Bob Probert

Probert was drafted as the fourth pick in the third round (46th overall) in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, in which the Red Wings also selected Kocur and Steve Yzerman.

During the 1985–1986 and 1986–1987 seasons, Probert spent the majority of his time with the Red Wings while occasionally playing for their minor league affiliate Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League. In the 1985–1986 season, he finished third on the team in penalty minutes behind Kocur and Randy Ladouceur, both of whom played more regular season games than Probert. In the 1986–1987 season, Probert accumulated only 24 points, but amassed 221 penalty minutes.

The 1987–1988 season was the pinnacle of Probert's career. He cemented his reputation as an enforcer with a league-leading 398 penalty minutes, the sixth-highest single-season total in NHL history.[1] He also tied for third on the team with 62 points, and played in his only NHL All-Star Game. In addition he contributed the most points during the Red Wings' playoff run, in which Yzerman missed all but the final three games with a knee injury.

Probert's career hit a snag in 1989 when he was arrested for cocaine possession while crossing the Detroit–Windsor border.[2] U.S. Customs agents at the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel found 14 grams of cocaine hidden in Probert's underpants.[3] He served three months in a federal prison in Minnesota, three more months in a halfway house, and was indefinitely suspended from the NHL. The NHL lifted the suspension at the conclusion of his prison term.[4] Probert was initially ordered to be deported to Canada following his conviction, but he immediately filed for an appeal. The appeal process allowed him to resume his career with the Red Wings, but barred him from traveling with the team to Canada, as he would not be allowed to return to the United States. The matter was resolved on 7 December 1992, when the Immigration and Naturalization Service granted his appeal, restoring his travel privileges between the United States and Canada.[5]

When Probert returned to the Red Wings, he was temporarily one of the alternate captains of the team along with Gerard Gallant. While his penalty minutes remained high, he also averaged 40 points a season. During his last season with the Red Wings, he accumulated only 17 points for the team.

At this time, Probert once again got into trouble with the law. On 15 July 1994, he had minor injuries when he crashed his motorcycle into a car in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Police determined that his blood alcohol level was approximately triple the legal limit, and that there were also trace amounts of cocaine in his system.[6] At the time of the accident, Probert had been ruled an unrestricted free agent. On July 19, the Red Wings announced that they would not offer him a contract. "This is the end," said senior vice-president Jim Devellano. "[In] my 12 years with the organization ... we've never spent more time on one player and his problems than we have on Probert."

Probert signed with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 23, 1994, but was placed on inactive status by commissioner Gary Bettman in September 1994 while Probert entered rehab following his July 15 crash and subsequent drunk-driving charge.[7] As a result, Probert sat out the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season before joining the Blackhawks.

Probert's first season with the Blackhawks was the last in which he accumulated over 40 points in a season. From then on, his points and penalty minutes gradually decreased. While he never returned to the levels of point production he achieved with the Red Wings, he remained a physical force on the ice and continued many long-term rivalries with other enforcers.

Probert also sustained various injuries during his time with the Blackhawks, most notably a torn rotator cuff injury which caused him to miss most of the 1997–98 season.[6] One of the more noteworthy occurrences of his career with Chicago is that he scored the final NHL goal at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens on February 13, 1999.[8]

Probert often saw it as his job to protect his teammates, especially Detroit captain Steve Yzerman. In a 2007 news story, he recalled a time that he sucker-punched enforcer Kevin Maguire of the Buffalo Sabres (December 23, 1987) after Maguire attacked Yzerman. Maguire then unsuccessfully attempted to avoid Probert.[9]

Some significant tilts in Probert's career include:

