Jason Voorhees' Most Innovative Kills

With the release of Friday the 13th (2009) looming on the horizon, I thought it best to make a "Friday" themed list. This isn't the "best" kills, this isn't the "coolest" kills. This, my friends, is a list of Jason's most innovative, and in some cases most convoluted, kills in the Friday the 13th franchise.

In writing this list I needed to put some rules on myself, so only Jason Voorhees proper counts. No kills by anyone else in any of the films, such as Pamela Voorhees From Friday the 13th (1980) or the Roy/Jason from Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. That's not due to hate for Part V. I actually love that film and consider it in my top three of the series. The title is Jason Voorhees' kills, however, so Roy just doesn't count. Also, you won't see any of the Jason-inhabited victims in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday because it only counts if it's the man himself, and well... fuck Jason Goes To Hell.

5. Sheriff Garris (Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives)
Jason Lives is the father of the Zombie Jason half of the Friday the 13th films, and what would become the "Jason" films when the series hit New Line Cinema. At the time a lot of people thought that the series was dead in the water (chuckle), but director Tom McLoughlin was brought in and given pretty fair reign to bring Jason back in a whole new way.

Lightning.

McLoughlin is known as a Universal horror buff, so he thought that bringing back Jason like a monster out of the 30s was a great idea, and in a lot of ways it was. I'm more of a fan of the real, live Jason (sort of) from Parts 2 - 4, but that's a thing of preference.

Anyway, in bringing back Jason, McLoughlin also brought back a meaner, more shark-like Jason (C.J. Graham). Now that he's been dead and buried for so long, he came back with an attitude, and no other kill in Jason Lives shows this moreso than the death of Sheriff Garris (David Kagen). The wise-cracking, kick ass Sheriff of Forest Green (formerly Crystal Lake) gets his at the (bare) hands of Jason Voorhees when he folds the man in half... backwards.

Although Jason has had some interesting kills, this is one of my favourite that he's done with nothing but his mitts. In fact it was so loved that it was mimicked in Freddy Vs. Jason when Jason (Ken Kirzinger) stabs Trey (Jesse Hutch) with his machete and proceeds to fold him up in his bed, again, backwards. That shit is for real.

4. Dr. Crews (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)
Although, like many of the films on this list, not one of my favourites, The New Blood is a very original entry into the series. It also introduced Kane Hodder to the role of Jason, one that he would reprise in the next three Friday/Jason films.

The director of the film, John Carl Buechler, is a well-practiced special effects designer, and as a result, brought a different kind of flare to the film. Although heavily edited by the MPAA (come on Paramount, we need an uncut!) this film is still known for it's special effects in both the look of Jason, as well as the many innovative kills.

It's like Jason walked into some crazy gardener's tool shed in this flick... actually, that's exactly what happens.

As each kill continues to top the last, one of my favourites is when Jason is chasing Dr. Crews (Terry Kiser - Bernie from Weekend at Bernie's!). You wanted this prick to get it the whole movie, and finally when Jason finds Crews blundering through the woods, we hear the crank of a motor and find Jason holding none other than a tree-trimmer. What a moment.

He proceeds to stalk Crews as only Jason (and possibly Michael Myers) can and then finally buries the tree-trimmer into Crews belly. Someday we'll get to see it in all it's uncut glory. Someday...

3.Adrienne (Jason X)
Considered by many to be the nail in the coffin for the Friday the 13th/Jason franchise, Jason X is the film where New Line felt the need to jettison Jason into space. It's been rumoured, and somewhat confirmed (by Todd Farmer in His Name Was Jason) that this was so that no one could screw with the timeline before Freddy Vs. Jason (like timeline ever mattered anyway). Whatever the case is, this film has it's moments.

A lot of people complain about it being too "Canadian" and most everyone hates Uber-Jason at the end of the film. I certainly don't hate the film, although I rarely watch it (maybe because I'm a Kraft Dinner loving, milk-bag drinking, Canadian) and I actually love the look of Jason (Kane Hodder) in the opening sequence before he becomes Uber-Jason. I don't know what it is; the new shape of the mask, the fact that you can sort of see Hodder's face, I just like it. Whatever.

