Bob Probert

Robert Alan Probert was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.

Probert was born on June 5, 1965 in Windsor, Ontario.

He began his hockey career playing for the Minor Ontario league in 1981. In 1982 he began playing in the Ontario Hockey League for the Brantford Alexanders. He was later drafted to the Hamilton Steelhawks in 1984 and then the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds the same Bob Probert year. In 1983, Probert was drafted by the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings. He remained at the junior level for two seasons, playing in the American Hockey League for the Adirondack Red Wings from 1985-1987. He joined the Red Wings roster for the 1985-1986 season. During his time with the Wings, Probert became a notorious enforcer, notable for his offensive skills. By the 1987-1988 season he led the league with 398 penalty minutes. In 1989, Probert was arrested for cocaine possession while crossing the Windsor-Detroit border. He served three months in federal prison and was suspended from the NHL. During his suspension, Probert met his future wife, Dani Wood. They would marry in 1993 and had four children together. Probert would get into trouble with the law again on July 15, 1994, after crashing his motorcycle in Michigan while driving intoxicated. After this incident, it was announced the Red Wings would refuse him a contract to play for the upcoming season. On July 23, 1994, Probert signed on with the Chicago Blackhawks, and began playing with the team in 1995. In 1997, he suffered a torn rotator cuff, which caused him to miss most of the 1997-1998 season. After the 2001-2002 season, Probert would retire from playing and joined the Blackhawks radio broadcasting team. In February of 2003, he announced his official retirement from the NHL. He made a cameo as a hockey player in the 2008 Mike Myers film The Love Guru, and became a participant in the Canadian reality TV show Battles of the Blades in 2009. On July 5, 2010, Probert died of a heart attack.