Rough House Hockey

[I like Boobs]

Brent Severyn: Being an enforcer got me a Stanley cup but I also think it shortened my NHL career. People only regarded me as a tough player and a great fighter. Tough to swallow having worked so hard to be a good player in the NHL.

It is great to be one of 1000 players in the history of hockey on the holy grail, but it is a bit tainted because I was in a minimized role. I learned a lot from those guys and what it take to be a "great" team. When you see it up close you never forget the feeling of everyone pulling together. It is a tough thing to get on a team. When it comes together you actually feel it in the room. It was great to watch it unfold.

Well it’s the holiday season and in the spirit of giving, I have decided to give you guys a belated Xmas present before I watch the World Juniors hockey game. The next guy that I am going to profile is Brent Severyn. Severyn is one of those guys that I always had a ton of respect for and hopefully you folks will enjoy this post. Few people realize that like Dan Kordic and Wendel Clark, Severyn was an all-star calibre defenseman at the minor league level that was forced to switch to the forward position in order to make it in the NHL.

Brent Severyn was a pretty solid defenseman that played his junior hockey in the WHL. He played his Junior hockey with the Seattle Breakers/Thunderbirds and the Brandon Wheat Kings and didn’t put up big PIMS or fight a whole lot - He only cracked the 100 PIMS mark in one of his 3 years of Junior hockey. Severyn candidly spoke about his Junior days when he said:

Severyn: I was always a good fighter, but did not enjoy mixing it up. I started to grow into my body when I start to play in the minors. I was determined to make it to the NHL and my enthusiasm was the only thing that was going to get me there. I was a tough defenseman. I didn't have great coaches in junior and didn't start to improve until I went to the University of Alberta. They showed me what hard work and a team concept was all about.

I don’t have too much information about Severyn’s Junior career but like a lot of players that came out of the WHL he could fight with the best of them. Here’s a quote by Todd Ewen on an incident that occurred between Severyn and Dean Ewen (Todd’s Brother).

Todd Ewen-There is a great story behind Severyn and Dean Ewen. When Dean and I were playing together on the New Westminster Bruins and Brent was playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds, they battled for the first time. Dean was 15 or 16 and Brent was 19 or 20. I had just been in an altercation and was sitting in the box. Back then, there wasn't a division between the penalty box and the players box and they were on the same side of the ice. Actually, the penalty box divided the two players benches. I heard Dean say that he was going to "get" someone to motivate the team. I thought to myself that it would be kind of fun to see what he could do. This was a tough rink. I say that because it still had chicken-wire instead of glass around the rink. When you hit someone in the boards, the fans could reach through the chicken-wire and grab your jersey and if enough of them got ahold of you, you were stuck there! Well Dean picked Brent for his fight and got himself spanked something awful. He didn't get knocked out or anything, but he came over to the box to sit with me and you could just see the fire in his eyes. He had just been in with someone physically older and someone who had been fighting for a longer period of time. Just out-classed at that point. He sits in the box next to me and in Dean fashion, fires the water bottle down, kicks the wall and proceeds to say "bullshit, that was just bullshit. Give me more than two fights in this fucking league and I'll kick his ass. Fucker won't even know what hit him". This went on for the whole five minutes that he was in the box. I didn't say a thing. I just looked straight ahead and watched the game. He kept winding himself up more and more. After his five was up, he jumped out of the box, charged right after Brent again and proceeded to get fed his lunch, Brent style. I have to say that I gave Dean all the credit in the world for getting back out there, but I guess that is just Dean.
Brent is a pretty good fighter and not a bad player, but he could never make it stick. He could not get the confidence of the coaches to keep him in there. When I saw him playing in junior, he would take control on the ice and was really a presence. It is kind of a shame that they didn't want to put his name on the Cup and I hope that issue was resolved. I think that he was a tradtional fighter. He would stand toe to toe putting it all on the line. The one thing that I didn't like was the fact that he started doing that whole "take your jersey off" nonsense that was started with those two retards in Buffalo. There is something to be said for the stand-up fighter that doesn't need to have some little edge, he just kicks your ass.”

Severyn took a roundabout way of turning pro - Most players that play Major Junior Hockey in Canada generally go from Juniors to some type of professional hockey or get out of the game altogether; Severyn decided to try the University route. Here’s what Severyn had to say about that:

“I started to develop into my body as I got older. When I first hit the league I was so intimidated by the size of the guys. There is a big discrepancy in the size of kids in the junior leagues. I was a late bloomer and the weightlifting and the boxing were allowing me to gain confidence to defend myself.

I was drafted by Winnipeg and they had one year to sign me. They didn't. I didn't want to play my overage year in the WHL, so I decided to play hockey and get an education at the University of Alberta. My coach was Clare Drake and he was the coach who taught me to play hockey. Any success I ever had is because of Clare Drake. I had terrible coaching in the WHL. I learned how to fight in the WHL and I learned how to play at U of A.

To this day, that was some of the dirtiest hockey I have played. Fighting was not allowed and the stick work was incredible. If you ever want to see a reason for having fighting in hockey watch some of those games back then. Everyone is “tough” in that environment.

