Meet the Most VIOLENT Player in Hockey History

Philadelphia Flyers Defenseman Larry “The Rock” Zeidel was called the dirtiest player in hockey -- a vicious soulless maniac who instigated some of the most violent stick swinging attacks in hockey history.

His final act of on-ice mayhem, a gory bloodbath with Boston Bruins forward Eddie Shack, may be the event for which Zeidel is most remembered -- but it was hardly his most egregious offense. In fact, it wasn’t even his most brutal bout with Shack.

But the Larry Zeidel story is more complicated than just a rap sheet of his reckless assaults. By all accounts he was a quiet and well-spoken man off the ice. But what fueled the burning rage -- the unrelenting hatred -- that Zeidel unleashed on bloodied and maimed opponents in a savage 20-year professional hockey career?

#larryzeidel #hockeyfights #philadelphiaflyers

[filippians]

I give the guy props for playing hockey instead of becoming a serial killer.

[ericl]

Happy Gilmore holds the league record for being the only guy to ever take off his skate and try to stab a guy with it

[a.s.]

Dear Lord, 100 concussions. No helmets, getting hit over the head with was born in 68', so by the time I got into hockey it was much more civilized. These guys were really warriors. As someone else mentioned, Gretzky wouldn't of finished one game in this era, just brutal. Thank you for this video.

[grl]

Larry had the classic signs of late onset CTE from too many concussions and blows to the skull. Most people think you can only get it in your 40’s but often it doesn’t exhibit symptoms, aggression being the major one, until the 60’s and 70’s. It can only be determined post mortem.

[phillyprice]

Larry actually lived in my neighborhood in Philly towards the later years of his life, a family took him in. He would show up occasionally to the bar me and friends went to during Flyer’s playoff games with a suit on. I ended up sitting next to him and introduced myself not really knowing his background except he was a former original Flyer. He immediately made a fist and put it near my face, he was just kidding though, he shook my hand (his hands were huge even for an old guy). We then had an awesome conversation about the Flyers of the 90’s, he was a really awesome guy.

[redram]

This is why there is a rule that anyone who breaks their stick has to drop it immediately for the officials to pick it up, otherwise they’re penalized for carrying a weapon

[gregbatters]

Great video, met Larry on the bus while playing Junior with his son Jay. Larry joined us and graciously shared stories and knowledge about the game and his career. A real treat and the memory still fresh! Thanks for this, excellent job.

[mikekole]

I had the opportunity to speak with many Cleveland Barons 1950s & 60s alumni, and to a one, they cited Larry Zeidel as an opponent to be feared, wary of, hated, or respected. Also, admired. They understood the long toil in the AHL hoping for a shot at the NHL, and with expansion came the chance for many who could hold on that long. Zeidel did just that- not scoring goals, but giving and taking punishment. They respected his tenacity.

[BrytonBand]

The accusations of on ice anti-Semitism are disputed as you mentioned, it should be noted that his Grandparents did die in the Holocaust.
A lot of people who come from traumatic backgrounds (i.e Natives and Residential Schools, the Irish and the Famine, Jews and the Holocaust, etc) gain that confrontational attitude from that generational trauma and take it out on people. I'm not condoning his behavior, obviously, but there's too many idiots out there that lack any psychological conscientiousness and think that some people are just born screwed up when that is obviously not the case 99% of the time.
Larry was human like everybody else, it's just a shame that in his time mental health wasn't taken seriously.
If anything, his brain being donated is a silver lining for future research on what we can do to move forward and help others to avoid a similar life to his by breaking the cycle.

[matturner]

"... still anxious to drink the enemy's blood, preferrably at room temperature"

Sports writers sure don't turn a phrase like *that* anymore.

[coolmanjack]

What Im really getting is that in the 50s there were a hell of a lot of stick fights

[squatch]

Half way through the video, I knew he suffered from undiagnosed concussions. He had all the classic symptoms. Wonderfully researched video, thank you.

[thomaskline]

Larry helped at a summer hockey camp for a couple of weeks. He was a nice guy and great with the kids.
The famous stick fight with Eddie Shack started when Shack

[jacknakash]

As much as you wanna hate and despise Larry Zeidel for being a "goon" it was what hockey was to have at least one "enforcer" on a team
But you can't take away the fact he was on a Stanley Cup winning team and his name will always be in the Cup
RIP Larry Zeidel

[TylerMcNamer]

This man was a gladiator when he stepped in the rink.

[michaelpatitucci]

Larry was my partner and Great friend at JMS where we worked together for I guess about 20years. Many great memories and unreal stories, many of which you covered very accurately! Knew his family who he cared about immensely fairly well. We miss him!

[appalachianwoman]

I'm a rural southern Appalachian mountains born and raised hockey fan, I love the game even thou everyone else around here is all about football, I never have cared for football and don't know the first thing about it. My love and loyalty lie with hockey, because it's a thrilling, skillful and beautiful game. To this day I'm surprised going back into history that the old timers that played in the days before helmets, and keep in mind for the longest time even goalies weren't given helmets; I'm surprised any of them survived except that perhaps aside from a few guys like Larry that most of the game was more civilized and they didn't go out of their way to injure other players. I don't even think Larry went out of his way, he simply put the tough guys giving his team or himself a hard time in their place.
Still it's amazing to me that more weren't killed or injured in the days before helmets for all players including goalies by the flying pucks (those things are hard solid rubber and while with wood sticks didn't travel as fast still got up there in speed), sharp skate blades or by sticks.

[MrDan]

It was a different era, a time when grit was an absolute necessity. He was just more vicious than most.

[chipolmstead]

Larry had "likely suffered more than 100 concussions".
OH. MY. GOODNESS.

[relic]

Outstanding production, incredible research and vintage materials.