Back in the '90s, every team had an enforcer; sometimes two. Guys like Rob Ray, Matt Barnaby, Ulf Samuelsson, Darius Kasparitis, Tie Domi, Gary Roberts, and Eddie Olczyk thrived. They were unleashed to attack a team's best players. In response, others would retaliate. For example, Marty McSorley protected Wayne Gretzky for much of his career. It was a great time to watch hockey if you liked the physical aspect of the game.
But as stars like Eric Lindros kept getting hurt from the physical abuse they were constantly taking, the NHL changed some of the rules. Fighting and super physical behavior were starting to be curtailed.