Anyway, the film houses one of the best kills in the series. Jason, after being just woken up after a cryogenic freeze of many, many years, awakens to find himself in the presence of a young woman, Adrienne (Kristi Angus). A possible nod to Adrienne King, the original heroine in Friday the 13th? I think so. She, however, gets one of Jason's more brutal kills.

First he proceeds to manhandle the poor woman, beating her around the futuristic emergency room. Then, he dips her head in some form of nitrogen (it appears to be liquid - whatever it is, it does the trick). This freezes Adrienne's face. Just when you thought that was enough, he drags her face out of the freeze bath and then bashes it to hundreds of pieces off of the counter.

2. Kate (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)
Easily one of the most forgettable characters in the whole franchise (although she did show up in the documentary, His Name Was Jason) Kate (Diane Almeida) has one of the more shocking and hilarious deaths in the series.

In a scene around the middle of the film, Kate and her boyfriend are spending some "alone time" in a van while they await the birthday boy, Michael (William Butler) who is mysteriously missing (oh, if they only knew). When her boyfriend, Ben (Craig Thomas), thinks he hears Michael outside he grabs the nearest noise maker before stepping out to check and see if his buddy has finally arrived at the weekend birthday extravaganza. Ben then gets it by one of Jason's most preferred methods, the skull crush.

Kate waits a few minutes, wondering where her boyfriend could be, and then probingly ventures out of the van, only to get the noisemaker, a horn, right through her eye, presumably into the brain.

I'm sure that this scene was, as well, heavily cut, and I can only hope that there was more horn noises while Kate slowly succumbed to Jason's vicious hate for parties.

1. Judy (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)
I hate to admit it, but none of my favourite Jason films made it into my list. I wanted to go for innovative, and I guess it was the later films in the series that really had to take it up a notch.

That being said, one of my favourite kills in the series did make it onto this list, and no less at number 1. You might think I'm biased, but read on.

The kill in question is on poor Judy (Deborah Kessler) from The New Blood (I told you it was an original entry). While awaiting her boyfriend, Dan (Michael Schroeder), she attempts to keep warm in their tent. Dan has, predictably, already been dispatched by Jason, via machete.

I don't know if it's the sight of the tent that brings Jason's rage out, or the fact that she was suiting up (or down?) for a little semi-outdoor sex, but he puts a hurt on this poor woman like no one else.

Jason goes to the tent, drags little Judy out, still in her sleeping bag, scoops her up in the sleeping bag, and proceeds to hammer her off the nearest tree.

Again, this scene is heavily edited by the MPAA. In any version of the film you'll see Jason bash Judy off of the tree once. If you were to, however, I don't know... search on YouTube, you might come across a scene that shows Jason bashing her off of the tree until he bloody well gets tired. I believe this is also featured in the "killer cuts" on the DVD box set from Paramount (Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan). Although I believe Buechler is often quoted as saying that Jason only hitting the young woman off of the tree once has more "impact" (easy with the puns, John, that's my job) I think once you see Jason run out of breath while smashing this chick off of a tree half a dozen times, you'll be of the opinion that would've been way better.

Perfect Snacks for Gaming

As is usual here at Five-O-Rama this isn't an all encompassing list by any means, but these are five of my favourite snacks while enjoying a nice long video gaming session. In some cases it may even be a combination of snacks, due to the inclusion of a well celebrated drink or a legendary side dish.

Get ready to pwn some n00bzorz... man I hate that "gamer" lingo.

Note: Please notice that there is no mention of Mountain Dew or Gamer Grub on this list. If you drink copious amounts of Mountain Dew while playing games just because they market themselves as the gamer's "drink of choice", you are, in fact, a tool. If you drink it because you enjoy it, that's a different matter.

If you eat Gamer Grub you're just a tool.

5. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Although this is simply one of the best sandwiches ever, as well as the easiest "on the go" lunch ever invented, just by its very nature it of course makes this list.

There are certain things that every human being has in their home cupboards. Random spices, Kraft Dinner (if you're Canadian anyway) a tin can of tuna/salmon, peanut butter and some concoction of jam/jelly. Oh, and honey (which can also make for delicious peanut butter sandwich).

