The whole debate about the value of a hit misses the mark IMO.
There is far more to being a tough team than hits. And it isn't just fights or scrums either.
Being physical, being tough to play against, being truculent if you wish, means all kinds of things: being more determined in puck battles; not getting knocked off the puck easily; being more physically engaged in trying to get the puck back or in playing defense; being intimidating; not being intimidated by others; fighting through checks; being resilient when down (mental toughness).
It goes on and on. I hate it when people quote hits as some sort of metric as to whether a player is 'tough'.
Brendan Gallagher is a player that I would call tough, or tough to play against. And at no point am I looking for him to throw a thunderous hit (though thunderous hits **Ferlandcough** definitely do contribute to someone being tough or physical)
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