Aside from the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League is also known for its rough game plays that at times bordered to sheer violence gleefully dispense by the league's top players.

Many audiences may have been watching the games for the excitement delivered by two opposing teams trying their best to outdo each other in getting more tries to shove that chip behind a menacing goalie.

Yet for most of the patrons, the side colors of the games attract them most, almost always looking forward to see those accidental and deliberate bumps from brusque players that only make the sports more exciting.

Clearly the physical confrontations on the icy ground have made names for players regarded as the best to watch for, not for their impressive plays but more for the dirty tricks they carry under their bulging jersey. And here is the list of NHL's dirtiest tricksters:

Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu on 10: The other half of the Ruutu brothers represents the softer side of the dirty tandem though that doesn't mean that he has been eclipsed. Far from it as Tuomo would not shy away from crashing into and brawling with even the meanest goalies that earned for him not only bruises but also suspensions.

Washington's Alex Ovechkin on 9: He is one of the league's bankable stars and Ovechkin uses that stature to the hilt by throwing his weight around on the ice that courted for him suspensions. He is one player gifted with talent and grit.

Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta on 8: Kaleta's edgy attitude on the court almost always brings him in direct collision with the league's toughest and meanest enforcers, including Ovechkin. Yet his brand of play is priced by his team for giving the opponents some hot moments while on the chilling ground.

Anaheim's Maxim Lapierre on 7: Known for his agitating talent in delivering not so subtle stickworks, Lapierre doesn't back down from brawls that he himself had sparked with cheap shots directed at unsuspecting opponents.

Ottawa's Jarkko Ruutu on 6: Jarkko is better compared to Tuomo but that is in terms of the dirty department. His records speak for him and highlight of which are the numerous bouts he got involve with versus most of the names listed in this collection. His physical prowess is better displayed in numerous bumping, sticking, stomping and even biting incidents that only immortalised his name in the dark history of NHL.

Tampa Bay's Steve Downie on 5: Downie started early not only on hockey but also on knocking down nemesis and sometimes, even teammates. From 2007 to 2009, this enforcer collected more than 40 suspensions for rough style of hockey.

Dallas' Steve Ott on 4: Ott is on top for nothing. He has been involved in numerous fist-fights that at times graduated to free for alls and the good thing about his hockey games, rematches are always in the offing not only for the court games but also for court brawls. Ott is the kind who can bring the best and worst of his fellow players.

Philadelphia's Chris Pronger on 3: This guy has got it all, the accolades: Olympic medal, Stanley Cup and a Norris Trophy. On the other hand, Pronger has also collected his equal share of enemies and suspensions, which are attached to these words: sticking, slashing, kicking, stomping and it goes on and on.

NY Rangers' Sean Avery on 2: The name connotes brawl, melee, riot, bad-mouth and what have you. Avery's loveable antics also pushed him from team to team, which is also the same manners that forced his own team to prevent him from playing and the NHL itself to revise its rules, compelled by Avery's over-the-edge attitude.

Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on 1: The King is known for his ever-ready cheap shots that seem to always evade justice. Cooke has had tussles with the worst of them and his crown has been recently secured with his latest bouts with Ovechkin and Fedor Tyutin, apparently unmindful of the knockout blow he got last season, which hockey fans view as only fitting for the man on top of their most-hated list.