Once crafted, you can easily eat this sucker with one hand (depending on how much jam you apply). Its portability works very well with the Nintendo Wii.

So, make sure your lazy ass, at minimum, snags some wonder bread and you're set. As far as jam is concerned, go with what you like, but I would suggest apple jelly and grape jelly for variety. Trust me, it's amazing. Break free from your strawberry bonds! Oh, and if you even feel so inclined, get some milk. In peanut butter and jelly sandwich land, it's the only way to fly.

4. Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk
I am well aware that I am a complete child for having this on my list, but facts are facts people... and according to 69% of the food scientists out there, the facts don't lie.

The mightiest of the cookies, the chocolate chip persuasion, contains all the best things in the baking repertoire. Actually, you don't even have to bake this stuff and it's goddamned delicious.

If you were making them fresh, pop those suckers in the oven and they come out gooey and completely irresistible. Add milk and it's game over (hopefully not in your game, but that's completely possible). I would dare say that most gamers would be relishing in this little suckers via bag, however, so go for the moist ones, people. Hell, if you can get a freshly baked variety at your local supermarket, do so. As much as I like a good Chips A'hoy occasionally, if you can have them as close to "mom's home-baked" quality as possible, spring for it.

3. Pizza
Most people would expect this to fly higher on my list. Well, the fact is, most often while enjoying pizza and playing video games, one has to stop to eat the pizza. That's not a problem, however. This is what the pause button was made for. That being said, it's inherent deliciousness distracts the gamer from his/her game and, as a result, it lands at number 3.

With all that behind us, pizza is always a great idea when enjoying games with friends. Everyone can throw in a few bucks and have some hot 'zas delivered cheaply and plentifully.

I would also include pizza snacks/frozen pizzas into this category. Delights such as Pizza Pops/Pockets, Delissios, and Bagel Bites (pizza variety, of course) are a nice quick fix when you're in need of a late night gaming snack that always satisfies. I would suggest Coca-Cola/Pepsi or some fruit punch to wash down all that pepperoni.

2. Baked Nachos
Nachos can fit into many categories. Now often seen as the premiere party finger food, it's also finding its way into movie theatres (one of my faves) and corner stores (resembles the theatre 'cho, however often vomit inducing). They go great with movies at home, or just watching some TV, as well. While playing video games is the next logical progression.

I have a very specific way I enjoy mine, but that's the same for anyone. I like to place some chips on a baking sheet, load on some salsa and for cheese I enjoy the fakest shit possible. I'm not a huge cheese lover, so I'm all about that salty, ugly step child of cheese... the cheese sauce (personal fave being the Tostito Con Queso sauce). Fire them on broil for a few minutes and you've got one scrumptious treat on your hands (which will be very hot and burninating).

The best thing about nachos is that you can do whatever you like to them, much like pizza, I suppose. Top 'em how you like, but I would always suggest baking them. Warm nachos versus straight out of the bag is like having a barbecued hot dog versus a boiled one - there's no contest.

1. Barbecue Chips and Coca-Cola
Now we've hit the big time. I know this one should be more generic. The title should read, "Potato Chips and Pop (Soda for you American readers)". That's just not going to happen.

Of all the chips that exist in the world, barbecue by far outclasses them all. Many can be too sour and dry out your mouth. Others taste good for the first few handfuls, but soon you can't even stand the smell. With barbecue, though... the party is lasting all night.

Alright, I'm biased. So what? It's my list! As a kid (and Cole can attest to this) Hostess (RIP) barbecue chips were a mainstay for any snacking occasion. It is, however, one of those situations where you don't realize what you've got til it's gone. Hostess eventually folded and was taken over by Frito Lay, and as such Hostess barbecue chips came off the market. I've since switched to Humpty Dumpty (which was also taken over recently by Old Dutch, but they still have the Humpty Dumpty barbecue flavour) and I think I can say I enjoy them equally. To this day, however, whenever I play Final Fantasy 6 (3 US SNES) I think back to my younger days sitting down to a bag of Hostess barbecue chips and a bottle of Coke, while kicking Kefka's crazy ass.

The Coke was, and is, essential to the mix. They were the perfect combination of sugary drink to salty snack ratio. Pepsi, although very good, took the sweetness just a little too far.

