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Bob Probert’s tragic story
Occasionally, I come across a book that I would heartily recommend to a select audience. The book in this case is, Tough Guy. It is the story of Bob Probert, as told by Kirstie McLellan Day. I would place this book in the hands of every athlete who intends to move from junior ranks to become a pro. The book is about a hockey player, and a good one, at that. But a hockey player who lived on the fringe, and did not realize that he was completely out of control until it was too late. It’s a book all aspiring athletes should read, no matter their sport.
On the cover of the book, there is a quote from the Ottawa Citizen: “Funny as hell.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is a book about a very tragic figure who made globs of money playing the game many young Canadians would love to play. Probert began to spin out of control almost as soon as he strapped on his blades professionally. He was born June 5, 1965, and died tragically in 2005 at the age of 40.
We remember Probie as a fighter, and justifiably so. There are 11 pages in the book’s appendix, listing all his NHL fights. They begin with a scrap against Craig Coxe, once a Belleville Bull. A fan favourite, I might add. Coxe stood six inches over six feet tall, and was a lanky lad when he first stepped onto the ice at the Yardmen Arena.
He feared no one, and did not back away from any scrap. I distinctly remember a game when he strolled around the ice, looking for a potential customer after wrestling with a couple of guys. The Kitchener bench was furious with him. They taunted him, cursed at him. He took three strides from centre ice and dove spread-eagled into the crowd. A heap of fur flew before they could untangle Coxe from the mess.
The list of Probert’s combatants is long and distinguished, and includes all the tough guys from his era: Tony Twist, Donald Brashear, Georges Laraque, Tie Domi, Sandy McCarthy, Bryan Marchment, Stu Grimson, Al Secord, Troy Crowder, Marty McSorley, Chris Nilan—the list goes on.
A Windsor kid, many of his legal difficulties stemmed from his border crossings. He played much of his career in Detroit, but also spent seven seasons with the Blackhawks. His days with the Red Wings were his most memorable, and his most successful. He had two 20-goal seasons with the team. He racked up 62 points in the 87-88 season, and also had 398 minutes in the penalty box that same year, the most he ever spent in the sin bin.
During his stint in Detroit, he played with Joey Kocur and Darren McCarty. They were certainly well respected on the ice, feared, in fact, by many. Probert and McCarty both went down many wrong paths as the years progressed. Probert was suspended for a year in 1994, and had worn out his welcome in Detroit. He latched on with the Hawks, and had one good season. He did not score in double figures in his last six seasons with the Hawks.
I am certain that for most of his life, he considered himself almost indestructible. On many occasions, he believed he was above the law. He rewarded police officers with great tickets on the many occasions they arrested him. He was simply out of control most of the time. He frustrated many of the team officials who knew he had the talent, but also knew he could not live within the constraints of an NHL contract.
Other athletes will follow Probert’s path in the future. Hopefully, someone will be able to slip them a copy of this book before they go completely off the rails.
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