Bob Probert, a hall of famer?
Joe Kocur thinks so and granted, he might be a little biased in his argument, but allow the former Detroit Red Wings tough guy to state his case in favor of enshrinement for his fellow Bruise Brother.
“How I remember him is as the toughest player ever – and I mean ever – to play in the NHL,… Kocur said Sunday as he and fellow former Wings tough guy Darren McCarty and Dani Probert, widow of Bob, remembered Probert during the Wings’ annual HockeyFest at Joe Louis Arena. “Everybody knew it.
“You can argue the greatest pitcher or something like that, but if you ask every other tough guy in the NHL, there’s only one name going to the top of that list and that’s Probie.…
That’s when Kocur began to plead for his client to be recognized by the hockey establishment in the same manner in which he is immortalized in Hockeytown.
“I know it probably can’t happen, but I sure wish they’d have a spot in the hall of fame for somebody that did the absolute best that anyone could do in that position,… Kocur said.
Probert a hall of famer?
Why not?
The hall of fame is supposed to be about the best of the best, those who dominated the game at their position.
During Probert’s era from 1985-2002, was anyone a more powerful physical presence on the ice?
“When Probie dropped the gloves, everyone stood up just the same as when Stevie (Yzerman) scored a goal,… Kocur said.
The thing is, when he was allowed to play the game, Probert could play it with the best. He scored 29 goals in 1987-88 skating on Yzerman’s wing and was selected to partake in the NHL All-Star Game.
McCarty remembered Yzerman, who also skated in the 1988 mid-season classic, telling him about the experience.
“Stevie told me when Bob made the All-Star Game, everybody on both teams, the one guy they wanted to meet was Probie,… McCarty said. “He signed more autographs and gave away more stuff to his colleagues than anyone. “It was unbelievable.
“You’d think it would have been Wayne Gretzky or Mark Messier or Steve Yzerman, but it was Bob Probert. That shows you the respect he carried on the ice, but also the way he was revered off the ice.…
Never forget how demanding and traumatizing filling the role Probert filled is, both physically and emotionally.
Kocur, who filled the same role, understands it succinctly.
“Any young kid coming into the league that wanted to make a name for himself went after Probie,… Kocur said. “It really got to him. It’s a tough feeling, because you know you’ve got all these young gunslingers coming at you.
“He was a player but he still had to answer the bell. Unfortunately for him, he had to continue to fight.…
Dani Probert saw exactly how this tug of war between being a player and being an enforcer affected her husband.
“He wanted to go out, put on a good shift, and score a goal,… Dani Probert said. “He’d be talking about that on the way home more than he would talk about fights.
“He wanted to score some points. He had great hands and he wanted to be part of that.…
Given the opportunity to stay on the ice more often, Kocur believes Probert was capable of assembling impressive numbers.
“He could’ve got 40 goals with the way he handled the puck,… said Kocur, who thinks it could have happened had Probert stayed in Detroit and continued to play under coach Scotty Bowman instead of signing with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1994.
“If Bob Probert would have played for Scotty Bowman, he would have got the 40 goals, because Scotty would have told him, ‘Stay on the ice and only (fight) once in a while,’… was Kocur’s rationale.
McCarty grew up watching Probert, then came to know him as a teammate and a friend and came to realize how Probert’s presence made every player in Detroit’s job easier to do.
“Probie being from Windsor, he was a God to all of us younger guys,… McCarty said. “Even though (the Wings) weren’t winning a lot of games, they were kicking a lot of ass. That always appealed to me.…
Once he got to Detroit, that aspect of the game appealed to McCarty in more tangible ways.
“I guarantee the fact that I was a lot braver because when these guys (Probert and Kocur) were in the lineup, I never had to fight the heavyweight,… McCarty explained. “Before the game I’d be like, ‘If this guy gets out of line or this guy gets out of line, I got it. You take care of the heavy lifting and I’ll just go out and play and cause some chaos that way.’
“It made my life a lot easier.…
There is precedence for a player of Probert’s ilk being hall of fame worthy. Toronto defenseman Red Horner, the Probert of the 1930s, who led the NHL in penalty minutes eight times, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
We’re not talking here about the player who sits at the end of the bench, sees a few minutes a night of ice time, and comes out to partake in some choreographed scrap.
We’re talking about players like Probert, and from the 1960s, Montreal Canadiens tough guy John Ferguson, who policed the ice, protected their teammates and could also play the game with the best.
Is that type of player hall of fame worthy?
It’s certainly an argument that merits consideration.
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