I do have other combinations of chips and pop that I enjoy. Ruffles All-dressed and root beer/Dr. Pepper is also one that I've been known to sample while playing some games. All that doesn't matter, however. In the end, the ultimate combination of snacking and gaming will forever be barbecue chips and Coke.

*sniffle*

Alright, Coca-Cola... pony up the cash already!

Marvel's Greatest Arch-Enemies

The Marvel Universe (that's Universe 616) is chalk full of heroes and villains. But the most compelling battles are between those characters who have clashed time and time again, inflicting massive damage - both physical and psychological - to each other. One of the major challenges in presenting characters that have faced off for decades in real time is keeping things fresh. It can be really tricky to not allow things to become repetitive and tiresome. It's for this reason that you'll notice the absence of some of the more famous rivalries - you won't see Captain America (by which I obviously mean Steve Rogers) vs The Red Skull here for the precise fact that I see their continuous battle as stale and boring. So here's my best stab at those enemies whose eternal strife has been the most significant and entertaining over the years.

5. Mister Fantastic vs Doctor Doom
I like this one because it extends far beyond any physical struggle. Sure, they have tangled that way, matching super stretchiness against Doom's various technology-infused abilities but mostly with these two, it's mind versus mind. Doom is easily the Marvel U's biggest ego - his megalomania extends far beyond that of any villain I'm aware of - and he actually views the great mind of Reed Richards as woefully inferior to his own. He maintains this belief despite being defeated by the FF - almost always because of Richards' brain - over and over. No matter what happens, Doom can find an excuse for it - nothing is ever his fault as he's always above error.
I'll admit I'm not too versed in Fantastic Four lore so I can't really bring up any specific examples of Richards vs Von Doom but I still count their rivalry as one of the absolute best.

4. Daredevil vs Bullseye
One might argue that the Kingpin is a greater nemesis for DD than Bullseye since a lot of Bullseye's initial blows against him came courtesy of the giant crime lord. But in this case, it's the physical battle that I really like. And Wilson Fisk is really no physical match for The Man Without Fear. But Bullseye is perfect. His abilities are extremely similar to those of Murdoch and Daredevil's enhanced senses are the ideal foil for the assassin's out-of-this-world aim. Being able to dodge Bullseye's attacks with regularity was more than enough to drive him nuts and the guy was already plenty nuts to begin with. And, as I mentioned earlier, while their rivalry began because of the Kingpin, it became deadly personal very early on with Bullseye killing Daredevil's sort-of love interest, Elektra in a battle to determine who was the number one assassin. And THEN, all on his own, Bullseye goes on to murder a much more stable love interest of Murdoch's, Karen Page.
The two are so remarkably similar and yet such polar opposites they make perfect enemies. An especially great illustration of this is an arc in which the two trade costumes and identities as they slug it out, each attacking the other emotionally as much as physically.

3. Professor Xavier vs Magneto
Former friends often make for the most compelling of enemies. After first meeting in Israel, these two together dreamed of a world where mutants and ordinary humans could live side by side in peaceful harmony. But the harsh reality of most humans shunning and downright despising mutants soon was too much for Erik Lehnsherr to bear and he quickly adopted an "us against them" mentality, ultimately deciding that the only way for mutants to get along in the world was to dominate the humans. He also adopted the title, Magneto, Master of Magnetism. Xavier believed it was best to continue his efforts towards a peaceful coexistence and Magneto became one of the biggest obstacles standing in his way. Over the years, the two have faced off countless times and some encounters have left very deep scars, perhaps the most memorable being Magneto magnetically ripping the adamantium from X-Man Wolverine's skeleton, very nearly killing him while putting him through unimaginable physical agony. This prompted Charles to do something he thought he would never resort to - use his telepathic gift to erase the mind of his longtime foe. As it goes in the world of comics, both Wolverine and Magneto recovered from these injuries but the emotional scars will always remain. The Age of Apocalypse timeline showed that in a world where Xavier had perished, Magneto could be a hero carrying on the ideals of his friend but the normal continuity drives home that while the two coexist, they will forever be enemies.

