Kings’ Dustin Brown knows how to hit

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In the Jan. 3 issue of The Hockey News, the magazine’s weekly top-10 feature looks at the NHL’s ‘Big Hitters,’ the guys who throw their weight around with purpose.

And of the heaviest hitters since the 2004-05 lockout, No. 1 is the Kings’ Dustin Brown with what was 1,406 hits at THN’s press time (through Wednesday’s game, he has 1,436). It’s no surprise that Brown’s non-profit that helps build playgrounds for children is called Ka-BOOM.

In the video above, this was a hit by Brown on Dennis Wideman of the Florida Panthers in early December. We can’t wait to see how many he gets tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.

This season, through Wednesday, No. 1 is the formidable Cal Clutterbuck of the Minnesota Wild with 165 in 36 games, while Brown has 120 in 36 games.

The one quibble is with the picture the magazine editors chose to illustrate the list -- not Brown but the guy who is a distant second. East Coast bias?

Here is The Hockey News’ top 10:

1. Dustin Brown (Kings) 1,406

2. Brooks Orpik (Penguins) 1,270

3. Chris Neil (Senators) 1,202

4. Stephane Robidas (Stars) 1,155

5. Alex Ovechkin (Capitals) 1,098

6. Matt Cooke (Penguins) 1,068

7. Trent Hunter (Islanders) 1,029

8. Mike Fisher (Senators) 999

9. Mike Komisarek (Maple Leafs) 993

10. Dion Phaneuf (Maple Leafs) 977

--Debbie Goffa