NLL Fight Club Rankings: Current & All-Time Top 10s
Bill Hostrawser, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
During the OG LAXMAG era, by far our most popular pieces were anything Fight Club.
Names like Tim O’Brien and Geoff Snider pulled in ten times the amount of website traffic to our site (social media didn’t exist back then - yes, we’re old) than legends like John Tavares or Gary Gait did. It honestly wasn’t even close.
Since then, fighting in the National Lacrosse League is seemingly at an all-time low, teams opting for FOGOs instead of enforcers and fans watching officials review a potential shoelace on the goal line for ten minutes instead of two willing combatants blasting each other in the face in less time it takes current coaches to toss their challenge flag.
Fan used to leave NLL games gleefully gloating, “Does this sport even have a rulebook,” but now today can’t keep up with the never-ending calls and reviews that have slowed “The Fastest Game on Two Feet” to a standstill several times each quarter.
Of the league’s nine lowest average home attendance totals, six have all been since the 2020 season, including the current NLL regular season, where teams again are averaging below 8K tickets distributed per game. Remove Buffalo’s record-breaking totals in Banditland, and those averages decline considerably.
With all that said, as the players told us in our NLL Fight Club Player Poll, fighting still serves a purpose in today’s game, albeit on a much smaller scale than what it once did.
Mike Messenger, Saskatchewan Rush
Today, The Lax Mag takes a look at the top fighters in the game today, plus the NLL’s all-time Fight Club kings.
For 2026’s most popular pugilists, as part of that previously mentioned NLL Player Poll, we also asked today’s talent who their Top 5 fighters were. The players with the most Top 5 mentions made our Top 10, ranked in order of most votes to least. See who the players picked below, plus some commentary from the guys too.
Then after that, keep scrolling for The Lax Mag’s All-Time NLL Fight Club Ranking, which were ordered by our team and a small group of anonymous Fight Club experts, many of whom have been watching the league from the very early days.
Current NLL Fight Club Rankings
10. Mike Messenger
From: Surrey, British Columbia
Career: Saskatchewan (2017-Active)
Career PIM: 254
“Don’t think I’ve seen him go in a while, but there are few tougher than Mike Messenger, who still has to be right up there as one of the best fighters around. Scary dude.”
9. Warren Jeffrey
From: Toronto, Ontario
Career: Colorado (2020-Active)
Career PIM: 199
“Moose is a menace! He’s taken on guys like Priolo and Theede, and more than held his own.”
“He might not have the same rep as say a Hostrawser or Subby, but I don’t know too many guys in the game that would be willing to take him on.”
Paul Dawson, Buffalo Bandits
8. Paul Dawson
From: Oakville, Ontario
Career: San Jose (2007-2008), Boston (2009-2010), Philadelphia (2011-2012), Rochester (2013-2019), San Diego (2019), Rochester (2020-2023), Colorado (2024), Buffalo (2024-Active)
Career PIM: 665
“Doesn’t fight like he used to obviously, but how do you not have Big Paulie Dawson on your list? Legend.”
“Pure disrespect if Big Daws isn’t in the Top 5 of every guy you sent this to.”
7. Dawson Theede
From: Brooklin, Ontario
Career: Rochester (2019), Panther City (2022), Halifax (2022-2026), Oshawa (Active)
Career PIM: 178
“You guys compared him to Cam Neely once, and that’s a pretty perfect comparison. A skilled big man that can fight like him is hard to come by these days.”
“Most guys won’t fight him, and honestly, you can’t really blame them. Theede is a beast.”
6. Steve Priolo
From: St. Catharines, Ontario
Career: Buffalo (2010-Active)
Carrer PIM: 623
“Ultimate captain and the ultimate fighter.”
“Highlight of this season was seeing Priolo and Beers go at time. That’s old school lacrosse. Need more of that in today’s game.”
