Power forward (ice hockey)

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]

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

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]
Matthew Knies	2023-present
Mike Knuble	1995–2013	[40]
Ilya Kovalchuk	1999–2024	[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]