2. Wolverine vs Sabretooth
While this pair were never exactly friends, they did at least once fight on the same side. In the sixties as agents of the Canadian government's secret team, Team X, they were deployed together on lots of missions and mostly got along. But after a disastrous encounter with Russian super-soldier Omega Red, where Sabretooth followed team protocol leaving behind teammates in an escape, Wolverine was furious. The two had actually been enemies decades before with Sabretooth raping and seemingly murdering Logan's lover, Silver Fox. But when they joined Team X, both of their memories had been altered and they didn't remember each other. But eventually they both came to remember plenty and have had tons of battles, all intense and vicious. Even besides their awesome history together, they make for such great enemies because of their extremely similar powers and natures. Sabretooth is stronger and faster but Wolverine has always been able to make up for this by being craftier- when they fight, it's usually to a standstill but only after some ferociously brutal action.

1. Spider-Man vs The Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
No two enemies within Marvel have had a more personal and devastating struggle. Since almost the very beginning of the web-slinger's career as a costumed hero, The Green Goblin has been around to torment him. Fighting him as the heavily armed, halloween-themed Green Goblin and also employing other villains to attack his foe, Osborn's assaults against Spider-Man were the most obsessive and relentless of all until Venom showed up. Father of Parker's close friend, Harry, Norman Osborn was the very first villain to deduce Spider-Man's civilian identity and he exploited this advantage to the fullest. Parker would also eventually learn the identity of his nemesis and let me tell you, it made for some pretty awkward moments. This would culminate in the Goblin's ultimate strike against Spider-Man, the murder of Parker's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. With Spider-Man looking on, Osborn threw Stacy off Brooklyn Bridge to her death. This prompted Parker to beat the Goblin nearly to death before coming to his senses. Then Osborn wound up impaling himself with his glider in an attempt to skewer his enemy. And so he was believed to be dead.
But his legacy lived on. Harry would lose his mind and take up the mantle of the Green Goblin as well and a chance discovery would lead to several Hobgoblins and even a demonic Demo-Goblin from hell.
Now I'm usually strongly against the resurrection of a dead character, especially a major one like Green Goblin, but I must admit his return to life in comics was actually a stroke of genius. And the reveal that, while believed dead and working from the shadows, Osborn was actually responsible for the entire clone saga gave that annoying storyline some punch and meaning. In a less cool reveal, it's shown he'd also seduced and impregnated Stacy before killing her. And since then, Osborn has gone on to elude justice, even once his identity became known. This is such a mockery of all Spider-Man has worked for and suffered through that it ramps up the hatred and intensity all the more. Now with the Skrull invasion averted and Osborn seen as a hero, you can bet the rivalry between the Goblin (oh, he's still in there) and the Spider will only grow.

Shane's Favourite Nes Era Music

If you grew up in the 80's like me, then I'm certain that your childhood was defined by the addictive boops and beeps of 8-bit Nes music. And what a wonderful thing that was. Limiting myself to one song/melody from a series, here are the tunes that have been stuck in my head for the last 20 years or so.

5. Fever (Dr. Mario, 1990)
Listen. Well, I have to include this on the list simply because from the first time I played Dr. Mario, this tune laid eggs in my brain. Eggs that periodically hatch to attack my memory lobe. It's stupid, but it's stupid catchy, and I've found myself babbling out its melody at times - struggling to pinpoint where I know it from. As far as puzzle games are concerned, this has some of the best music ever. I would listen to the title screen theme for huge chunks of time without even playing.

4. Overworld Theme (The Legend of Zelda, 1987)
Listen. A memorable theme, no doubt about it. Every time I hear it I want to fire up that game and relive the adventure. It perfectly captures that sense of danger and heroics that the series is all about. The song isn't very fast or intense, which suits the exploration you do in the game, and really feels as if a bard may be playing it, telling the story of your journey. That's right, it's awesome because it makes me think of minstrels and lutes. It's classic!

3. Dr. Wily Stage 1 (Megaman 2, 1989)
Listen. In a game that is rich with amazing music, it's hard to pick the one that I love most. Also, I know that Megaman 3 has some equally face-rocking tunes (title theme!), but I have to give it to my favourite Megaman game ever. After defeating all of the robot bosses, you head off to take the fight to Wily, and you got this bitching number to set the tone. After all the fun and excitement that the game dishes out, this theme says "Hey! You're just getting started! Hold onto your ass, cause you ain't seen nothing yet!" If this music doesn't pump you up, you're legally dead.