After Severyn finished his playing career at the U of A, he joined the Halifax Citadelles, where he spent two full seasons. Halifax was the farm team for the Quebec Nordiques and the Nords camp was notorious throughout the league for its wildness. Here is what he had to say about that time in his career:

My first year was a make or break year. I made it based on my strong work ethic. Gerald Bzdel and myself were dubbed "The Psycho Twins" because we did every drill in practice at 100 m.p.h. We had our heads shaved along with J.M. Routhier, Ken McRae and Darin Kimble. It was a rookie ritual.

First fight in Halifax was in an exhibition game against a guy named Meadmore, I think that was his name. I worked him pretty good and that got the attention on Doug Carpenter. Meadmore was a big kid and I was astonished that I could fight so well. The next good fight was against a guy from Springfield Indians named Rod Dallman. He was a middleweight from the Western League and the guys told me he was very tough. I pounded him at center ice.

The Quebec camps? They WERE fight-fests. Those days...they’d bring four full teams of players into training camp. Ding...Ding!!! I don't recall any of my fights but I remember when Darin Kimble came into camp and wanted to fight their tough guy, I think it was Gord Donnelly.

Darin beat him up the first time real good. Kimbie had that huge grin on after the fight that said "I'm here and I am ready to fight all comers”. Those two kept at it until management finally went over to them and said enough already. Donnelly was so angry.

Quebec had an awful team that year. The next year they canned everyone and new management came in to turn it around. I was not considered. They had a whole new philosophy and I was not part of the plan. I went to Halifax and kept working. A few days before I was to be called up I broke my back lifting weights and missed 30 or so games. It took me a great deal of time to get back to full speed; and a great deal of pain to get to the games after that.

Severyn’s first NHL fight was in the 1989-90 partial season that he had with the Quebec Nordiques. He fought and dropped Winnipeg Jets player, Paul MacDermid off a face-off. Severyn’s second fight was against Todd Ewen. Ewen easily got the better of Severyn in that one. Here’s the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUmF19ce-30
Severyn beat up Ed Kastelic later on that season, and later that same game Kastelic jumped Severyn from behind and dummied him. Severyn went on to fight Mitch Molloy in his last fight of the year and it was a nothing draw.

Severyn’s back injury, combined with a lack of available space in both the Quebec Nordiques and New Jersey Devils organizations made it very difficult to crack the NHL for a couple of seasons but he did fight a couple of guys in the pre-season when he was trying to make the squad. He fought Chris Nilan to a draw, fought Claude Boivin to a draw in a crap fight, and also fought Joey Kocur to a draw in a pretty decent tilt. Eventually Severyn was moved to the Florida Panthers organization and he got a full-time shot in the NHL.

Severyn had a pretty impressive run in his first full NHL season. He beat Derek King, Darren Banks, and Darren Rumble pretty handily before he finally took on some top notch competition in Lyle Odelein. Odelein was one of the better fighters of the early 1990s and didn’t lose very many fights. When Severyn and Odelein collided, Severyn TAGGED Cornelius with a beauty left hand that stunned Odelein and dropped him to the ice. TKO win for Severyn. Give Odelein credit he came right back at Severyn later on that same game and fought him to a draw after both players removed their jerseys before they fought. About a month later Severyn and Odelein rekindled their rivalry and Odelein edged him in a close fight - the same game that Paul Laus and Mario Roberge fought each other twice. Severyn then fought Herb Raglan to a draw before taking on Joey Kocur. The fight itself was a lot of grappling but Kocur did get his left hand free and caught Severyn with a couple good ones to get the win. Here’s the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQERoJi4p44

Severyn went on to take on Ronnie Stern and Sandy McCarthy in the same game against the Calgary Flames. The Stern fight wasn’t that great and I called it a draw, while the McCarthy fight was a pretty good give and take fight with McCarthy landing the harder punches to get the win. Good fight. Severyn finished the season with a win over Mick Vukota in a pretty good scrap. Pretty good year as he fought some top heavies and had a pretty decent record.

In 1994-1995 Severyn started the year off in impressive fashion fighting Rudy Poeschek and Enrico Cicone in the same game. In the Poeschek fight, Poeschek didn’t seem to want to get going and looked like he head butted Severyn. I thought Severyn did a little more in this fight to get the win. The Cicone fight wasn’t much, I called it a draw in a crapper. Severyn then tried Darren Langdon but neither guy got loose so it was a nothing draw. Severyn then took on Chris Simon twice in one game. The first fight was an absolute beauty with Severyn landing the harder shots. Very good fight against a guy that was dominating the league at the time. The second fight wasn’t as good as the first one, but Severyn acquitted himself pretty well there as well, which I scored a draw. Here’s what Severyn said about the fights: I was not trying to make a statement. (Severyn had just been traded to the New York Islanders) Those fights just happened. I did well in the first fight and I think he wanted to beat me into the ice the second time. He is a big strong man. You feel the hugeness as you grab him. You’re thinking in your head "Oh my God, this is a big man!!" I love the honesty.

