Former NHL Forward Bob Probert Passes Away

One of the toughest and most feared fighters in the history of the NHL has passed away. Former left wing Bob Probert died on Monday after he collapsed from chest pains while on a boat with family in Lake St. Clair just outside of Windsor, Ontario. Emergency workers attempted to revive Probert on the shoreline, but to no avail. A former third round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 1983, Probert appeared in 935 career NHL games over 17 seasons with the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. He scored 163 goals and 221 assists for 384 points and 3300 penalty minutes. He ranks fifth all-time in NHL history in career penalty minutes behind Dave "Tiger" Williams (3966), Dale Hunter (3565), Tie Domi (3515), and Marty McSorley (3381). Throughout his NHL career, Probert's fights against the likes of Tie Domi, Marty McSorley, John Kordic, Gary Nylund, Al Secord, Wendel Clark, Dave Semenko, and Bob McGill, among others, became the stuff of legends and he gained a huge fan base with his rugged, physical style of play and offensive skill, scoring 29 goals and 62 points in only his third NHL season. He gained some notoriety in 1989 when he was suspended by the NHL for attempting to smuggle cocaine across the U.S.-Canadian border, which resulted in him missing nearly all of the 1989-90 season. He would struggle with cocaine and alcohol addiction throughout his career and into retirement. In July 1994, he was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered some minor injuries, but police determined his blood alcohol content at the time was three times the legal limit and he also had traces of cocaine in his system. Probert was released by the Red Wings organization that summer and signed as a free agent with their divisional rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played from 1995-96 to 2001-02. He missed the lockout shortened 1994-95 season after being suspended for violating the NHL's substance abuse policy. Despite all of his troubles outside of hockey, Probert was a well-liked player who was respected by many and will be missed by the hockey community as a whole. I was fortunate enough to grow up watching Probert play hockey and loved his rugged style of play. I always loved to watch a good scrap of his, especially his bouts with Tie Domi, and have been a fan of his for years. It's sad to see him leave this world so soon, but my memories of him will last a lifetime.