2. The Moon (Ducktales, 1989)
Listen. I think many people might overlook this game as far as music is concerned, but the level themes in this game are really top notch, with the moon being the absolute best. It starts off and sounds pretty tame, but quickly picks up and turns into something epic. It tells a story of adventure, excitement, and an elderly duck seeking fortune in space. To sum up, it kicks ass.

1. Level 1-1 (Super Mario Bros, 1986)
Listen. If you don't know this theme then, I daresay, you must be a luminescent fish living thirty thousand feet below sea level. The fact that seemingly everyone knows and loves it is a testament to its greatness. I still hum it with glee all the time, and if someone is nearby when I do, chances are they will join in; maybe to harmonize, or to incorporate maracas. It's music that represents video gaming, defined a generation, and still is incredibly fun to listen to.

Best Retired Power Forwards

In the early nineties, the term power forward was coined to describe a new sort of player that had emerged in the mid to late eighties. These were players who combined offensive skill with rough, physical play. There's no hard definition for the power forward - different people have different criteria once you get past these main two aspects. But I'm going to define a power forward by these factors: strength, toughness, nastiness with a willingness to fight and goal-scoring ability. I place less importance on assists as I believe power forwards are finishers rather than playmakers.

No, I don't think Mark Messier was a power forward - he was tough and nasty and obviously he could score but he didn't fight enough. Neither did Tim Kerr - a big body who could score garbage goals in front of the net. Joel Otto wasn't a scorer - he was sort of the defensive equivalent of a power forward. So all those guys are out. Consistency is also important so Kevin Stevens, whom I consider to be a one year wonder as far as power forwards go, won't be found here either.

This list doesn't take into account active players so apologies to Gary Roberts and Brendan Shanahan.

I'll be including the stats for what I pick to be the player's "best power forward season". Goal and PIM totals will be the most important factors here. Higher assist totals aren't really considered so what I pick won't necessarily be the most productive season from an offensive standpoint. Here are the purest power forwards no longer in the game.

5. Pat Verbeek (1983-2002)
Standing only 5'9, Verbeek had to work extra hard to make this list. Size is usually a really important factor in determining a power forward, but he made up for it. While not even six feet, Verbeek weighed a solid 190 pounds, giving him a very low centre of gravity. This made him difficult to knock off the puck and when he hit you, you felt it. Playing for the Devils in the eighties and then the Whalers in the early nineties, Verbeek was a terror, averaging close to 30 goals and 200 PIM's a season. He fought often and scored even more frequently. He was so nasty to play against, Verbeek actually earned one of the greatest nicknames in league history, "The Little Ball of Hate." Unfortunately, because of the teams he played for, he didn't see much playoff action until later in his career when he was less effective.

Best Power Forward Season: 1987/88 - 73gp 46g 31a 77p 227PIM

4. Dale Hunter (1980-1999)
After putting so much stress on goal-scoring ability, I pick a guy who never had 30 in a season. But he consistently scored over 20 and his PIM totals are epic. Hunter retired as one of the only players in NHL history with over 3000 penalty minutes. He probably fought with more regularity than enforcers in today's NHL do. And he did it all while being very important to his team, an offensive catalyst as well as a physical one.

While I do place less importance on assist totals, I will point out that Hunter easily has the most of anyone on this list. He had 40 assists in a season eight times, with over 50 in five of them. So while not as much of a finisher as other power forwards, his assist totals prove he had great offensive skill. Hunter put up an astounding EIGHT seasons with over 20 goals and 200 penalty minutes - I don't know if that's a record but it must be. And if you look at the stats, it's REALLY close to ten, with 19 goals in his rookie season and 198 PIM's in another. Hunter was also extremely durable despite his physical style of play, being injured far less frequently than most power forwards. He scored a very respectable 323 career goals while crashing, banging and fighting all the way. (No, I'm not cool with what he did to Pierre Turgeon that time)

Best Power Forward Season: 1985/86 - 80gp 28g 42a 70p 265PIM

3. Rick Tocchet (1984-2002)
Tocchet's years with the Flyers, where he had four 30-goal seasons along with another 20-goal one and tons and tons of penalty minutes, are enough to get him somewhere on this list. But he's higher than fourth or fifth for those years combined with what he did in Pittsburgh. While it was really his last hurrah as a true power forward, I feel his 92/93 season with the Penguins is perhaps the best power forward season in NHL history.