In 1995-1996 Severyn appeared to be a man on a mission. What was the motivation behind his new found aggressiveness? A snide comment by a New York Islanders assistant coach; Severyn said about the incident - I could bore you with the details, but the truth is I had a assistant coach question my determination and toughness. I was out to kick some ass that night and for the rest of the season, I beat people up. It is amazing what you can do if someone really pisses you off…

Severyn fought Reid Simpson twice in the same in the pre-season but I don’t have any information or footage of those fights so if anyone knows what happened let me know. Severyn then fought Tie Domi which I gave the edge to Severyn. Dominated Alex Stojanov, and beat Sean O’Donnell. Here’s the O’Donnell fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZC3jZVapeI

Severyn then went after Mario Lemieux in a game against the Penguins and Chris Tamer came to Mario’s rescue and caught him with a pretty good punch to get the edge. Severyn then fought Todd Ewen in a pretty entertaining fight that I scored a draw. Severyn’s next fight was against one of my all-time favorite players, Mark Tinordi. Severyn beat Tinordi in a close scrap, out landing the Tin-Man. Later in the game Tinordi absolutely smoked Severyn with a beautiful clean hit along the boards. Severyn jumped up and dropped the gloves and went after Tinordi who didn’t want to fight and a big scrum ensued with PETR BONDRA of all people coming in to stick up for Mark Tinordi! I never thought I’d see something like that… Severyn then went on to have a two-fight game with Dennis Vial. The first scrap was a really good fight with both guys partially losing the jerseys, but Severyn was landing harder and really caught Vial with a beauty right hand to get the win. The second fight was another entertaining scrap with both guys going toe to toe but Vial got out of the jersey and landed 4-5 hard punches to get the win.

During the off-season Severyn was moved to the Colorado Avalanche who were coming off a Stanley Cup victory. This was where Severyn was converted into a true forward. Here’s what Severn said of the trade -

I got a call from the Colorado Avalanche. They had just lost Chris Simon and were looking for an enforcer. They had won the Cup the year before and I thought this would be my chance to win the Stanley Cup. I had to take the job having never done it before. It's tough to replace a Chris Simon. He was their number one tough guy and the only tough guy those fans ever knew. There was additional pressure because I had to play forward after all the years on defense. was always a defenseman until I played in Colorado. I had to have Mike Keane show me how to play forward.

Here’s an article on Severyn from his time with the Avalanche:
Pulling no punches; Avalanche enforcer fights for survival, against 'goon' image
By Rick Morrissey. Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO). March 30, 1997.

This is what Brent Severyn said eight hours before his team, the Colorado Avalanche, played the Anaheim Mighty Ducks:

''I want to go out there, play strong and show the team that if they need me in the playoffs, I'm here and I can do something else besides fight.''

This is what happened: About 10 seconds into his first shift, Severyn checked Warren Rychel into the boards. Severyn then fell down, about the time Rychel smacked him in the back of the head with his glove. Severyn subsequently cross-checked Rychel from behind and Ducks tough guy Ken Baumgartner skated over to, well, you know.

Fight.

Severyn's intentions were in all the right places March 21, and for those first 10 seconds he looked every bit the complete hockey player. The way he swung over the boards onto the ice. The way he skated to the play. The way he checked Rychel. But, this being hockey, gloves soon scattered like startled birds.

Severyn can talk all he wants about playing a quality game. And Jean-Claude Van Damme can talk about doing summer stock. The reality is that the Avalanche wants Severyn to go, fight, win, in that order.

The reality is that, during one stretch of the season, Severyn woke up regularly in the middle of the night with cramped hands from throwing so many punches on the ice. The reality is that he couldn't open bottles and barely could snap his fingers because of the abuse he had inflicted on others.

Reality is the white scars carved almost delicately into his knuckles.

Every NHL team has at least one enforcer, and whenever there's a job opening, it comes with this requirement: experience preferred. This is where Severyn stands apart from the mob. It might seem like a fuzzy distinction - between being drafted for war or volunteering for it - but he did not come up through the ranks as a fighter. He was a tough player first and a fighter when he had to be.

Now he has to be ever ready. The difficulty for Severyn, however, is not with the issue of personal safety. It certainly wasn't when he took on Detroit's Jamie Pushor in the first of a nine-bout card Wednesday, nor when he skated off the ice bare-chested after a brawl with Aaron Ward later in the game.

''Fighting is something Brent's good at, (but) his heart isn't in it,'' said his wife, Leesa. ''He's not a mean guy. He doesn't yell. He does nothing aggressive outside the rink. So for him, it's always stepping outside of his comfort zone. I think that's difficult for him to always do, but I've said to him before: 'You're good at it. Do what you're good at.' ''

This is his wife talking, so you can imagine what the Avalanche told Severyn when the team acquired him from the New York Islanders in September. Chris Simon, one of the best fighters in the league, was in a clinch with the team over his contract. When Severyn walked into the Colorado dressing room for the first time, he couldn't help noticing that, at 6-feet-2, 211 pounds, he was bigger than most of his teammates - and more expendable.

