Enforcer Advent Calendar – December 2nd – Tony Twist
For an array of reasons, December 2020 will be a month none of us will ever forget. The toll this pandemic has taken on society has been different for every individual in every part of the world. Regardless, we can all relate to experiencing some anxiety, stress and fear about the uncertainty of things. That’s why it felt fitting to put out the ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar.’ These warriors dealt with the aforementioned emotions night-in and night-out to a degree that only they can truly comprehend. I get it – it’s been tough not being able to go out with the boys, see a good game and cheer-on a good scrap, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the past. It sucks because enforcers are sometimes forgotten by fair-weather fans but, luckily, the diehards will always chant their name in the arenas and on the streets. Whichever side you land on, here’s a reminder of a few legends.
December 2nd – Tony Twist
Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton may have been willing to chase Tornadoes back in 1996, but NHL enforcers were less inclined to seek out ‘Twister’ during the 90s. Tony Twist aka ‘Twister’ was one of the hardest punchers the NHL has ever seen. Twist will be the first to tell you that, when he approached a fight, he came to drop bombs. He wanted to hurt his opponent and end the fight fast because – heaven forbid they ever tangled again – Twist wanted that first bout to linger in the back of their minds. Twist’s unique fighting style has never been replicated. Standing 6’’1” and 245 lbs, Twist’s frame allowed him to grab the right shoulder pad and immobilize his opponent, while simultaneously raining down huge overhand rights. Former teammate Owen Nolan is quoted as saying, “he throws hammers, he throws to kill. I’ve seen him crack a helmet with a punch. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.” Sheesh. That punching power took ‘Twister’ from Quebec to St. Louis and allowed the Albertan native to play a decade in the NHL in, what some will argue, hockey’s toughest generation.
Tony Twist vs Jim McKenzie – January 02, 1992 – 2nd period – 4:11
The idea of watching Quebec against Hartford seems foreign to many younger hockey fans, but for those old enough to remember, these were storied clubs in their cities. Tony Twist was in his 3rd season in the NHL and would double his games played from his previous season. Why? Because he was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, including the 6’4” monster – Jim McKenzie. The two of them got acquainted at the faceoff and started trading huge shots. While they both landed straight rights off the get-go, neither flinched. They just kept trading. With his reach advantage, McKenzie was able to limit Twist’s ability to rain down overhand rights, which would later become his signature punch. Twist didn’t lose many fights in his career, but when he got jerseyed at the 29 second mark, McKenzie landed a huge left hook to Twist’s nose that dropped him onto the ice. Similar to their predecessors and the enforcers that followed them, they showed nothing but respect after the brawl and gave each other a shoulder tap to acknowledge the good bout. The ‘Twister’ has never been shy about expressing that, to him, the role of enforcer was always a job: what happened on the ice stayed on the ice. He’s even joked that he fought the best man in his wedding three times with the deal that the winner bought the beer and the loser, the pizza. This reflects that there was a code amongst these gladiators that Twist stuck to throughout his entire NHL career.
Tony Twist vs Rob Ray – November 27, 1995 – 1st period – 6:32
While I’m not sure if Rob Ray was a fan of The Bangles, there is no doubt that November 27th in 1995 was his ‘Manic Monday’… and he definitely wished it was Sunday. The legendary Sabres enforcer finally got his comeuppance for years of dominating enforcers with his ability to get his jersey and pads off and fire off unrestricted punches. Although hearing Rick Jeanneret call his famous line, ‘another right from Ray!’ was commonplace for fans, it didn’t happen that 1st period in St. Louis, Missouri. The two briefly chatted at the faceoff and then all hell broke loose. Ray was able to land a few quick rights, but then it was ‘Twister’ time. The aforementioned ability to grab his opponent’s shoulder pad and land huge overhand rights not only what won Twist the fight, it also broke Ray’s orbital bone. While Blues fans had to endure a loss on the scoreboard, it was clear they felt like they had a win: when fans saw Ray with an ice bag to his face while Twist sat patiently in the penalty box on the Kiel Center jumbotron, and they let out a deafening roar. After undergoing bicep surgery, Twist was only in his second game of the season – clearly didn’t miss a beat. Dually commanding respect and fear amongst enforcers, this fight was a double-edged sword for Twist. When asked why enforcers were more reluctant to fight Twist, Chris Simon said – “he broke Rob Ray’s face – and no one wants to get his face broken.” In an attempt to establish himself, Twist infamously fought established enforcer Todd Ewen in his first training camp after getting drafted in the ninth round by the Blues. Regardless of what happened with Ray, Twist knew there were always going to be up-and-comers trying to solidify their spot in their team’s line-up, just like he had done. Luckily for fight fans, Twist never had any objections to putting them to the test.
