David William Schultz (born October 14, 1949) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey coach and player. Dave “The Hammer” Schultz is known as one of hockey’s greatest enforcers. He was one of the most notable enforcers on the Philadelphia Flyers' famous "Broad Street Bullies". Schultz earned the nickname "the Hammer" for his aggressive style of hockey.
Dave Schultz during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers
Early Career and Draft
Born and raised in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the forward was considered an important offensive contributor during his time in the juniors. Drafted by the Flyers 52nd overall in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, Schultz, along with future Flyers’ teammates Don Saleski and Bob “The Hound” Kelly, were part of Philadelphia’s two-year draft strategy to add bigger and tougher players to their lineup. This strategy was in large part inspired by longtime owner Ed Snider and members of the Flyers’ coaching staff and front office in response to the team being knocked out of the playoffs two years in a row during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 campaigns by the stronger and more physical St. Louis Blues squad.
AHL Years
During the 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons, Schultz appeared in a total of 79 games for the Flyers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Quebec Aces. During the 1970-71 season, the left-winger made an impact on the AHL as an enforcer, recording 382 penalty minutes in 71 games. The following season, after the Aces relocated to Richmond and became the Robins, Schultz beat his penalty minutes personal best from the previous season, recording 392 in 76 games.
NHL Career with the Philadelphia Flyers
The 1972-73 season marked Schultz’s first full season in the NHL with the Flyers. In 76 games with Philadelphia that season, he recorded 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) and 259 penalty minutes. Schultz also appeared in 11 playoff games, recording one goal and 51 penalty minutes.
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Stanley Cup Championships (1973-74 and 1974-75)
Over the next two seasons, Schultz was an important contributor to the Flyers’ two Stanley Cup championship runs. During the 1973-74 season, his offensive skills were on display as he scored 20 goals and tallied 16 assists, in addition to the 348 penalty minutes he recorded in 73 games. During the postseason, he added another 139 penalty minutes to his season totals. The enforcer had six points (two goals and four assists) during the Stanley Cup run, including a critical series-winning goal in overtime of game four of the first round against the Atlanta Flames.
The Philadelphia Flyers' "Broad Street Bullies"
The following season, Schultz achieved his career high in penalty minutes, notching 472 in 76 games. That season’s total still holds the record for most penalty minutes in a single season. During the playoffs, he added another 83 minutes in 17 games.
Schultz could be more than an enforcer; he scored 20 goals for Philadelphia in 1973-74. After winning two Stanley Cups with the Flyers (1973-74 and 1974-75), "the Hammer" drifted through several teams (Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres) in search of a permanent position. When GMs tried to find some "muscle" for their fledgling clubs, they thought of him.
Dave Schultz Interview
"The Penalty Box"
Schultz’s popularity in Philadelphia was not just achieved on the ice. In 1975, he released a 7-inch double-sided record called, “The Penalty Box.” The Broad Street Bully handled the singing duties on the record, with notable music industry men Vince Montana composing the music and Kal Mann writing the lyrics.
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Trades and Later Career
On Sep. 29, 1976, Schultz was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round draft pick in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft and a second-round pick in the 1978 Draft. During parts of two seasons with the Kings, he assumed the role of enforcer, recording 259 penalty minutes.
On Nov. 2, 1977, Schultz was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins with Gene Carr and a fourth-round pick in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft for forwards Syl Apps Jr. and Hartland Monahan. During the 1977-78 season, he recorded the second most penalty minutes of his NHL career, 378, in 66 games.
On Feb. 6, 1979, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Schultz from the Penguins for left-winger Gary McAdam. The 29-year-old was brought into yet another club to add muscle to the lineup. Despite limited appearances in the NHL over the next two seasons due to injuries and declining quality of play, he strived to make his time on the ice count. During the 1978-79 campaign, he recorded 86 penalty minutes in 26 games.
Schultz retired from professional hockey following the 1979-80 season.
Post-Playing Career
In 1981, he added published author to this resume when his book, The Hammer: Confessions of a Hockey Enforcer (with Stan Fischler), was released. Between 1985 and 2005, he served as a head coach with five different minor league clubs in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL), Colonial Hockey League (CoHL), ECHL, and United Hockey League (UHL).
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The Hammer: Confessions of a Hockey Enforcer
Honors and Recognition
One of the most popular Flyers to hit the ice, Schultz was the sole inductee into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame on Nov. 16, 2009. The “lead enforcer” of the Broad Street Bullies is considered by many sources close to the Flyers to be one of the greatest players in franchise history. A 2022 article naming the top 50 Flyers in franchise history placed him at number 29 overall.
Memoirs: Hammered: The Fight of My Life
On October 21, 2025, Schultz released his memoirs titled Hammered: The Fight of My Life, written with Dan Robson. More than four decades after first attempting to tell his story, Dave “The Hammer” Schultz has finally set the record straight. Hammered: The Fight of My Life is a raw, honest, and surprisingly reflective memoir from one of hockey’s most feared and misunderstood enforcers. In the 1970s, Schultz was the face of the Philadelphia Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” - the bruising, brawling teams that brought both fear and back-to-back Stanley Cups to Philadelphia. He was the NHL’s ultimate enforcer, setting records for penalty minutes and embodying the rough-and-tumble ethos of the era.
Yet beneath the blood and bravado, there was always a more complicated man, one wrestling with his own identity, guilt, and the consequences of his violent role. The contrast between Schultz’s 1981 autobiography and this new effort is striking. The earlier book, The Hammer: Confessions of a Hockey Enforcer, written by Fischler, leaned heavily into caricature - portraying Schultz as a one-dimensional tough guy, the ultimate hockey villain with little nuance. Schultz has since said that the book didn’t feel like him, that it lacked his true voice and failed to convey the emotional cost of life as an enforcer.
A major reason for this success is Dan Robson, one of the premier writers in contemporary hockey journalism. Known for his narrative depth and sensitivity, Robson brings the same literary touch he’s shown in previous collaborations. He knows how to get to the heart of his subjects, to find the humanity inside the myth. Together, Schultz and Robson craft a story that is as much about redemption as reflection.
Schultz speaks candidly about his role in hockey’s culture of violence, his struggles with mental and physical health, and his uneasy relationship with the legacy he helped build. For fans of hockey history, Hammered offers a new and necessary perspective on one of the sport’s most infamous figures. For Schultz himself, it feels like closure - a long-overdue chance to tell his story his way. This isn’t just a book about fighting on the ice; it’s about fighting for truth, identity, and understanding.
Hammered: The Fight of My Life
Book Dave Schultz for an Event
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Key Audience Takeaways
As an NHL keynote speaker, Dave Schultz has no shortage of astounding stories to tell regarding his time as a player. He is a great choice for any event looking for a keynote speaker, emcee or celebrity appearance in the sports genre. His storytelling abilities will make him a tremendous speaker for audiences of all sizes, from corporate to casual events.