The Toughest Penguins Ever: Ulf Samuelsson

In the wake of yesterday’s article on Darius Kasparaitis, the thought popped into my head to do a short series on the toughest players in Penguins history.

As the old saying goes, the more the merrier, right?

For today’s feature, I chose a defenseman very much like Kasparaitis in terms of aggression and makeup.

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On a team not noted for employing physical defensemen, Ulf Samuelsson stands as a glaring exception to the rule. In many ways he was a dinosaur—a throwback to an earlier time when rugged rearguards like Bashin’ Bill Barilko, Bobby Baun and Leo Boivin put the fear of God into opposing forwards with their brutally efficient physical play.

There was nothing subtle about Samuelsson’s game. Although hardly a heavyweight, the Swedish-born defender employed an edgy, in-your-face style that delighted his teammates and infuriated opponents. Sporting extra-wide shoulder pads, a face shield and a sneer, he resembled an on-ice version of “RoboCop.”

Played like one, too.

The slot was Ulfie’s turf. Opposing forwards who had the nerve to venture in were treated like trespassers. He used every weapon in his considerable arsenal—body checks, cross checks, slashes, elbows, rabbit punches and the occasional face wash—to make sure they didn’t linger.

“I do whatever it takes,” he said. “Whatever it takes to stop the other guy.”

Samuelsson spent his formative years playing in his native Sweden, where he starred as a teenager for Leksands of the fast Swedish Elite League. Attracted by the youngster’s spirited, physical brand of defense, the Hartford Whalers made him their fourth choice in the 1982 Entry Draft. For nearly six seasons he patrolled the Whalers’ blue line, banging bodies and making enemies at a rapid rate.

“No, I didn’t like him,” future black-and-gold teammate Rick Tocchet said. “In fact, like most people who don’t know him, I hated him.”

By 1990-91, the Whalers were in turmoil. Armed with a mandate to shake up his team, or else, Whalers general manager Eddie Johnston sent Samuelsson, Ron Francis and Grant Jennings to the Pens in a blockbuster six-player trade.

Rejuvenated by the change of scenery, Samuelsson belted any opponent who had the temerity to cross his path. He quickly became a favorite of the Mellon Arena faithful, who loved his take-no-prisoners style.

“I nicknamed Ulfie ‘Jack Lambert on skates’ because he was crushing people one night in Philly,” Paul Steigerwald said. “When we saw Ulfie hitting guys in Philadelphia, that was the first sign that we knew he was someone who was going to make a big difference.”

Samuelsson cemented his physical reputation against the Bruins during the bitterly fought 1991 Wales Conference Final. He went head-to-head with Cam Neely, an old foe from his days as a Whaler. A 6-foot 1-inch, 210-pound slab of granite, Neely was regarded by many as the top power forward in the league, equally adept at delivering pulverizing body checks as he was scoring goals.

“Cam Neely was a big, strong winger and he was very difficult to play against,” the late Bob Johnson recalled in the highlight video, One From the Heart. “A lot of players couldn’t handle him. He just physically overpowered them. Ulf accepted the challenge. He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever been around.”

Through three emotionally charged contests Samuelsson and Neely hammered away at each other. Utterly relentless, Ulf kept coming after the imposing Bruin.

The turning point of the series came late in Game 3. With the Penguins protecting a two-goal lead in a must-win game, Samuelsson lined up Neely once more. At the last second the Boston strongman took evasive action. The tough defenseman followed through with his check, resulting in a knee-on-knee collision. Neely went down in a heap.

Samuelsson would be vilified for the rest of his career for the hit.

Out for blood in Game 4, the revenge-minded Bruins came at him with a bare-knuckled fury. Ulf never wavered. Like a spent bullet, Boston faded while the Pens went on to capture their first Stanley Cup.

Over the next four seasons, the rugged Swede was at his head-knocking best. He played some of the finest hockey of his career during the Penguins’ march to a second Cup in 1992. The following season he logged a sterling plus/minus rating of plus-36 while helping to lead the team to a stunning 56-win season and the Presidents’ Trophy.

Penguins fans hoped Samuelsson would finish his career in Pittsburgh. Sadly, it was not to be. During the summer of 1995 he was traded to the Rangers in a big four-player swap, ending his run in the Steel City. He departed as one of the most popular (and toughest) players in team history.