The 5 most physically dominant players in the NHL

The ice surface of an NHL arena is a battleground where bodies fly around at high speeds in close quarters. Hard hits and flying fists are an inevitability in the midst of any heated contest, which gives these five physically dominant players an edge every time the puck drops.

Dustin Byfuglien

Whether he's listed as a forward or a defenseman, Dustin Byfuglien is a veritable wrecking ball on the ice for the Winnipeg Jets.

Byfuglien is no slouch on the scoreboard, with 342 points in 594 games, but he also routinely levels opponents and is always ready to defend his actions, often taking on multiple challengers at once.

Most players who get flattened by the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Byfuglien are just happy to get up afterward, like Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie:

Shea Weber

Shea Weber can dish out massive hits and hold his own in a fight, but the most intimidating part of his game is his shot.

The Nashville Predators captain won the hardest-shot competition at the All-Star game, confirming what opposing goaltenders and anyone unlucky enough to find themselves in the path of one of his bombs from the point already knew: When Weber winds up, not even the net is safe.

While playing for Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, he fired a point shot so hard it went through the netting.

Imagine getting in the way of that. If you're Ottawa Senators defenseman Cody Ceci, you don't have to:

Tom Wilson

It didn't take Tom Wilson very long to establish himself as one of the toughest players in professional hockey.

The Washington Capitals' first-round pick from 2012 cracked the roster last season and finished among the top 10 in penalty minutes and fights as a rookie. His sophomore season has been more of the same, with 155 penalty minutes - 55 belonging to fighting majors.

Wilson occasionally plays top-line minutes, but he seems well-aware his role is mostly physical. All opponents need to keep their heads up when he's on the ice or risk being on the wrong end of a big hit, sometimes twice in the same shift:

Matt Martin

Matt Martin isn't the biggest player or the fiercest fighter, but he's the league's most prolific hitter.

The New York Islanders forward has led the league in hits in each of the last three seasons and appears poised to repeat the feat for a fourth time. Martin has 1,639 hits in 353 career contests, creating an environment where no opponent can afford to forget about him.

(Courtesy: Islanders.nhl.com)

Martin can also hold his own in a fight when he has to, which was news to the chin of Tom Kostopoulos in 2013.

Zdeno Chara

At 6-foot-9, Zdeno Chara has been imposing his will for more than a decade as the most physically dominant player in the NHL. Want proof?

Exhibit A (2004):

Exhibit B (2015):

I rest my case.