Brad Marchand misses 1st place in hilarious poll

The Athletic asked more than 120 players a simple chaotic question, «Who has the most punchable face in the NHL?» For a league built on chirps, grudges, and myth-making, the answers were always going to sting someone.

Most fans figured Brad Marchand would run away with it, or maybe Matthew Tkachuk would lean into the chaos crown again. Instead, both Panthers stars settled behind a familiar agitator. Marchand took 19 percent of the vote for second place, and Tkachuk landed third at 10 percent, a respectful nod from peers who have battled their games for years.

But the shocker came at the top, where Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins grabbed a whopping 24 percent and the unofficial belt. The players did not explain why, of course. That is the fun of the anonymous format.

Cousins has built a reputation as a relentless irritant who finishes every check, barks on every whistle, and offers zero apologies for any of it. His body language alone can light up an opponent, and apparently, it lights up a leaguewide vote too.

I laughed seeing Marchand and Tkachuk right behind Cousins because it reminds you how perfectly they embody Florida's edge. They lean into chaos, annoy half the league, and energize the Panthers with exactly the sort of swagger opponents hate.

The poll reinforces how reputation travels. Marchand has made a career out of getting under skin with precision timing. Tkachuk thrives in the crease where emotions spike fastest. Both remain elite play drivers, yet players still think of them when asked who they would most like to swing on. That is a badge of honor in its own strange NHL way.

Cousins winning, though, tells a deeper story about personality players who never take a shift off. He might not post Marchand-level scoring or Tkachuk-level star wattage, but his ability to irritate clearly resonates around the league. Twenty-four percent is not a close vote; it is a landslide of annoyance.

Florida fans, meanwhile, know they have two of the faces most likely to rile up opponents every night. And honestly, that chaos is part of why the Panthers remain so fun to watch. Rivalry fuel never hurts.