Tony Twist vs Patrick Cote – March 02, 1999 – 2nd period – 3:14
It only took Rob Ray 5 years to get his revenge on Tony Twist, but not in the way most would expect. The infamous ‘Rob Ray’ Rule, or Rule 46.13, underlined that you would be ejected from the game if your jersey wasn’t tied down and came off during the fight. Well, in the Predators inaugural 1998-99 season in Music City U.S.A, Patrick Cote lost the fight but got to watch Twist skate off with an ejection. The two tangled up early in the 2nd period, initiating their 3rd dance of the year. Standing at 6’3”, Cote had the clear reach advantage, but was never able to capitalize. The two traded some big punches, with the majority of Cote’s missing while Twist’s landed on his taller opponent’s helmet. Both fighters were clearly gassed by the end, which certainly benefited Cote because Twist had his jersey and pads off and was ready to throw some unrestricted bombs. Despite his pleas that his jersey was tied down, the linesmen jumped in and escorted an enraged Twist to the dressing room. The former Saskatoon Blade had to watch from the sidelines as his Blues pounded the Predators 5-1 that Tuesday night in March.
Twist’s career ended abruptly after a motorcycle accident in 1999 that forced the St. Louis enforcer into retirement with a broken pelvis. The first few years after the accident were difficult for Twist and his loved ones and, in a blunt interview, Twist offered a great analogy for his role as an enforcer – “Imagine going to high school every day, you’re trying to get As and Bs because you want to make the honour roll and make your parents happy. But at the end of every day you’re going to have to fight the biggest kid at your school or the biggest kid at another school, that’s got to be on your mind the whole time, the same thing goes for an enforcer.” This analogy offered fans a small window of insight into the excitement, fear and stress that accompanied the burden of carrying the title of enforcer. Since then, Twist has flourished in his post-playing career. He has opened a chain of bars – ‘Twister’s Iron Bar Saloon’ – and became the co-host of the show, Smash and Twist in St. Louis.
Comic fans may also remember the mobster Antonio “Tony Twist” Twistelli from the popular Spawn comic book series. One problem? Tony Twist never approved and didn’t even know about his depiction in the popular series until a group of kids went to Twist’s mother’s house in British Columbia and asked if they could get their merchandise autographed. Twist displayed class night-in and night-out in his role as enforcer and channelled that same integrity when he filed an anonymous John Doe lawsuit against the makers of the Spawn series. Twist applied anonymously in hopes of keeping publicity to a minimum and resolving the situation the same way he did on the ice: battling it out with no hard feelings. Unfortunately, producer Todd McFarlane dragged the proceedings out into the public-eye, forcing countless appeals until the ‘Twister’ was finally awarded a $5 million settlement. It must be noted that Twist didn’t proceed with this lawsuit for fiscal gain; he did it because of his values. He famously clarified that in the cartoon he was depicted as being “in pink thong underwear, smoking a cigar, ordering the kidnapping of a child while two women are naked on the couch making love to each other. I obviously didn’t want any part of that. It’s nothing I want to be affiliated with.” Whether it was visiting Mike Peluso in the hospital the night after their bout or ensuring the younger generation didn’t associate him with a mobster, Twist was always a class-act. Twist was able to retain the respect of his peers and, most remarkably, all his teeth.
Twitter:@Jonesinthezone
