Former NHL(and Hound) tough guy Probert dies

[Alex]

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2010/07/05/14616366.html

By LANCE HORNBY, QMI Agency
   


Ex NHL tough guy Bob Probert, pictured on the left, has reportedly died. (Darren Makowichuk/QMI AGENCY)

Bob Probert, the one-time scourge of the NHL, who battled so many players on the ice and a host of drug and alcohol issues away from the rink, was pronounced dead on Monday afternoon at a Windsor Hospital after collapsing on a boat on Lake St. Clair.

AM 800 CKLW reported that emergency crews met the boat with other passengers in Lakeshore, Ont., just east of Windsor, but the 45-year-old Probert had no vital signs. They performed CPR on the former Red Wings and Blackhawks’ forward and transported him to Windsor Regional Hospital, but he could not be revived.

Probert, who was married with twin boys, still sits fifth in NHL penalty minutes with 3,300. He retired in 2002 after 16 seasons, during which he also had 384 points. He had cleaned up his life to a large degree and had recently visited Canadian troops in Afghanistan as part of an NHL alumni tour.

He kept the puck from scoring the last goal at Maple Leaf Gardens on Feb. 13, 1999 and had planned to give it to his kids.

[malarkey]

I remember one Christmas Day back in the mid 90's, my oldest daughter's boyfriend borrowed a friend's tape and we spent all afternoon watching Probert fights! It included ones from his days as a Hound and even my mom was among those gathered around our TV.

[zoodoggie]

Met Probie at a bar called the River Rock in Detroit in the mid to late 80's. I walked up to him and said Hello. He talked with me for a few minutes. It made my day. He is the only NHLer I've ever done that to but at the time he was larger than life. Thanks for the great memories Bob Probert. It should be remembered  that he was a good player as well as a fighter and during one season he was named to the NHL All-star Team. In the mid to late 80s  BP made it happen on the ice scoring a lot of goals around the front of the net, laying guys out with body checks that sent them flying and of course pounding other guys into submission. As a life long RedWings Fan Probie will always be one of my favorite players to put on the winged wheel.

[Alex]

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2010-07-07/article-1517175/Former-junior-teammate,-Cape-Breton-Oiler-remember-Bob-Probert-as-character-guy/1

Former junior teammate, Cape Breton Oiler remember Bob Probert as character guy

SYDNEY — Two former teammates of the late Bob Probert say that although the enforcer was a lion on the ice, he was a lamb off of it.

Coxheath native Jean-Marc MacKenzie played a season of junior hockey with Probert on the 1984-85 Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Probert was acquired by the Greyhounds from the Hamilton Steelhawks to strengthen the Soo’s chances at the Memorial Cup tournament that year.

“He was a very personable guy,” said MacKenzie, who now works for a health-care company in Toronto. “Bob was always an upbeat, positive guy. Low-key. He was a great teammate. He certainly made our team better that year … we ended up going to the Memorial Cup and setting a Canadian record where we won every game at home. We went 33-0 at home in Sault Ste. Marie and he was a big part of that.

“He took being a teammate seriously. He helped support people on the team. He took his responsibility of being one of our enforcers seriously, although he was very mild mannered off the ice — very personal and engaging off the ice — he would never be one of those guys, even as a young guy as a junior player, he’d never look to stir things up off the ice with fighting or anything like that. He was the exact opposite off the ice.”

Probert, 45, died Monday after collapsing while boating with his family. An autopsy was conducted Tuesday and foul play is not suspected, according to a release from the Ontario Provincial Police’s Essex County detachment. Autopsy results were not released.

After that season of junior with the Steelhawks and Greyhounds, Probert went on to play pro for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks over his 16-year career. He retired after the 2001-02 season.

Probert had a memorable career fighting many of the league’s toughest competitors, including legendary tilts with the likes of Craig Coxe, Tie Domi, Marty McSorley and Wendel Clark. Probert also wasn’t afraid to give young up-and-coming pugilists their shot at making a name for themselves.

Former Cape Breton Oilers tough guy Dennis Bonvie remembers dropping the gloves with Probert early in his NHL career.

“I saw the exhibition schedule come and we were playing Chicago and that’s when he was making his comeback from Detroit,” said Bonvie, from his home in Lakevale, north of Antigonish. He now serves as a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks. “I told my dad ‘I’ll see if he’ll fight me in exhibition’ and we ended up tangling a couple of times in exhibition. It was two good scraps.

“At the time, I said ‘you’re either going to make me or break me’ and he never really forgot that.”

Probert also made headlines for a number of off-ice incidents. He battled alcohol problems throughout his career and had several brushes with the law, once serving a three-month prison term after authorities caught him trying to sneak cocaine across the border at the Windsor-Detroit tunnel in March 1989.

There were also a couple seasons where he was unable to play road games in Canada because he wasn’t allowed to cross the border.

Bonvie ended up playing with Probert in Chicago during the 1998-99 season and said he was a team guy that would hesitate to stick up for you. Off the ice, Bonvie called him a devoted family man.

“He will be sorely missed,” said Bonvie. “He had his issues off the ice and that’s been documented at times, but he was a fabulous person. He was a fabulous guy. And I’ve watched a few scraps the last few days here and he was the toughest guy, without a doubt.”

Probert leaves behind his wife and four children. His funeral is scheduled for Friday in Windsor, Ont.

[memcup93]

I am deeply saddened about the passing of Bob Probert. As I was one of the guys that had all those banners on the Garden's walls in that memorable season of 1984-85, I got to witness his exploits on the ice. One of the best was the Saturday's practice after the Friday win and before the Sunday tilt. He and his teammates would bang their sticks on the ice in greeting and acknowledgement, as I painted an X over the game # of the previous night's victory. That banner stretched out to considerable length as the wins mounted. He of course has a place on my Hound Ring of Honour on my rink for me to immortalize him. We'll miss you Bob,RIP.