He later sat down with his mother and gently explained his new role to her. If he wanted to win a Stanley Cup, he would have to grab it with his bare hands. With Simon traded to Washington, it would be up to Severyn to protect his teammates from danger.

She worried about her child.

''I've done everything to my face that can be done, so it's not so bad,'' he told her. ''Just think that every fight is a good thing for me.'' *

Another mother and child were sitting together. This time, it was Severyn who was doing the worrying. He was watching tape of another one of his fights, analyzing what Anaheim's Peter Leboutillier liked to do and filing mental notes for the next time they would meet. For surely they would meet again. It is what they do.

As Severyn watched the tape, his eyes wandered from the action and focused on the fans in the background. A frantic mother reached out and clapped a hand over her daughter's eyes. For Severyn, who runs a hockey school for children in the off-season, this dose of reality hurt the most.

''I just thought to myself, 'That's the kind of example I'm setting for these kids,' '' he said. ''They don't really see the hard work that I have to do. First one on the ice, last one off every day for nine years. They don't care about that. All they think about is who I fought tonight.

''When I sit down with kids, I really explain how fighting works, that it's just part of the game, that I don't have a violent side, that you should talk out your problems with your friends. But the flip side is, this is my job and without it, I wouldn't be in the NHL. It's the only thing I do better than a lot of people in the league.''

The essence of Severyn's job? It's that he has to be ready to fight every game, every shift. When the Avalanche is ahead two goals, he can't enjoy the game because the other team inevitably will try to stir things up with an elbow or a knee or a fist. If the Avalanche is down two goals, he's the one who has to do the stirring.

Severyn is not a reluctant fighter, but he is a thoughtful one, as contradictory as that might sound. The fighting, he said, is the easy part. Deciding when to fight is the art. Hockey is a game of ebbs and flows, of momentum gained and lost. Losing a fight can be demoralizing for a team. Winning a fight can demoralize the other team.

''You're always thinking about when you're going to drop the gloves, how you're going to do it,'' Severyn said. '' 'Is this the right time, is this not the right time?' For some reason, that's all I think about. As soon as I step on the ice, I'm thinking, 'Do I have to fight right now?' If I can just go out there and play and not totally worry about it, then it's a lot easier. ''

The best example of Severyn's inner battle came after Calgary's Todd Simpson collided with Peter Forsberg in December, knocking the Avalanche star out for 17 games with a deep thigh bruise. Severyn was on the ice for the next shift and immediately went after Simpson. But Simpson refused to fight, leaving Severyn punching at a turtle and talking to himself.

The next time the two teams played, coach Marc Crawford sent Severyn to write a message on Simpson's face. The order was unspoken, but Crawford's intent was obvious.

Obvious to everyone but Severyn.

''I didn't fight, and (Crawford) really laid into me for that,'' he said. ''I really had no clue. It's not because I didn't want to. It was a close game. I didn't understand that that's what he wanted me to do. It was a mistake.

''I wasn't thinking. I don't like when I don't see certain situations. He had every right to yell at me. I'm the guy who screwed up.''

Of the incident, Crawford would say only that he yells at a lot of players, but he acknowledged timing is everything when it comes to fighting.

''The players have to trust their instincts,'' he said. ''Episodes in the game happen so quickly that you haven't got time to think, 'Is this the time? Is that the time?' You have to rely on your instincts.

''I think Brent's a very intelligent guy, and he's got good instincts. The more he learns to trust them, the better off he's going to be.''

Severyn's instincts betrayed him in February against Phoenix. Kris King slashed the Avalanche's Rene Corbet and then strafed the Colorado bench with some creative phraseology. At a line change, Severyn went straight for King, earning a two-game suspension and a $ 1,000 fine from the NHL for leaving the bench and instigating a fight. He lost about $ 2,800 in salary.

The lesson? Live for the right moment.

''I should have been a little more patient,'' he said. ''That way I would have saved myself a few games and a lot of money.'' *

Goon is, indeed, a four-letter word to Severyn. In hockey parlance, goons are thick-browed, no-talent bullies sent out to terrorize opposing players. Neanderthals on Ice.

Severyn said his job is to serve and protect.

''I don't want to be known as a goon,'' he said. ''I hate that connotation. I hate it more than anything. It's an awful word. You want to play. You want to be able to help your team in other things. The fun part of the game is not sitting there beating the hell out of somebody. The fun part of the game is scoring the goals, winning the games. If you're just a dumb guy who goes out there and fights, I don't think that's very good. You're a one-dimensional player.''

At every stop in his career, from junior to the University of Alberta to the American Hockey League to the NHL, Severyn has shown other talents besides fighting. At Utica of the AHL in 1992-93, he totaled 52 points and 240 penalty minutes in 77 games.

When he came to Colorado, he moved from defense to left wing. The Avalanche not only was asking him to fight more, it was asking him to learn a new position. The team is paying him $ 375,000 to be something he's not.

''It's weird. You almost have to have two personalities,'' said Severyn, who has scored one goal and leads the team in penalty minutes. ''I'm not really a violent guy. I like to help kids. I like to help people with problems. It's strange. What's my job? My job is to beat someone up. But that's the way you're taught right from the beginning. In junior, that's what everybody wants. They want you to fight. Everybody wants to try you.

