As told to: Staff Writer
But McSorley's legacy is complicated. He was a Stanley Cup champion, a capable defenseman who could fight anyone in the league, and a loyal teammate beloved in every locker room he entered. He was also the man who ended his own career in the most shocking way imaginable - a stick swing to Donald Brashear's head that resulted in criminal assault charges and became one of hockey's most infamous moments.
This is the story of Marty McSorley: the good, the bad, and the complicated truth about one of hockey's most formidable enforcers.
Martin James McSorley was born on May 18, 1963, in Hamilton, Ontario - a steel town that produced hard men and hard hockey players. Growing up in a blue-collar family, McSorley learned early that toughness wasn't optional; it was survival.
"Hamilton was a working-class town," McSorley once recalled. "You learned to stand up for yourself or you got run over. That's just how it was."
McSorley wasn't a prodigy. He wasn't even drafted initially. He worked his way through junior hockey in Belleville, showing enough skill and toughness to earn a tryout with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. What he lacked in finesse, he made up for in heart, determination, and an absolute unwillingness to back down from anyone.
McSorley made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1983-84 season. The Penguins weren't good - they would miss the playoffs for six consecutive seasons - but McSorley carved out a role as a physical presence willing to protect teammates and take on any comers.
In his first full season (1984-85), McSorley accumulated 193 penalty minutes in just 72 games, establishing himself as someone opponents needed to respect. He wasn't just fighting; he was playing regular shifts on defense, showing he could contribute beyond his fists.
"Marty could play," said one teammate from that era. "People forget that. He wasn't just out there to fight. He could move the puck, make a pass, play physical. He was a real hockey player who could also fight."
Everything changed in December 1985 when the Penguins traded McSorley to the Edmonton Oilers. He was joining the greatest team in hockey - a team with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. A team that had won the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985.
The Oilers already had Dave Semenko as Gretzky's primary bodyguard, but Semenko was nearing the end of his career. McSorley would gradually assume the role, becoming Gretzky's shadow for the next eight seasons.
Protecting Wayne Gretzky was the most important enforcer job in hockey. The Great One was revolutionizing the sport, setting records that seemed impossible - 215 points in a single season, 92 goals, 163 assists. Every team tried to slow him down, and some weren't above using physical intimidation.
McSorley's job was to ensure that didn't happen.
"You didn't need to talk about it," McSorley explained. "Everyone knew. If someone took a run at Wayne, they were going to have to deal with me. That was just understood."
The mere presence of McSorley on the ice changed how opponents played. The cross-check to Gretzky's back? Maybe not worth it. The late hit after a pass? Think again. McSorley's reputation preceded him, and that prevention was more valuable than any fight.
With the Oilers, McSorley won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1987 and 1988. These weren't just championship teams - they were among the greatest dynasties in NHL history. The 1987 Cup run saw McSorley contribute 4 goals and 6 assists in 21 playoff games while accumulating 86 penalty minutes.
In the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, the Oilers swept in four games (technically five, as Game 4 was suspended due to a power outage). McSorley was on the ice for key moments, providing the physical presence that complemented Edmonton's skill.
"Those Edmonton teams were special," McSorley remembered. "We had everything - the skill, the toughness, the goaltending. And we were young. We thought we'd win forever."
On August 9, 1988, the hockey world changed forever. Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the most shocking deal in NHL history. Owner Peter Pocklington sent The Great One to California for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round picks, and $15 million in cash.
Three months later, the Kings acquired McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski from Edmonton. It wasn't a coincidence. Wherever Gretzky went, his protector would follow.
"Wayne wanted me there," McSorley said. "And I wanted to be there. We had built something in Edmonton, and we were going to build something in LA."
The Los Angeles Kings became hockey's glamour team with Gretzky's arrival. Suddenly, the NHL was attracting movie stars and media attention in a market that had largely ignored hockey. McSorley found himself in a bizarre new world where his job remained the same - protect #99 - but the surroundings couldn't have been more different from Edmonton.
McSorley thrived in Los Angeles. He played alongside Gretzky for five more seasons (1988-93), accumulating impressive numbers for an enforcer: 15 goals and 26 assists in 1992-93, his best offensive season. He wasn't just fighting anymore; he was a legitimate contributor on a team making playoff runs.
"LA was unreal," McSorley recalled. "One day you're at practice, the next day you're at dinner with movie stars. But when the game started, it was the same job. Protect Wayne. Play hard. Fight when you need to."
The 1993 playoffs represented the Kings' best chance at a championship. With Gretzky leading the way, Los Angeles advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
Game 2 became one of the most controversial moments in Stanley Cup history - and McSorley was at the center of it.
With the Kings leading 2-1 late in the third period, Montreal's Jacques Demers called for a stick measurement on McSorley. The curve was found to be illegal - too much curve - and McSorley was assessed a minor penalty. On the ensuing power play, Eric Desjardins scored to tie the game. Desjardins then scored in overtime, and suddenly the series was tied 1-1.