5. Jackson Suboch
From: Toronto, Ontario
Career: Philadelphia (2022), Las Vegas (2023), Vancouver (2024-Active)
Career PIM: 264
“Unlike most guys today, Subby knows how to fight and is a true fighter. Pretty damn good defender too, which he doesn’t get enough credit for.”
Elijah Gash, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
4. Elijah Gash
From: South Lyon, Michigan
Career: Panther City (2024), Toronto (2025-Active)
Career PIM: 93
“Tough as fuck, but not sure I’d consider Gash a top fighter, yet. You can tell he’s inexperienced but have to give him credit for how willing he always is.”
“Clark exposed him but still have to include Gash for how fucking tough the dude is.”
“With a last name like Gash, Rock would have given this guy a great nickname back in the day.”
WATCH: Elijah Gash vs. Zach Belter
Tyler Biles, Rochester Knighthawks (Photo: Micheline Veluvolu)
3. Tyler Biles
From: Georgetown, Ontario
Career: Rochester (2020-Active)
Career PIM: 185
“Maybe not yet, but Biles is a future Fight Club champ. Gave Hostrawser and Suboch all they could handle. Only fights legit tough guys, no cheap shit.”
WATCH: Tyler Biles vs. Bennett Smith
WATCH: Tyler Biles vs. Bill Hostrawser
2. Emerson Clark
From: Whitby, Ontario
Career: Las Vegas (2023), Buffalo (2024), Oshawa (Active)
Career PIM: 67
“Clark is as old school as we got in the game right now. Hard as fuck.”
“He shut Gash up. Hopefully coming for Hostrawser next. Bunch of arrogant pricks in Hamilton.”
“Watched this kid fuck everyone up in junior. Finally get to see him do it in the NLL.”
“There’s lots of tough players in the league today, but few fighters like back in the day. Emerson is a legit fighter.”
Bill Hostrawser, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
1. Bill Hostrawser
From: Belwood, Ontario
Career: Washington/Vancouver (2013-2014), Toronto (2014-Active)
Career PIM: 595
“Toughest SOB in the league.”
“I’ve played with and against Billy, and it’s always better when he’s on your team.”
“Has he every lost? I don’t think so.”
“If Hostrawser isn’t in everyone’s Top 5, they’re haters.”
All-Time NLL Fight Club Rankings
10. Brodie Merrill
From: Montreal, Quebec
Career: Porland (2006-2009), Edmonton (2010-2011), Philadelphia (2012-2014), Toronto (2015-2018), San Diego (2019-2024)
Career PIM: 613
One of the sport’s greatest ever two-way guys is also one of the NLL’s best fighters. It’s true. Brodie Merrill, spending much of his career in the non-enforcer era, was often the one called on to throw his weight around and drop the mitts. Merrill is big, had above-average range, strong as a squirrelly ox, and took on some of the sport’s toughest fighters. He often doesn’t get the credit his fight game deserves because he was such a high-level transitional talent, but Merrill could most definitely go.
9. Troy Bonterre
From: Owen Sound, Ontario
Career: New Jersey (2002), Columbus (2003), Arizona (2004-2005), Buffalo (2006-2007), Edmonton (2008), Rochester (2009-2011)
Career PIM: 273
On size (6’3”, 250 lbs+) and strength alone, Troy Bonterre was a nightmare matchup for most. His most notable NLL fights were against Rory Smith during the 2011 season, when the pugilistic pair danced twice over the span of a month. Round one was a hard-fought draw, but on chance two, Bonterre gave Smith a shot that would have put most of us to sleep for life.
8. Steve Priolo
From: St. Catharines, Ontario
Career: Buffalo (2010-Active)
Career PIM: 623
During the late stages of the current NLL season, Steve Priolo had an epic showdown with Matt Beers - two old school tough guys that proved there’s still a few skilled fighters floating around in the modern game. Well, in his younger days, Priolo used to square up like that pretty regularly, and would take on the toughest the league had to offer. A promising basketball prospect in high school and university, Priolo utilized his imposing size (6’5”, 235 lbs.) in box lacrosse instead, and dished out some all-time beatings along the way.