''When I was 15, I went to a hockey school. I was on a list for a junior team. During the hockey school, the coach sent out a guy to fight me, just to test me. They wanted to see if I could fight. It's crazy. But that's the way you learn.''

A few years earlier in his hometown of Vegreville, Alberta, Severyn had learned the hard way. He was 13. The other guy was 18. They exchanged words at a drive-in movie. The man went after the boy, and the boy covered up. To this day, it is a source of embarrassment for Severyn. But it led him to take up weightlifting and boxing.

''You ever see those magazines where the guy gets sand kicked in his face?'' he said. ''That's what I relate it to. From that day on, I said I'd never be in a situation where I wouldn't fight back. It's never happened since then.''

Severyn, 31, is one of the strongest players in the league. Many of the players he fights are 2 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. He can't afford to go skate to skate and throw punches. He has to use his strength for leverage, then hope to get in a few smart bombs.

He also studies fighters. Before the Anaheim game, he watched tape of any player who ever had raised a fist in anger.

''You're not talking about guys who are 165 pounds fighting,'' Crawford said. ''It's against guys who are 200, 210, guys who know how to fight. They'll hurt you if you're not on.

''It's like any aspect of the game - attention to detail is one of the things that makes you successful. Knowing as much as you can about the opponent is very important. Knowing when is the right time to exhibit that prowess is an important aspect of that, as well.''

The right time is shrinking as the playoffs get closer. This is the time of the year when enforcers see their playing time diminish, the Detroit rumble aside. Playoff games are tightly contested, and coaches don't want momentum swayed by an act of aggression. Severyn doesn't expect to play much the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Last season, Simon led the team during the regular season with 250 penalty minutes. In 12 playoff games, he totaled 11 penalty minutes. *

The great debate on the brutality of hockey is going on in a world far away from the sport. Go to any game and hear the crowd roar when a fight boils over. Wednesday's bloodbath had fans out of their seats much of the game.

''It's part of the show. Let the show go on,'' Vancouver enforcer Gino Odjick said. ''People like it. When you really look at it, we're in the business of entertaining people.''

And, proponents say, fighting serves a purpose. Aggression is concentrated in a few, violent moments.

''I think it's necessary,'' Severyn said. ''I've played university hockey where you're not allowed to fight. That is a very dangerous type of game. The sticks get up. Everybody's wearing visors. I saw more head injuries, more cuts, more lost teeth, more back injuries, more bad hits than at any other level. You get hurt more with a stick than with a punch.''

Severyn would love to be viewed as a complete player, but he has known for a long time that, to stay in the league, he has to offer something different. For now, that means fisted fury.

There is support in his corner.

''I love to watch him fight because I think he's really good at it,'' Leesa Severyn said. ''He just doesn't like doing it. Well, it's not that he doesn't like doing it, but he knows he has to. He's a very passive person. He would do anything for anybody. I feel bad for him in that way. It's not in his character.''

Severyn's fight with Baumgartner was a draw. There were a few punches thrown, but mostly there was a lot of clutching. Like most of his fights, Severyn couldn't hear the crowd howl, couldn't see the fans in full froth while he battled. He remembered the particulars of the fight only after arriving in the penalty box.

Severyn was given a minor penalty for hitting Rychel, and the Ducks scored on a power play to lead 1-0. He played sparingly the rest of the game but was relieved to see the Avalanche come back and win 4-3.

He was asked whether he could see himself continuing in this role over the long term. He paused.

''I want to play in the NHL,'' he said. ''It's the only thing I've wanted to do. So you have to take the good with the bad. It is a tough job.''

Another night, another fight.

It's probably better he didn't know that, as part of a team promotion, there were 1,000 Boy Scouts in the crowd.

Severyn had a busy pre-season fighting Matt Johnson and having a couple of two fight games with Barry Potomski and Andrei Nazarov. I don’t have the results for those fights anywhere so any information would be appreciated. Severyn started the regular season off with a bang as well and did something I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed before when he fought THREE TIMES IN ONE PERIOD! Awesome stuff! Severyn beat poor Dave Karpa easily, beat Ken Baumgartner and was jumped by Warren Rychel in the third fight… That has to go down as an all-time great performance. Severyn then moved on to Cam Russell and they had an exciting draw. Beat Greg DeVries then renewed his new rivalry with Nazarov when they fought to a draw after Naz ran Stephane Yelle. Fought Bob Boughner to a nothing draw. Had another two-fight game against the LA Kings where he beat Sean O’Donnell and Doug Zmolek respectively. Had a nothing fight with Gino Odjick where they both just mainly wrestled. Edged Dan Kordic in a close fight, dominated Shayne Toporowski in what was Topper’s first NHL fight I believe. Beat Dave Roche, Peter LeBoutillier, Rick Tocchet and Kris King as well before fighting Donald Brashear to a draw. Beat LeBoutiller again and fought Stu Grimson to a pretty entertaining scrap. The next big game that Severyn would have would be against the Detroit Red Wings - Everyone remembers this game, and the brawl. Probably the last true heated rivalry that the NHL has seen. Severyn fought Jamie Pushor and got the edge in that scrap, and also fought Aaron Ward and beat the snot out of him after he lost the jersey. Severyn looks like a monster with the jersey off as well - it was said that the only guy that could compete with Tony Twist with regards to pure overall strength was Severyn and it showed here. I believe that this was the cover for one of the Bad Boys books as well… Here’s a couple clips of that infamous brawl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7DlAjrhm9s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV5j2RP3sOU

