Bob Probert

Lore & Background

Probert's playing career began with the Brantford Alexanders of the Ontario Hockey League before he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1983. He spent the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons splitting time between the Red Wings and their minor league affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings. His peak season was 1987–88, when he led the league with 398 penalty minutes, tied for third on the team with 62 points, and played in his only NHL All-Star Game. He also contributed the most points during the Red Wings' playoff run that year.

Probert's career was interrupted in 1989 when he was arrested for cocaine possession at the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, leading to a three-month federal prison sentence, a halfway house stay, and an indefinite NHL suspension. After the suspension was lifted, he resumed playing but was barred from traveling to Canada until his appeal was granted in December 1992. In July 1994, he crashed his motorcycle while intoxicated, and the Red Wings declined to offer him a contract. He signed with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 23, 1994, but sat out the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season while in rehab. With the Blackhawks, his points and penalty minutes gradually declined, though he remained a physical force. He scored the final NHL goal at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 13, 1999.

Reader's Guide

Bob Probert's significance in NHL history is defined by his role as one of the most feared enforcers of his era. His league-leading 398 penalty minutes in 1987–88 remain the sixth-highest single-season total in NHL history, and he finished his career fourth all-time with 3,300 penalty minutes. Beyond the statistics, Probert was known for protecting teammates, particularly Detroit captain Steve Yzerman, and for a series of memorable fights against notable enforcers including Wendel Clark, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, Joey Kocur, Marty McSorley, Donald Brashear, Scott Parker, and Jody Shelley. His fight with Parker on January 12, 1999, ended in 11 seconds when Parker was nearly knocked unconscious. Probert also fought Jody Shelley in each of the three periods of a game on January 10, 2002, a feat not repeated until 2016. Off the ice, his legal problems and substance abuse issues were well-documented, including a cocaine possession arrest and a drunk-driving crash. After retiring, he briefly worked on the Blackhawks radio broadcasting team and was working on a memoir before his death.

Did You Know?

• Probert was voted to the 1987–88 Campbell Conference all-star team.
• Probert finished his career fourth on the NHL's all-time list with 3,300 penalty minutes.