Tocchet also proved right away in his career that he was going to be an effective player with an impressive 11 playoff goals in just his third season. He fought all comers and was at times impossible to keep off the scoresheet, one way or another. Today people in extensive hockey fantasy leagues that count stuff like PIMs and reward more points for goals can only dream of a player like Tocchet. His fantasy value in such leagues would be through the roof in his peak years.

While already an extremely productive scorer in Philadelphia, Tocchet exploded when he was given the chance to play on a line with Mario Lemieux. He slowed down in later years so he can't claim number one but man, was he good.

Best Power Forward Season: 1992/93 - 80gp 48g 61a 109p 252PIM

2. Wendel Clark (1985-2000)
The curse of many power forwards is injuries and Clark's career is a great example of this. Accuse me of favouritism all you want - stats don't lie. Like Verbeek, Clark wasn't a physically imposing guy, at least not to look at. He was 5'11 and his playing weight never quite reached 200 pounds. But when he hit someone, he made him feel every ounce of it. Actually converted from defense, which he'd played all through junior, playing for the Leafs Clark immediately adapted to playing up front, emerging as one of the game's greatest power forwards. His checks were often devastating and always clean. He often fought players much bigger and heavier than himself and usually won.

Because of injuries caused by his kamikaze style of play, Clark only once ever played over seventy games in a season. Which is unfortunate for lots of reasons including the fact that I know he had at least one, maybe more, 50 goal season in him. Routinely scoring more goals than assists (a rare characteristic in most players and important mark of the power forward), he managed 46 in only 64 games once but that was as close as he got. He wound up missing almost entire seasons but was always effective whenever he played. He was just as good in the playoffs if not better and his PIMs there only seem down some because there is less fighting in playoff hockey. Because of injuries, Clark can't boast the gaudy numbers some of these other guys can but you'd only have to see him play one game to recognize him as a truly great power forward.

Best Power Forward Season: 1986/87 - 80gp 37g 23a 60p 271PIM
*1993 playoffs - 21gp 10g 10a 20p 51PIM

1. Cam Neely (1983-1996)
Anyone who knows anything about hockey shouldn't be surprised by this. While maybe some power forwards had established themselves as such before Neely did, I don't think anyone was using the term then. It was basically Neely that defined it. While his penalty minute totals don't match up to the other guys on this list, no one would dispute that he was tough as nails and that he was always more than willing to drop the gloves. Perhaps the fact that he never reached 200 PIMs in a season is a reflection of the possibility that no one wanted to mess with him. Have you seen tape of this guy throwing? He pulverized guys. And his scoring ability is far beyond anyone else here, which is really saying something. Who else could step over the blue line and rip a shot past Patrick Roy?

Like Clark, Neely had trouble putting together entire seasons, always getting hurt and missing games. If not for injuries, Neely could have scored over six hundred goals. Maybe even seven hundred. In his spectacular comeback season in 93/94, he scored 50 goals in an eye-popping forty-four games. No one not named Gretzky has ever done better. He was a scoring machine, putting them in every way possible - he could battle in front of the net like other power forwards, knocking in rebounds, but he could score the fancy finesse goals as well, deking around opponents before wiring it past some hapless goalie.

He was one of the most feared hitters in the game at the same time as he was one of the most feared scorers - Alex Ovechkin has that rep today but I'm telling you, Neely was better at BOTH, plus he would fight. His goals per game average is one of the best in NHL history and it's even better in the playoffs. When a player's career is shortened by injuries, people will make the argument stats like goals per game aren't quite as impressive because the player never got the chance to decline. But I just don't see Cam as the type of player who would have declined. A hit from Ulf Samuelsson is what wound up doing him in and it's too bad because who knows what further heights he may have reached.

Best Power Forward Season: 1989/90 - 76gp 55g 37a 92p 117PIM