Also here’s a clip of the brawl that the Wings and Avalanche had a year later. Its got nothing to do with Severyn, but its entertaining anyway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNE7rIPZzM

Dissapointing for the Avs/Red Wings rivalry was the fact that the Avs left Severyn unprotected in the entry draft and he was claimed by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Once again Severyn was living the gypsy lifestyle and changing cities. Once again Severyn had a busy pre-season fighting Matt Johnson, Mark Major, Steve McKenna and Todd Ewen. I don’t have any of these fights so again if anyone has info on these, it would be appreciated.

That season the Ducks started the regular season off in Japan and Severyn got involved in the first NHL fight ever in Japan with Donald Brashear. The fight itself wasn’t much, a typical Brashear in-tight do nothing fight, but the crowd reaction was great. The Japanese love the fights. The Ducks came back to North American and Severyn beat Dan Lacroix when he tagged him with a couple good lefts. Severyn was injured in an “almost fight” with Joe Kocur where both guys were assessed double minors and missed a couple of months playing time. Returned in January that season and fought Mick Vukota to a draw. Then took on Rocky Thompson and got beaten pretty handily by “The Rock,” who got the lefts pumping. The next guy up was Matt Johnson and it wasn’t a good fight at all… Lots of grappling then Johnson takes Severyn to the ice in a bad fight.

The next fight Severyn was involved in that season was against the Dallas Stars and it was against Darryl Sydor. Earlier in the season Gary Suter had cross-checked Paul Kariya in the head and put him out for a long period of time which left Anaheim with only one bonafide offensive superstar Teemu Selanne. Craig Ludwig of the Stars elbowed Selanne in the head which of course got the Ducks pretty upset. Off the next face-off Severyn and Warren Rychel were put out on the ice to address the situation and the gloves came off immediately. Severyn dropped them with Sydor who turtled, and Severyn left him alone to jump into another fracas - then Sydor got up and jumped on Severyn from behind. Severyn was pissed and proceeded to beat the piss out of Sydor. It was nice to see as I’ve always disliked Sydor and his cheap style of play. Here’s what Severyn had to say about the incident:

Dallas was up big time on us and Teemu was going in the corner to get the puck and Luddy jacked him in the head with a vicious check and down he went. Page sent Warren Rychel & myself out to take care of business. Hitchcock, not recognizing the situation, did not put their only tough guy out-Grant Marshall. Rychel and I had to go crazy when the puck was dropped. After the puck was dropped, it was a free for all. I grabbed Sydor and at first, I did not want to fight him, just throw him to the ground. I threw him down and he turtled. Then I went into another pile up and Sydor jumped on my back and wrenched my neck. I had to fight then. One thing I regret is that I punched Daryl in the back of the head when his face was on the ice. He didn't move after that. I was sick to my stomach when I thought about this punch. I could have really hurt him bad.

Here are the clips of the incident complete with commentary with most of the major players that were involved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njabAm6mvN0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a8hHyT92Ss

The worst part is the homo comments by the Stars announcers in the second clip. “This is a joke, this is farcial,” in the first brawl where the Stars get hammered. In the second brawl they’re almost beating off they’re so pumped. Garbage. “They should be embarrassed,” when talking about The Ducks, but nothing but praise for the Stars. Terrible.

1998-1999 would be Severyn’s last year in the NHL and he was once again with a new team - this time he actually went to the Dallas Stars! Funny how he pummelled Sydor and then they end up being teammates. The Stars actually went on to win the Cup this season too which was nice for Severyn. Once again Severyn was incredibly active in the pre-season, fighting guys like: Enrico Cicone, Reed Low, Louie DeBrusk and Rudy Poeschek. I don’t have the results for any of these fights so again any help would be appreciated. In his first regular season fight Severyn took on Rob Ray and really fed the Rayzor. Here’s the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxfPmIfLZbo

Severyn then went on to fight the legendary Bob Probert and they had a really good fight. Severyn tagged Probie with a couple of beauty shots, clearly hurting Probie. Probert responded with a good right before they went down - I don’t think Probert dropped Severyn contrary to popular belief. What do you guys think, here’s the clip, I called it an outright win for Severyn… I love his emotion after the fight, he’s pumped:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQwdikayOS0

Severyn then fought Stu Grimson and was beaten soundly in the same game where Jamie Pushor scored a major upset over an underrated Mike Keane. Severyn then went on to fight Georges Laraque twice in the same game. Laraque destroyed him in the first fight, overwhelming him with lefts and putting him to the ice. In the rematch Severyn was pissed and went toe to toe with the big man and the fight was a solid draw. Much better showing for Severyn.

