Gone Too Soon: Celebrating the Heartbreaking Legacy of Bob Probert on What Would Have Been His 57th Birthday
On what would have been Bob Probert's 57th birthday, we'll take a look at the career of this former rival-turned-teammate of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Born this day in 1965 in Windsor, Ontario, Probert grew into a 6'3» 225lb left winger who was selected in the 3rd round of the 1983 draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He spent the next couple seasons in the OHL with the Brantford Alexanders, Hamilton Steelhawks, and Son Greyhounds before joining the Detroit and Adirondack Wings for the 1985-86 season. Quickly settling into his role as an enforcer, Probert finished 3rd on the team in penalty minutes that season, but most likely only because the two in first place had played more regular season games.
The following season, he managed to accumulate 221 penalty minutes, yet only 24 points.
It seemed Probert took those numbers as a challenge, and made the 1987-88 season the best of his career.
He led the league in penalty minutes with 398, which was the 6th highest single-season total in NHL history. He tied for 3rd on the Wings for most points with 62, and was sent to that year's NHL All-Star Game.
He also contributed the most points during the Red Wings' playoff run, while Steve Yzerman missed all but the final three games due to a knee injury.
Unfortunately, Probert's personal struggles began to take over, after that, and he was arrested in 1989 for cocaine possession. While serving time, he was indefinitely suspended from the NHL, and was reinstated at the conclusion of his prison term. He appealed a deportation order which allowed him to resume his career with the Red Wings, but would not allow him to travel to Canada, as once he set foot in the country, he would be unable to return to the United States. This process went on for 3 years and was resolved in his favor on December 7th, 1992.
Even with these issues, Probert was still an asset to the Wings, temporarily earning an Alternate Captain status from 1990-94, alongside current Rangers' coach, Gerard Gallant. However, in what would be his last season with the Wings, he only put up 17 points.
The Summer of 1994 began with more troubles for the 29 year-old. On July 15, he crashed his motorcycle due to a blood alcohol level approximately three times the legal limit. The police also found trace amounts of cocaine in his system. That sealed the decision for the Red Wings, and on July 19, they announced Bob Probert would not be offered another contract.
Thus began the enforcer's career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Four days after Detroit's announcement, their rivals to the West signed the troubled star. But when the season started in September, the club placed him on inactive status per the ruling of commissioner Gary Bettman. Probert spent this time in rehab, and sat out the entire 1994-95 season, which was shortened due to the lockout.
Number 24 had a decent first season with the Hawks, putting up 40 points (19G, 21A) in 78 games, complete with 237 PIM.
The following season gave him just over half the points, but almost 100 more PIM, and from then on, his point tallies were never as good. Even though he only played 14 games in the 1997-98 season, he still managed 48 PIM, and was back to over 200 the next season. He also scored the last NHL goal ever in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.
And in his final 3 seasons, he hit over 100 PIM in each.
He even ended up fighting his former Bruise Brother - Joe Kocur.
After the 2001-02 season, Probert was placed on waivers by the Blackhawks. Because he was not picked up by another team, the Hawks informed him that his role with the team would be limited, or he might be sent down to the minors. On November 16, 2002, Probert opted to "unofficially" retire so that he could join the Blackhawks radio broadcasting team. He had finished fourth on the NHL's all-time list with 3,300 penalty minutes. However, his stint with the Blackhawks radio team did not last long. In February 2003, it was reported that Probert went back to rehab, and during the 2003 offseason, Probert formally announced his retirement.
After retirement, Probert was arrested once in 2004, and twice in 2005, before seemingly settling down. Sadly, his quiet life didn't last long, as he suffered a lethal heart attack on July 5, 2010, just one month after his 45th birthday. Even in death, he continued to attempt to protect his fellow hockey players, as his brain was donated to the Sports Legacy Institute to assist researchers studying the effects of concussions and other sports-related head injuries. In March of 2011, researchers from Boston University reported that they had found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in Probert's brain. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease that is linked to repeated trauma to the head.
In a most fitting final tribute, Bob Probert's ashes were spread in the penalty box at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday April 9, 2017, after Detroit's final game.
For more information, check out Probert's memoir, «Tough Guy: My life on the Edge», which was finished posthumously by his wife, Dani.
| POLL | ||
Should there be stricter protocols involving head injuries? | ||
| No, that's the way the game is played. | 1 | 25 % |
| No, we're good with what we have. | 0 | 0 % |
| Yes, more punishment for those who cause them. | 1 | 25 % |
| Yes. More rules regarding protection. | 2 | 50 % |
| List of polls | ||
