Bob Probert
Robert Alan Probert (June 5, 1965 – July 5, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. Probert played a total of 1,016 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks. Probert was known for being a fighter and enforcer, as well as being one half of the "Bruise Brothers" with teammate Joey Kocur, during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
| Bob Probert | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 5, 1965 Windsor, ON, CAN |
| Died | July 5, 2010 (aged 45) Windsor, ON, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) |
| Position | Right wing |
| Shot | Left |
| Played for | Chicago Blackhawks Detroit Red Wings |
| NHL Draft | 46th overall, 1983 Detroit Red Wings |
| Playing career | 1985–2002 |
Probert retired from playing ice hockey in 2002 to join the Blackhawks radio broadcasting team.[1] He finished his career fourth on the NHL's all-time list with 3,300 penalty minutes notched.[2]
After his retirement, Probert ran into drug and legal problems. On February 05, 2003, he entered rehab to try and beat his addiction.[3] He was arrested on June 4, 2004 after he allegedly parked his BMW SUV on the wrong side of the street and got into an altercation over drugs with bystanders. Many police officers got involved and Probert had to be subdued with a taser and stun guns.[4]
On July 5, 2010, while boating on Lake St. Clair with his children, father-in-law, and mother-in-law, Probert experienced "severe chest pain" and collapsed. His father-in-law Dan Parkinson, the Cornwall, Ontario, chief of police, attempted CPR to save his life. He was taken to Windsor Regional Hospital's Metropolitan Campus and was pronounced dead.[5] His funeral services were held July 9, 2010, in Windsor, Ontario. It was attended by many of his former teammates and rivals including Dino Ciccarelli, Tie Domi, Gerard Gallant, Doug Gilmour, Stu Grimson, Joey Kocur, Brad McCrimmon, Darren McCarty and Steve Yzerman, as well as the Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and owners Mike and Marian Ilitch. His eulogy was delivered by Yzerman.[6] His brain was donated to the Sports Legacy Institute to help researchers that are studying the effects of concussions and other sports-related head injuries.[7] In February 2011, the researchers announced at Boston University that they had found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in Probert's brain.[8]
References
- ↑ "Probert puts down dukes, picks up mike". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ "All-Time Penalty Minutes Leaders". Stats Hockey. Archived from the original on 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ "Probert battles demons". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ "Bob Probert faces assault charges". CBC Sports. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ "Former NHL tough guy Bob Probert dies after collapsing on boat". CNN. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ Family, fans say goodbye to former NHL tough guy Probert. 9 July 2010. https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2010/07/09/family_fans_say_goodbye_to_former_nhl_tough_guy_probert.html. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ "Probert's brain donated to science". National Post. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
- ↑ Schwarz, Alan (3 March 2011). "Hockey Brawler Paid Price, With Brain Trauma". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/sports/hockey/03fighter.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2014-09-21.