Hired Muscles; Stars hope enforcer Severyn can to protect top scorers from zealous opponents
By Mike Heika. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas). September 18, 1998.

VAIL, Colo. - The irony of Brent Severyn's wardrobe hits like a bare-fisted punch in the nose.

Severyn's "lucky shirt" for this season is an ominous black cotton number that stretches across his heavily muscled frame and blares in bright, white letters: "Austin 3:16. "

The slogan, well known nationally by arenas full of raving fans, is the cry of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, one of professional wrestling's biggest stars. Severyn will wear the shirt almost daily this season, an emblem perhaps that his role as a Stars winger this season will make him not unlike a professional wrestler - part skilled athlete, part physical tough guy and part showman.

Severyn is the Stars' recently acquired enforcer - a role in the NHL that might be as difficult to talk about as it is to perform. No player wants to say that Severyn was brought in simply to fight the other team, and yet that's likely his main job. No management person wants to say that Severyn could become one of Reunion Arena's most popular Stars simply because he can batter another person senseless, and yet that's likely what will happen. And no coach wants to single Severyn out as something the team "needs" - and yet the Stars simply had to get a fighter if they want to stay healthy in the enforcer-laden Pacific Division this season.

"I've only been in this type of role for three years, and it takes some getting used to," said Severyn, 32, who left the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim via free agency after last season. "There's a lot to it, and there's a lot of pressure involved around it - big-time pressure. Your whole team is relying on you. "

Just as the debate on whether pro wrestling is real or fake, the debate on whether there is the need for a fighter in the NHL is a touchy subject.

"The organization thought there was a need in that area, so they went out and filled it," captain Derian Hatcher said.

Then he paused before emphasizing the importance of the acquisition.

"And to be completely honest," he said. "I think most of the players felt there was a need, too."

Last season, the Stars saw San Jose Sharks defenseman Bryan Marchment take out both Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk with what the Stars called "dirty" hits that caused knee injuries. This season, part of Severyn's job will be to beat some respect into Marchment and any other player who attempts to rough up one of the Stars' top scorers.

"I've got to go out there and take care of my teammates," Severyn said. "I'm not going to score goals. Obviously, I'm here to help protect my guys, play good defensive hockey and not hurt my team or be a liability when I'm out there."

And as easy as that sounds, it's something that most NHL teams struggle to find.

"To tell you the truth, I think it's one of the hardest jobs in hockey," Hatcher said.

That's one reason Stars coach Ken Hitchcock quickly disposed of his two previous tough guys - Shane Churla and Bill Huard. Churla was too enthusiastic and sometimes took penalties that hurt the team.

Huard won his fights and played well in a limited role, but he wanted more ice time and didn't mind griping about it.

Severyn says he knows the position is difficult; he has only been trying to master it for three seasons. Severyn worked his way up as a defenseman who often played on both the power play and the penalty kill in the minor leagues.

But when the Colorado Avalanche needed a tough guy three seasons ago, it went to Severyn and asked him to fill the role. With the chance to grab an important spot on the defending Stanley Cup champions, Severyn took firm hold of the opportunity.

"Most of the guys I fight these days, they've been goons most of their lives," Severyn said, using the colloquialism frowned upon by most enforcers.

Because he has good skills and is a good skater, Hitchcock said he would like to try to play Severyn eight to 10 minutes a game.

"He's a smart player as far as establishing what happens during a game," Hitchcock said. "He knows his role, and it's no different than the role Joey Kocur has with the Red Wings."

Last season, for the Wings, Kocur had six goals, five assists and 92 penalty minutes while playing an average of eight minutes in 62 games. He also was good enough to play in 18 of the Wings' 22 playoff games en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

Severyn likely won't get that many goals and will probably have twice as many penalty minutes. But he would also like to be around for the playoffs.

"When I was in Colorado and we made it to the conference finals, it was the greatest thing in the world," he said. "That's what life is all about for me."

That's where the comparisons to pro wrestling will end for Brent Severyn. The native of Vegreville, Alberta, is ready to take a few punches in hopes of hoisting the Cup.

"I spent a lot of time hitting the bag and lifting weights and doing all that has brought me to this moment in my life," he said.

"I've been doing this for the past three years, so everyone thinks I'm just a sluggo. I know I can play. But if this gets me to where I want to be, I'm ready to do it."

Later that season Severyn would go on to win the Stanley Cup in what would be his final NHL season. So there it is…. The big thing that always puzzled me was why this couldn’t stick with one NHL team - seemed like he played on a different team every year! He was always well-liked and respected in each city that he played in, and he always seemed like a very honest, respectable fighter. Pretty decent player as well for an enforcer. I always admired Severyn’s tenacity and his dedication to physical fitness and I was pretty happy that he managed to win the cup in Dallas. He actually wasn’t supposed to have his name on the Cup due to a technicality (something to do with number of games played) but his teammates signed a petition and his name is engraved in hockey history. I’d love to hear any thoughts, opinions, stories, etc. with regards to Severyn. Merry Xmas!!!

