Detroit Red Wings acquire longtime Maple Leafs enforcer in completed trade today in hockey history

On this day, August 8, 1984, the Red Wings acquired Dave "Tiger" Williams from the Canucks in exchange for Rob McClanahan.

Tiger Williams was known as one of the toughest players in NHL history, setting the league record for the most penalty minutes with 3,966.

His aggressive style and willingness to drop the gloves made him a valuable asset for any team looking to protect its stars and scare their opponents.

He was traded to the Wings in 1984, after six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and five with the Vancouver Canucks.

He stayed in Detroit only a year, playing alongside John Ogrodnick, Ron Duguay, current Wings GM Steve Yzerman, who was playing the second NHL season of his career, Reed Larson, Gerard Gallant, Darryl Sittler, and many more.

In 55 games, Williams scored 11 points, including three goals, while putting up 158 penalty minutes.

Williams is also remembered for his classic goal celebration, arguably the best of all time, after scoring a goal in Toronto with the Canucks.

Check it out:

Tiger Williams eventually retired in 1988, after 14 seasons in the NHL. He played in 962 games and ended his career with 241 goals, 272 assists, and, as mentioned before, 3,966 PIMs, a mark still unmatched to this day.

The player who was traded in exchange, McClanahan, never played in the NHL after the trade.

Although Williams only remained a year in Detroit, the fact that the Red Wings organization got to be a part of his legendary NHL journey is worth mentioning as we keep celebrating the franchise's Centennial season.