• A long-standing rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Wendel Clark.
• Two long fights with Craig Coxe of the Vancouver Canucks in the mid-1980s.
• A career-spanning series of battles with Tie Domi of the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs. One of Probert's memorable confrontations was also the genesis of Domi's now-infamous belt gesture, where he gestured to the Madison Square Garden crowd as if he had a championship title belt around his waist, with Domi remarking in to reporters, "He's been heavyweight champ for a long time. I still respect him. I'd been wanting him for three years. I just hope he remembered what got him where he is."[10]
• A career-spanning series of fights with longtime enforcer Stu Grimson, including a fight in December 1993 when the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim made their first visit ever to Detroit.
• A memorable fight on December 17, 1993, with former teammate Joey Kocur of the Rangers, during a brawl involving several players from both teams. Probert and Kocur had grabbed the nearest opposing player without realizing who it was, and continued trading punches even after they identified each other. Later on in Probert's career, he would face Kocur a few more times when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks.
• A fight on February 4, 1994, against Marty McSorley, then of the Pittsburgh Penguins, lasting nearly 100 seconds.
• Several bouts against Montreal and Vancouver enforcer Donald Brashear.
• In a game against the Colorado Avalanche on January 12, 1999, Scott Parker, an aspiring enforcer, skated up to Probert and bared his fists; challenging him to a fight. Parker was at this time heavier, taller and more than ten years younger than Probert. After circling around each other for several seconds the two grabbed each other's jerseys. However the fight was called off after just 11 seconds when Parker was nearly knocked unconscious from four right hands from Probert without throwing one of his own.[11]
• Fought Jody Shelley in each of the three periods in a 2–1 Blackhawks win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on January 10, 2002.[12] The three fights by the same two adversaries in a single NHL match would next be achieved fourteen years later when Evander Kane and Alex Petrovic did it on February 9, 2016.[13]

He actively supported young hockey players in the community, and often bought tickets for kids who couldn't afford to go to Red Wings games. He encouraged a young fan in 1989 to pursue sobriety and challenged him to a contest in which he predicted he would surpass him. By August 18, 2011, that man had been sober for 23 years.[14]

After the 2001–2002 season, Probert was placed on waivers by the Blackhawks. Because he was not picked up by another team, he was advised that his role with the Blackhawks would be limited, or even relegated to playing in the minor leagues again. On November 16, 2002, Probert opted to "unofficially" retire so that he could join the Blackhawks radio broadcasting team.[6] He had finished fourth on the NHL's all-time list with 3,300 penalty minutes.

His stint with the Blackhawks radio team did not last long. In February 2003, it was reported that Probert went back to rehab.[15] During the 2003 offseason, Probert formally announced his retirement.

Probert, along with former teammate Joe Kocur, is featured in a book entitled Bruise Brothers by Bob Duff.[16]

Before his death, Probert had been working on a memoir with Kirstie McLellan Day, co-writer of Theo Fleury's bestselling autobiography Playing with Fire. Probert's widow, Dani, decided to honour his wishes to tell his story and continue with completion of the book.[17] "Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge" was published October 26, 2010, by HarperCollins Canada.[18]

Probert routinely appeared in charity games, spoke at conventions, and conducted youth clinics. His activities as a Red Wings alumnus were somewhat limited by the fact that, due to his criminal history, he required an immigration waiver each time he wanted to cross the border.

On January 2, 2007, Probert appeared along with many other former Red Wings teammates to honor the retiring of Steve Yzerman's number 19 at Joe Louis Arena. He wore his number 24 Red Wings jersey, and helped former teammate Vladimir Konstantinov onto the ice for the ceremony. The Detroit crowd gave him a very warm welcome, which he later said he appreciated. He stayed on to watch the game with Joey Kocur behind the penalty box.[9]

This was noted as a possible reconciliation with the Red Wings organization. Apparently it worked, as Probert became a late addition to a January 27, 2007, Red Wings alumni game against the Boston Bruins alumni at Joe Louis Arena. He scored a goal and two assists, though the Red Wings alumni lost the game 8–6.[19]

Probert worked on the Mike Myers 2008 film The Love Guru, making a cameo as a hockey player. He commented on the irony of being given jersey number 28 to wear in the film — the same number worn by longtime rival Tie Domi.[20]

In 2009, Probert participated in the Canadian figure skating reality television show Battle of the Blades which features figure skating pairs of male hockey players and female figure skaters competing against other pairs. Probert was partnered with Kristina Lenko.[21]

On June 4, 2004, Probert was arrested for allegedly parking his BMW sport utility vehicle on the wrong side of the street and entering into an altercation over drugs with bystanders.[22] Several police officers intervened and had to subdue Probert with taser and stun guns.[22] He was later acquitted on all charges related to this incident.[23]

On July 1, 2005, Probert was arrested at his Windsor-area (Lakeshore) home for breach of peace, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer. Probert's attorney, Patrick Ducharme, advised the media, "I anticipate he will be pleading not guilty and going to trial."[23] Probert was arrested again on August 23, 2005, at a bar in Tecumseh, Ontario, for violating two conditions of his bail conditions that he not consume alcohol or be in an establishment that serves liquor. He was released after paying $200 CAD bail. All charges stemming from the arrest on July 1 were eventually dropped.[24]