Ex-enforcer discusses the fight of his NHL career and shares story of receiving serious threats from Leaf fans

PUBLICATION

Mike Armenti
July 23, 2023 (9:40)

SHARE THIS STORY

The NHL Enforcers of old are a dying breed in today's NHL. There are still a few of them left, but they are all but entirely phased out due to teams focusing much more on skill and speed now and more and more coaches rolling 4 lines to try to gain an advantage.

An ex-NHL enforcer recently joined the Athletes and Artists podcast to talk about a number of topics, one of which was threats he used to receive during his time in the NHL and his most memorable fight against former Leaf, the late Wade Belak; take a look.

Our guest @CamJanssen25 talks about his most memorable fight in the NHL, and what made the build up so wild!

Back on March 2nd, 2007, Cam Janssen was a member of the New Jersey Devils, who absolutely obliterated Toronto Maple Leaf fan favourite Tomá� Kaberle that night with a very late hit. Weeks later on March 20th, former Leafs enforcer Wade Belak made him answer the bell for his brutal hit on Kaberle.

Janssen also revealed that, in the weeks leading up to his eventual scrap with Belak, he received a number of threats, including death threats, due to the hit.

Fans are an energetic and loyal bunch, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that fans were emotional over the hit, but there is certainly a line there that shouldn't be crossed. Death threats are a pretty big overreaction to a hit, even a late one.