The Art of Agitation - Top Five Pests in the NHL

In every sport there are players who take it upon themselves to get into their opponents head and throw them off their game. In the NHL, certain players take it to a whole new level.

They're known as agitators or better yet... pests. That's their main role on the team. They get under their opponents skin and draw penalties. Opposing teams hate them, teammates love them. And if you have to play against one in a home and home or a best of seven playoff game, they can drive you absolutely crazy.

Here is our list of the top 5 agitators in the NHL:

5. Chris Neil (Ottawa) - The Gap toothed Neil is not only an instigator but he throws big momentum changing hits and has fought some of the best heavyweights in the NHL. While some of his hits in the past have been questionable or even dirty if you are a Buffalo fan, Neil is a fan favorite in Ottawa. However, with the arrival of fellow agitator Jarkko Ruutu and the lack of scoring on the team, Neil's time in Ottawa may soon be coming to and end. He leads his team every year in penalty minutes and ranks among the top pests in hockey.

4. Steve Ott (Dallas) - In a game against the Bruins, Ott delivered several dirty hits and declined to fight inciting a massive brawl. Ott may have taken it too far and agitated his own teammates too as respected Stars player Mike Modano later commented "it was idiotic and stupid, it was one of the most embarrassing things I've seen. If that's what we're going for, then they need to find me an off-ice job."

3. Corey Perry (Anaheim) - If you want to talk about an effective agitator, Perry is one of the best in the league. He's been known to bully his opponents but is also one of the best scorers on his team. Even while mic'd up, Perry could resist making threats to Pavel Datsyuk in the 2007 Playoffs.

2. Jarkko Ruutu (Ottawa) - Not too many guys have their opponents so annoyed that they chase them into the locker room as Buffalo's Adam Mair did after a game with power agitator Jarkko Ruutu. In home and home games this year against the Rangers, Ruuutu had his opponents so focused on him that they almost forgot about the game itself. His antics make this Finnish born player incredibly fun to watch and a huge asset for his team.

1. Sean Avery (Dallas) - Is it any surprise that Sean Avery tops our list of pests in the NHL. Everyone loves to hate Avery. He antagonizes his opponents and has been known to talk trash before, during and after the game. His famous playoff antics against goalie Martin Brodeur forced the NHL to make a new rule now nicknamed the "Avery Rule." Avery knows his role and does whatever it takes to irritate the hell out of players. He's the NHL's true villain and our number one most effective pest.