said:

It's a toss up. Even from the 80s the game had evolved in so many ways that tigers style of fighting may not have been effective anymore. That being said, he is an iconic 'heart and soul'  guy that any team needs. I was young watching hockey in the early 90s, so obviously I didn't even have a chance to see tiger play, but my dad loved him. Fun fact, met the guy, and he was a awesome character. 

 

I would have to go Ryper. One of the toughest fighters I have ever seen. Worked hard every shift and would do anything for the team. I also found it difficult when he passed having depression with friends hit very close to home with me op. 

 

On a modern canucks dynasty, in my opinion you would have to go Ryper.. 

Or both.... Both. The answers both. 

I'm from Kelowna. If you go to the school house pub there is a massive hole in the drywall by the pool table circled with the writing "Dave tiger Williams was here". Lol. Tiger was a nutcase and definitely feared. Same goes for Rypien though. He had zero fear. He would keep coming at you and at you all game no matter how big or tough you were. Just ask Brandon prust who had to fight him 3 times in one game. lol.

 

both heart and soul guys , but maybe tiger edges out a bit in that department. 

 

They had very similar fighting Style. It would have been fun to watch em go at it 

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7 minutes ago, Deets said:

Great thread! Like others have said, this is a hard pick. I think Rypien was the better technical fighter, but Williams had 20 lbs over him and was a mean mean man.

 

I'm gonna have to go with Williams, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rypien would hold his own between them.

 

Next thread should be Odjick or Brashear

I think the fact that Rypien could throw really effectively with either hand would give him the advantage over Williams. Just like it did against a lot of other much larger guys in the NHL. Just ask Brad May how tough Rypien was. He said he was seeing stars when Rypien hit him.

 

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Both ferocious and intimidating...edge to Williams.  Williams had poor punching power ...edge to Rypien.   Williams was bigger...edge to williams.    

 

Hockey wise ...Rypien had more talent but Williams was crazily fearless in dirty areas and of course could score 30 goals back then. Rypien in time could have become a better player overall, different generations.... 

 

 

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10 minutes ago, Deets said:

Great thread! Like others have said, this is a hard pick. I think Rypien was the better technical fighter, but Williams had 20 lbs over him and was a mean mean man.

 

I'm gonna have to go with Williams, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rypien would hold his own between them.

 

Next thread should be Odjick or Brashear

Gino for sure. Lol. He was the nutcases of all nutcases. Plus the team LOVED him. 

 

Was going to make it a poll but people tend to just vote and not comment on why. I wanted to know why people chose who the chose 

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7 minutes ago, cuporbust said:

I'm from Kelowna. If you go to the school house pub there is a massive hole in the drywall by the pool table circled with the writing "Dave tiger Williams was here". Lol. Tiger was a nutcase and definitely feared. Same goes for Rypien though. He had zero fear. He would keep coming at you and at you all game no matter how big or tough you were. Just ask Brandon prust who had to fight him 3 times in one game. lol.

 

both heart and soul guys , but maybe tiger edges out a bit in that department. 

 

They had very similar fighting Style. It would have been fun to watch em go at it 

This was exactly it. He'd drop them and go if the other guy looked at him funny. Or, looked at anyone else on Tiger's team funny...As a fighter, his style was often to be completely unhinged.

 

Rypien rarely lost his cool, he was methodical but very fast and would change up which hand the other guy had to worry about, just to keep them off balance.

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Lol...something i just remembered....Williams had all this success and he basically couldn't skate....lmao.   I love Ripper and actually have some ancient family connection...but there will never be another Tiger.  Couldn't punch, couldn't skate, couldn't shoot, but he could talk.

 

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14 minutes ago, cuporbust said:

Gino for sure. Lol. He was the nutcases of all nutcases. Plus the team LOVED him. 

 

Was going to make it a poll but people tend to just vote and not comment on why. I wanted to know why people chose who the chose 

Yeahhh, I don't see it that cut and dry. Brashear was probably the strongest player I've ever seen. He would grab a jersey and actually pull his opponents into his punches. lol

 

Of course Gino is my all time favourite. I have fond memories of my youth chanting Giiiiiiiiiiiinnooooooo!!! in the Coliseum. :D

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3 minutes ago, ShakyWalton said:

Rypper and Tiger were great scrappers..but so was Curt Fraser as a middlewieght....

 

 

Fair enough but not much of a fight here. They were both tired at the end of a shift 

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