20 hockey smiles that prove teeth are overrated

13. Chris Neil

Chris Neil of Flesherton, Ontario, is yet another grinder on this list. He’s a modern tough guy, with enough skill to keep him in the game and enough toughness to garner respect from the old guard.

He’s also a few teeth short of a smile.

Neil was a borderline forward and spent a few of the early years of his career in the minors. He set himself apart from the others by fighting. His toughness, and the sacrifice of a few of his front teeth, led him to a long and successful career for the Ottawa Senators, in which he enjoyed both scoring the occasional goal as well as having to fight the league’s toughest. During his rookie season, Neil was able to accumulate 231 penalty minutes in 72 games. That was an accomplishment.

Thankfully, by this point, Neil has few teeth left to lose. But given that his avowed hobbies are four-wheeling, boating and horseback riding, there are plenty more opportunities for him to do so.