Randy Holt Stewart Randall " Randy " Holt ( born January 15 , 1953 in Pembroke , Ontario ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 10 seasons in the National Hockey League . Known as one of the toughest players in the sport during his career , he still holds the NHL single - game record for penalty minutes . Playing career . After playing his junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves , Holt was selected 45th overall in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Chicago Black Hawks . He would spend most of the next four seasons in the Central Hockey League with the Dallas Black Hawks , Chicago ' s top minor league affiliate , although he was a frequent callup to Chicago , appearing in 42 games over that stretch . He established himself as one of the toughest players in minor pro , recording a CHL record 411 penalty minutes in 1974 – 75 , but also showed a fair amount of skill and was named a CHL First - Team All - Star in 1976 after scoring 52 points from the blueline . Just after the start of the 1977 – 78 season , Holt was dealt to the lowly Cleveland Barons and finally received a chance to stick in the NHL full - time . He finished the season with 1 goal and 5 points in 52 games , along with 249 penalty minutes . At the end of the season , however , the Barons ceased operations and Holt was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks in the resulting dispersal draft . Holt appeared in only 22 games for the Canucks before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings mid - way through the 1978 – 79 campaign . He finished the season with 1 goal and 9 assists for a career high 10 points , along with 282 penalty minutes , in 58 games between Los Angeles and Vancouver . Included in his penalty total was an NHL record 67 in a March 11 , 1979 game against the Philadelphia Flyers . After another season in Los Angeles , Holt was traded to the Calgary Flames for the 1980 – 81 season . He would play some of the best hockey of his career in the 1981 playoffs , recording 2 goals and 4 points in 13 games to help the Flames reach the Stanley Cup semi - finals . For the 1981 – 82 season , he was dealt to the Washington Capitals , where he would set a club record with 250 penalty minutes . He broke his own record with a league - leading 275 penalty minutes the following season , and also appeared in a career - high 70 games , recording 8 assists . He closed out his career with a 26 - game stint for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1983 – 84 before retiring . In 395 NHL games , Holt scored just 4 goals and 37 assists , and amassed 1 , 438 penalty minutes . His older brother Gary Holt also played in the NHL during the 1970s . March 11 , 1979 . The toughest player on the Los Angeles Kings , Holt had been acquired mid - way through the 1978 – 79 season to add muscle to a skilled Kings team , and was expected to be a factor when the team travelled to Philadelphia to face off against the fearsome Flyers . After picking up a minor penalty early in the first period , Holt fought Philadelphia enforcer Frank Bathe at 14 : 58 of the first period , picking up 20 minutes in penalties . However , Holt felt that he had been a victim of a cheapshot from Flyers ' agitator Ken Linseman earlier in the game , and at the end of the first period instigated a bench - clearing brawl in an attempt to settle the score with Linseman . He was assessed a further 45 minutes in penalties for his actions during the brawl , including a triple game misconduct , bringing his game total to 67 , shattering the previous NHL record of 52 set by Jim Dorey in 1968 . He was also suspended three games by the league for his actions .