Steve Priolo, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Michael Hetzel)
7. Andy Ogilvie
From: Peterborough, Ontario
Career: Buffalo (1999-2004), Vancouver (2004), Calgary (2005-2007)
Career PIM: 358
We highlighted the size and strength of the three names above him here, but no player past, present or likely future was as stupid strong as Andy Ogilvie, who manhandled the opposition and nearly manslaughtered them if they were moronic enough to drop their mitts in front of him. You could hear Ogilvie grunting on the floor while he bulldozed some sucker, who now knew to keep his distance. During a 2003 dustup between Ogilvie and New York Saints defender Matt McFarland, Ogilvie would leave MacFarland with a hairline fracture in his skull and a broken bone in his own fist after unloading his massive balled-up mitt to the American’s dome. While not #1 on our all-time ranking, Ogilvie may be THE most feared player in league history.
Bill Hostrawser, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
6. Bill Hostrawser
From: Belwood, Ontario
Career: Washington/Vancouver (2013-2014), Toronto (2014-Active)
Career PIM: 595
The modern era’s heavyweight champ for seemingly most of the past decade, Bill Hostrawser may not have the same size as most of the names on this all-time list, but make no mistake, the Toronto Rock defender can dance. Hostrawser is aggressive, accurate (with the ones that matter), one of the few true skilled fighters in the sport today, and just an overall tough son of a bitch. Since The Lax Mag reboot ahead of the 2022 season, Hostrawser has been either the league’s toughest or top fighter in every NLL Player Poll we’ve published.
Paul Dawson vs. Colin Doyle (Photo: Larry Palumbo)
5. Paul Dawson
From: Oakville, Ontario
Career: San Jose (2007-2008), Boston (2009-2010), Philadelphia (2011-2012), Rochester (2013-2019), San Diego (2019), Rochester (2020-2023), Colorado (2024), Buffalo (2024-Active)
Career PIM: 665
At 40 years old, Paul Dawson is too busy blocking his balls off in Buffalo and winning Cups with the Bandits to fight as frequently as he did back in the day, but for those that need a reminder, Big Daws could chuck ‘em better (and more often) than virtually anyone else in NLL history. He went to-to-toe with all his era’s big names, and won way more often than he lost. Sure, he’s big and strong AF, but Dawson has a high fight IQ, overpowering technique, and a right that would have you snoring on the turf quicker than a pint of Benadryl.
WATCH: Paul Dawson vs. Travis Irving
WATCH: Paul Dawson vs. Andrew Suitor
WATCH: Paul Dawson vs. Rory Smith
WATCH: Paul Dawson vs. Brandon Francis
Rory Smith (Photo: Larry Palumbo)
4. Rory Smith
From: Mimico, Ontario
Career: New York/Orlando (2008-2010), Minnesota (2011), Colorado (2012-2013), Buffalo (2014), Vancouver (2015-2016)
Career PIM: 452
NLL Fight Club royalty, the next four names are likely on any knowledgeable fight fan’s final four, including of course the “Baby-Faced Killer”, “Mimico Mauler” and one half of Minnesota’s “Bash Brothers”… Rory Smith. Smith fought at a time when many of the names on this list roamed NLL floors, and he never turned down a chance to square up with any of them. He still owns the record for most penalty minutes in game when in collected 49 in an epic fight-filled encounter between Smith’s Orlando Titans and Geoff Snider’s Philadelphia Wings – the infamous white jersey vs. white jersey game in Florida. A student of the fight game if there ever was one, once Smith’s jersey and (often) pads magically fell to the floor, well, the guy across from him was usually pretty fucked. Also worth noting, although some classify Smith as simply a fighter or enforcer, he turned into a very talented pure defender in the NLL, even winning gold with Team Canada at the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.