[Sittler]

Great write-up once again, Boobs!

Here are a couple more articles on Severyn.



Fight card

Career stats

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Enforcer really just a momma's boy
By Mark Kiszla. The Denver Post. May 11, 1997.

As the Colorado Avalanche emerged from the arena darkness and took the ice, an anxious mother leaned forward in Section 112, praying to spot her son wearing the sweater of the defending Stanley Cup champs.

"There he is," shouted Jean Severyn. "That's my boy. That's Brent Severyn. And he has his uniform on. So let's hope he actually gets to play tonight."

Colorado's Brent Severyn had to wait until age 31, and was forced to sweat through 558 games from Saskatoon to Miami, before he made his first NHL playoff appearance with his mom in the audience.

And, truth be known, Jean Severyn never expected to live to see it.

"Everybody, myself included, is amazed I'm still walking around on this earth," said Jean Severyn, bursting with maternal pride as she watched the Avalanche skateat the Edmonton Coliseum. "Even my doctor doesn't believe I'm still here. Years ago, after my stroke, I remember him telling us I wasn't going to be around much longer. But here I am."

Happy Mother's Day.

In his first postseason with the Avalanche, Brent Severyn has no chance of winning the Conn Smyth Trophy as the playoffs' MVP.

A plow-horse defenseman with eight goals to his name in five NHL campaigns is unlikely to score so much as a point against the Oilers or anybody else Colorado faces this spring.

But his handsome face is painted on the hockey rink in his tiny hometown of Vegreville, Alberta (population: 5,200) - and that's enough for Jean Severyn. "Only player from Vegreville ever to make it to the NHL," she said.

Brent Severyn could plant his mother a 40-acre field of daisies today, and it couldn't be any more beautiful than what he already has done for her.

Although it might sound silly, the Avalanche's enforcer is a momma's boy. But anybody who has ever met Jean Severyn knows that's a compliment. "We are the same person," she said. "Brent is a softie. He has a big, sweet marshmallow for a heart. When he gets in a fight on the ice - ho, ho - I get sick to my stomach. How he ever made a living in the NHL as a fighter, I'll never know."

It must be in his genes. Jean Severyn was supposed to be dead before her son got his first NHL goal four years ago.

Since before he was old enough to believe in mortality, Brent Severyn's mother has been pushing the limits of life. She survived heart surgery when he was a kid.

And on a December night earlier this decade, Len Severyn returned home for dinner, only to find his wife on the kitchen floor, a swollen tongue in her throat and a her right side paralyzed from a stroke.

How many times in the next tense 48 hours did Len Severyn pick up the telephone, only to put it back down, not knowing whether to call a son playing minor-league hockey 2,500 miles away to come home for a funeral?

"More than anything else, my mom has taught me an understanding of mortality," said Brent Severyn. "You and I and everybody's mom will die eventually. So you make the most of this day."

Funny, Jean Severyn looks at her 6-foot-2, 210-pound son today and doesn't see the brawler who led the Avalanche in penalty minutes, but a toddler whose fondest Christmas wish was a little red fire truck. In her eyes, Brent Severyn forever will be that 3-year-old kid knocking slap shots at ladies in curlers inside the beauty salon she once owned.

"Now," announced Jean Severyn, squeezing her face in hopes of containing her emotions, "we've got to stop talking about how I shouldn't be here tonight, or I'm going to start crying."

Then, as Colorado's No. 23 warmed up alongside his teammates, she smiled so hard it hurt.

No. 23 is a baby Jean Severyn still loves to hug.

And Brent Severyn doesn't need a holiday or a greeting card to remind him how precious is a mother's love.

Because every new day Jean Severyn gives him is another line of poetry.

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Severyn holds own in big, 'fun' brawl
By Mike Heika. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas). October 14, 1998.

DALLAS - Stars tough guy Brent Severyn had his second heavyweight brawl of the season last night and possibly his first real "test" since becoming a fighter three years ago.

Severyn tangled with Blackhawks tough guy Bob Probert in the second period and held his own in a draw that featured plenty of punches. It was Severyn's first fight with Probert.

"He's one of the ultimate tough guys in the league, maybe one of the best fighters in NHL history, so yeah, it was big," Severyn said.

"To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun. I don't usually enjoy the fights, but that was really great. Maybe I need some psychological help or something."

[*Maloney]

Good one again, boobs. Tits.
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Sticks and stones and weed and bones

[brianz]

Unless I'm thinking of someone else..wasn't Severyn the one who knocked out cold a prime Lyle Odelein? And then they went again, and took of thier helmets, pads, and almost disrobed as they were squaring off? I thought that was Severyn....
_________________
"Pitching is really just an internal struggle between pitcher and his stuff. If my curve ball is breaking and I'm throwing it where I want, the batter is irrelevant." - Steve Stone

www.bestpricenutrition.com

[jay]

[brianz]

Ok, thanks Jay...I get some of these crossed over.
_________________
"Pitching is really just an internal struggle between pitcher and his stuff. If my curve ball is breaking and I'm throwing it where I want, the batter is irrelevant." - Steve Stone

www.bestpricenutrition.com