The Canadiens won the next three games and the Stanley Cup.
"That stick... I still think about it," McSorley admitted years later. "Was the curve illegal? Yeah, probably. But was it any different from what everyone else was using? I don't know. It haunts me."
The illegal stick controversy became one of the great "what ifs" in hockey history. Many believe the Kings would have won that series if not for the penalty.
After leaving Los Angeles in 1993, McSorley bounced around the league. He played for the New York Rangers in 1994-95, the San Jose Sharks briefly in 1996, returned to the Kings for two more seasons, then played for Edmonton and Boston.
His role remained consistent: provide toughness, protect teammates, and fight when necessary. But the body was breaking down. Years of fighting had taken their toll on McSorley's hands, shoulders, and face. He kept playing through pain that would sideline most people.
In his career, McSorley faced virtually every heavyweight of his era: Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, Tony Twist, Dave Brown, and dozens of others. He won some, lost some, but never backed down.
February 21, 2000. Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins at GM Place in Vancouver. McSorley was 36 years old, near the end of his career, playing out the string with the Bruins.
Throughout the game, McSorley had been trying to fight Donald Brashear, the Canucks' enforcer. Brashear had won their earlier fight and was refusing a rematch - within his rights under the enforcer code, but frustrating for McSorley.
With 2.7 seconds remaining and the Bruins losing 5-2, McSorley skated up behind Brashear and swung his stick, hitting Brashear on the right temple. Brashear fell backward, his helmet flying off, and hit his head on the ice. He suffered a grand mal seizure on the ice.
The hockey world watched in horror.
Brashear recovered fully, but the incident had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. McSorley was suspended for the remainder of the season (23 games) - the longest suspension in NHL history at the time.
More significantly, McSorley was charged with assault with a weapon under Canadian criminal law. The case went to trial in British Columbia Provincial Court.
On October 6, 2000, Judge William Kitchen found McSorley guilty of assault with a weapon. He was sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge, meaning no jail time as long as he stayed out of trouble. But the conviction meant McSorley had a criminal record for what happened on a hockey rink.
"I made a mistake," McSorley said at the time. "I take responsibility for it. But that wasn't who I was as a player. That one moment... it doesn't define everything I did in hockey."
McSorley never played in the NHL again. His suspension expired after the 1999-2000 season, but no team was willing to sign him. The combination of his age (37) and the stigma of the Brashear incident made him unemployable.
He attempted a comeback in the IHL with the San Antonio Dragons but played only 14 games before retiring. A 17-year NHL career ended in the worst possible way.
It's difficult to discuss Marty McSorley without addressing the Brashear incident. It was wrong. McSorley admitted it was wrong. The courts found it was wrong. There's no defending a stick swing to someone's head.
But reducing McSorley's entire career to that moment does a disservice to the player he was for 17 seasons. He was:
"Marty was the best teammate I ever had," one former player said. "He'd do anything for the guys in that room. Anything. That's who he was as a person."
The enforcer role was brutal, and McSorley played it for nearly two decades. He sacrificed his body, his health, and ultimately his reputation in service of his teammates. Whether that trade-off was worth it is a question only McSorley can answer.
After retiring, McSorley has stayed connected to hockey through coaching and broadcasting. He's worked as an analyst and has been involved in various hockey development programs. He's also become an advocate for player safety and concussion awareness - an ironic position given how his career ended, but a sincere one.
McSorley has spoken openly about the toll that fighting takes on players, both physically and mentally. He's addressed his own struggles with the transition from player to civilian and has tried to help younger players understand what they're getting into.
"The game has changed, and that's probably good," McSorley said in a recent interview. "I loved what I did. I'd do it again. But I also understand why we're moving away from it."
McSorley's NHL career ended after he struck Donald Brashear with his stick on February 21, 2000. He was suspended for 23 games (the remainder of the season) and later convicted of assault with a weapon in Canadian court, receiving an 18-month conditional discharge. He never played in the NHL again.
McSorley protected Gretzky for approximately 8 seasons: from 1985-88 in Edmonton (where they won the 1987 and 1988 Stanley Cups together), and from 1988-93 in Los Angeles after the famous Gretzky trade.
McSorley had approximately 201 fighting majors during his NHL career, ranking among the top 10 fighters in league history. He accumulated 3,381 career penalty minutes, which ranks 5th all-time in NHL history.
Yes, McSorley won two Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987 and 1988. He was a key part of the Oilers' dynasty, providing physical protection for Wayne Gretzky and other skilled players.
Yes, McSorley was more than just a fighter. He scored 108 goals and 251 assists for 359 career points, including a 15-goal, 26-assist season in 1992-93 with the Kings. He played regularly on defense and could contribute in multiple ways beyond his enforcer role.