WATCH: Rory Smith vs. Geoff Snider
3. Andrew Suitor
From: Orangeville, Ontario
Career: Minnesota (2011-2015), New England (2015-2016, 2019), Rochester (2017), Vancouver (2018), New York (2020)
Career PIM: 403
The ultimate team captain and one of the NLL’s best all-around ball players, Andrew Suitor was also hands down one of the league’s nastiest and most feared fighters. While he didn’t have the same size, height and reach several giants on this all-time rundown did, Suitor was ridiculously relentless, constantly pushing the pace of a fight, never giving his opponent a second to breath, ultimately setting them up for a right that would leave them staring at the ceiling. Suitor twice buckled Geoff Snider in all-time encounters…
WATCH: Andrew Suitor vs. Geoff Snider I
WATCH: Andrew Suitor vs. Geoff Snider II
WATCH: Andrew Suitor vs. Travis Irving
Geoff Snider, Philadelphia Wings (Photo: Larry Palumbo)
2. Geoff Snider
From: Calgary, Alberta
Career: Philadelphia (2007-2010), Calgary (2011-2015)
Career PIM: 592
Yes, like we just mentioned above, Snider had a couple Ls later in his career, but his first four seasons in the NLL were like nothing anyone has seen before. He wreaked havoc across the league, had grown men running scared, and for those willing to take him on, well, can’t remember many if any during that four-year stretch that didn’t take an all-time shit kicking. Not your typical heavyweight, Snider (5’11”) took on every giant the game had during his era, and either drew or dropped most of them. He is also arguably the most hated guy the league has ever seen. One of the NLL’s best face-off and transitional players definitely during his era and maybe all-time too, Snider was never once recognized for his other on-floor abilities with any year-end honours, and it’s no secret as to why: every team except for his own, hated him. His rivalry with Rory Smith in 2008 was easily the most talked about storyline in the league that season. Their first go on Feb. 29 in Philly lasted longer than today’s goal reviews, and is still easily one of the greatest fights in league history.
WATCH: Geoff Snider vs. Rory Smith
WATCH: Geoff Snider vs. Pat McCready
WATCH: Geoff Snider vs. Drew Candy
1. Tim O’Brien
From: Edmonton, Alberta
Career: Rochester (2000), New York (2002-2003), Albany (2003), Toronto (2005-2007, 2011), Orlando (2010), Rochester (2012)
Career PIM: 119
Like we did in this year’s Top 100, we asked AI whether Tim O’Brien was the greatest fighter in NLL history. Turns out, AI agree with us…
Why Tim O’Brien is considered the NLL Fight Club GOAT:
Dominant, near-unbeaten record for years: For a stretch of about six years (roughly mid-2000s), nobody beat him in the league. Challengers came after him constantly because beating O'Brien meant claiming the heavyweight crown, but "many feeling his NLL fight record... to be squeaky clean." He rarely backed down and took on all comers in both the NLL and Major Series Lacrosse (MSL).
Elite technique and preparation: Unlike many raw tough guys, O'Brien studied hockey fight tapes and highlights extensively. He combined raw power (he was as strong as anyone in the sport, listed around 6'2", 235 lbs. in his prime) with smart, effective boxing-style technique. He threw both hands well, could absorb punches, and used advanced grips (described as bringing a Royce Gracie-like jiu-jitsu element to jersey control on the turf). His abnormally sharp knuckles earned him “The Surgeon" nickname — he could "carve up" opponents' faces without cheap shots.
Intimidation factor and protector role: He was the ultimate enforcer, protecting star teammates. Opponents knew they had to go through him to be considered the best. He was feared and respected league-wide for his willingness to drop the gloves and his class (no cheap shots). Coaches and peers called him "scary" and the undisputed champ.
Tim O’Brien (Photo: Dave Fryer)