Washington Capitals: Top 10 toughest players of all-time

#8 Craig Berube

Craig Berube was nicknamed by Caps fans as “The Chief”. Before helping coach the St. Louis Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup, Berube was an important part of a Capitals lineup that made it to their first ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

Berube’s first season with the Caps was in 1993-94 where he had seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 84 games including a whooping 305 penalty minutes. He added 189 penalty minutes along with six goals and nine assists for 15 points in the 1997-98 season while playing in all 21 playoff games that spring.

Berube was never afraid to stand up for his teammates. He wasn’t drafted but in 1986 he signed on with the Philadelphia Flyers. Alan May recalled fondly his playing days with Berbue in an article by J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington:

"“Chief came up when the Flyers were still a version of the Broad Street Bullies and that went a long way. That Philadelphia thing of being a tough teammate and sticking up for your teammates all the time and for all the right reasons. It’s not about you, it’s about your team. That’s in him. That’s part of his DNA as a coach and as a competitor.”"