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Draper, Cleary share their memories of Bob Probert

June 3, 2016, 11:58 PM ET [3 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
For Kris Draper, one memory will always stand out of his former Detroit Red Wings teammate Bob Probert.

“When you think of Bob Probert, you obviously have got to think of a fight and the one fight I’ll never forget is him and Marty McSorley,” remembered Draper, who played alongside Probert with the Wings in 1993-94, Probert’s final season with the team.

“I just remember that it seemed to go on for like two minutes and that is a long, long hockey fight. I remember both those guys going at it, the respect they had for each other, and the Joe was absolutely rocking.

“It was unbelievable and it was just Probie doing what he did – sticking up for a teammate, getting in a fight, bringing the fans out of their seats.

“I believe it was at the end of the period because they both didn’t go to the penalty box, they went to the dressing rooms and as Probie’s skating by the bench, he just says, ‘Probie’s done.’ He said that, talking in the third person.

“It was classic Bob Probert.”

Several Windsor and Detroit hockey luminaries, including Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin and New Jersey Devils forward Adam Henrique, gathered at Tecumseh, Ont. Arena Friday to honor the memory of Probert, who died in 2010 of a heart attack, in the most appropriate manner – by skating in the third annual Bob Probert Classic charity hockey game.

Draper served as coach of one team, while former Wing Daniel Cleary was behind the other bench.

“I still have vivid memories of him,” said Cleary, Probert’s teammate with the Chicago Blackhawks. “A great guy, just a gentle giant. The biggest heart ever.

“Anybody who knew him would say the same. He was awesome, a great guy.”

Draper’s memories of Probert extended to his time as an opponent after Probert joined the Blackhawks.

“If you remember when he was with Chicago we had that big five-on-five brawl with him, and Enrico Ciccone was in that, too.

“They had a pretty tough team and we didn’t have our toughest guys on the ice. I believe Probie ran Vernie (Detroit goalie Mike Vernon), too. I remember that.

“He’s certainly a guy that you would rather have on your team than have to be playing against him for sure.”

During Probert’s reign as the NHL’s undisputed heavyweight champion, Draper is of the opinion people forget what a dominant player he could be.

“When you talk about power forwards, that was a guy that was a power forward,” Draper said. Here I am talking about the fights that Probie had, but he could score goals, too.

“He had a great touch for a big man and obviously had a great year when he played with Stevie (Yzerman in 1987-88, scoring 29 goals) and ended up going to the All-Star Game.

“He definitely had some skill. He could fight but he could also score some goals.”

Cleary’s Future
After a season spent with Detroit’s AHL farm club in Grand Rapids, Cleary is uncertain at this point as to what his hockey future will be, but he knows for sure that the speculation he’d be back in Grand Rapids as a player-assistant coach are not true.

“News to me,” Cleary said. “I don’t know. We’ll see.

“I would like to play again. It’s like anything you know, when you have a desire for it, you don’t want it to end.”

Cleary, 37, produced 3-12-15 totals and a plus-nine rating in 35 games for the Griffins last season and was held pointless in nine playoff games. The chronic problems he’s endured with his knees played a role in his limited ice time.

“They held up pretty good but it was a battle out there,” Cleary said of his knees.

There’s one thing Cleary is certain of going forward after a season of playing with Detroit’s top farm club – that there’s a bright future ahead for the Red Wings.

“It was a fun year, a great bunch of kids,” Cleary said. “To see the young millennial, this new player coming through, how different they are, there’s certainly going to be some fan favorites coming out there to the Red Wings.”

Cameron Approached
The Wings asked for and received permission from the Ottawa Senators to speak with former Ottawa head coach Dave Cameron about their vacant assistant coaching position.

Cameron, 58, worked as an assistant coach with Canada’s gold-medal winning team at the recent world championships in Russia. Former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards, another coach on Detroit’s list, was also at the worlds as an assistant with Team USA.

Former Minnesota Wild coach John Torchetti has also interviewed with the Wings.

Radulov Update
While some hockey sources are citing the Wings as the leaders in the sweepstakes for free-agent forward Alexander Radulov, their offer might not be enough to lure him to Detroit.

According to an NHL source, the Wings, wary of Radulov’s reputation as a bad apple, aren’t willing to offer him more than a one-year deal somewhere in the $4-5 million range.

Radulov is reportedly seeking a multi-year deal but with his history of discipline problems, the Wings are reluctant to commit long-term until they are certain he has outgrown the petulant ways of his youth.

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