Who holds the NHL career record for penalty minutes?

Tiger Williams holds the NHL career record for penalty minutes, with 3,966 accumulated during his 14-season career.

Williams played 962 regular-season games from 1974 to 1988, representing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and Hartford Whalers. His aggressive style made him one of the most recognizable enforcers in NHL history.

He was credited with 3,966 regular-season penalty minutes, a total that remains the league record. Penalty minutes include time assessed for infractions such as fighting, roughing, and other violations; they do not measure only fighting majors.

Dave “The Hammer” Schultz is frequently mentioned in discussions of penalty records because he set the single-season mark with 472 minutes for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1974–75. That record is different from Williams’ career total.