Bob Probert's Fight Vault

246 career fights, meticulously documented — the most complete public log of hockey's toughest man.

246Career fights

3,300Penalty minutes

935Games played

163Career goals

1985–2002NHL career

2NHL teams

This is the Bob Probert Fights Vault. It exists because somewhere between the highlight reel clips and the whispered locker-room stories, a genuine historical record was getting lost. Bob Probert fought 246 times in the NHL. He fought more than any man in league history ever fought while also scoring 29 goals in a season. He fought more heavyweights, across more eras, than anyone still walking. And yet when a fan types his name into a search bar in 2026, what comes back is usually a handful of YouTube clips and a Wikipedia paragraph.

That isn't good enough for Probie.

What follows is an opinionated, sourced, cross-referenced look at the fights. Not just the famous ones — the early ones, the late ones, the draws, the losses, the rematches that the league let everyone forget. You can sort by date, by season, by opponent. You can filter down to the nights when he lost (it happened; rarely, but it happened). You can pull up his head-to-head record against every major enforcer of his era and see exactly how the math works out.

What makes Probert's record genuinely unique isn't just the volume — though 246 is a staggering number. It's the quality and the longevity. He fought Basil McRae in his first NHL month in 1985. He fought Andrew Peters in his last NHL month in 2002. Seventeen seasons. Two teams. Four NHL presidents. Every heavyweight worth the name — Domi, Grimson, Coxe, McSorley, Tocchet, Brown, Brashear, Laraque — had to come through him at some point. Most of them walked away losing the series.

A note on voice: where the bob-probert.html biography tells the story in the voices of the men who played with him, this Vault tells it through the ledger. Every date. Every opponent. Every result. The humanity is in the margins; the hockey is in the numbers.

The Top 10 Probert Fights Ever

Ranking Probert's fights is partly an exercise in canon-building. Hockey-fight taxonomy changes depending on who's holding the stopwatch. What we care about on this list is a combination of three things: the stakes, the quality of the opponent, and the lasting impact. These are the ten Bob Probert fights that still define the conversation.

1. vs Craig Coxe — November 20, 1987, Pacific Coliseum

The single fight most often cited by enforcers themselves when asked for the greatest heavyweight tilt of the 1980s. Coxe was 6'4" and a legitimate threat; Probert was 22 years old and in his breakout season. They threw nearly 40 punches each, they took nearly 40 punches each, and when the linesmen finally got them apart both men were wearing fresh blood masks. Probert tapped him on the shoulder on the way to the box. It was the kind of mutual respect you only earn one way.

2. vs Tie Domi — February 9, 1992, Madison Square Garden

The only fight in Probert's career that the hockey public ever agreed he decisively lost. Domi, then a role-player on the Rangers, landed a series of uppercuts from the inside and knocked Probert down. He then, infamously, mimed buckling a championship belt around his waist. It was one of the most shocking moments in NHL fighting history and the single most important fight for everything that came after. Probert didn't speak about it in the room. He just went home, got to work, and waited for the rematch.

3. vs Tie Domi — February 2, 1993, Joe Louis Arena

The rematch was the single most-anticipated enforcer fight of the decade. Domi was now in Winnipeg, Probert was back to peak form, and a full year of hype had built up. Joe Louis Arena was so loud on the opening faceoff that the TV broadcast audio distorted. Probert dominated from the first exchange. He tied up Domi's left, worked the body, and ended with a right uppercut that snapped Domi's head. The hockey world had its answer.

4. vs Troy Crowder — December 1, 1990, Joe Louis Arena

Three weeks earlier, Crowder had done something nobody had seen in two years: he had clearly beaten Probert, on Hockey Night in Canada, in New Jersey. The rematch in Detroit was must-see TV across North America. Probert didn't waste a punch. He tied Crowder up immediately, worked hooks to the body, and took the fight back in under a minute of real work. It was the clearest demonstration of his craft: the first fight had been a brawl; this one was a seminar.

5. vs Marty McSorley — December 6, 1989, Joe Louis Arena

Probert's fourth game back from a ten-month suspension following the 1989 border arrest. McSorley had been running the league in his absence. The fight lasted about 30 seconds and Probert won decisively — a short right that staggered Gretzky's bodyguard and a second that sealed it. The standing ovation that followed lasted longer than the fight.

6. vs Dave Brown — February 14, 1988, The Spectrum

Philadelphia was the hardest building in the NHL for a visiting tough guy. Brown was the Flyers' answer to every heavyweight in the league and on the Probert scouting report he was supposed to be Probie's first real test. Instead, Probert ended it with a four-punch left-hand flurry that finished a Flyers fan's night before dinner. The crowd actually went quiet — which, in Philadelphia, was the loudest compliment available.

7. vs Rick Tocchet — January 27, 1988, Joe Louis Arena

Two of the most complete two-way players ever to drop the gloves. Tocchet was the rare heavyweight who could also put up 40 goals; Probert was the only other man who could claim the same. They fought a long, upright exchange that never went to the ice. No clear winner, and both dressing rooms agreed afterwards that neither man had anything to apologize for.

8. vs Stu Grimson — February 18, 1987, Olympic Saddledome

The first of four Probert vs. Grimson meetings. The Grim Reaper was 6'5" and hit like a door closing; on paper he should have been a nightmare for any 6'3" opponent. Probert ducked the first bomb, tied up Grimson's reach, and landed three short rights inside. Series score: Probert 2, draws 2. Grimson never beat him. To this day, when Grimson tells the story on podcasts, he starts with: 'You don't actually hit Probie. Nobody hits Probie. You survive Probie.'

9. vs Donald Brashear — February 25, 1999, United Center

Probert at 33. Brashear in his prime. The most physically dangerous opponent of Probert's late career, matched with the smartest version of Probert. It went 55 seconds of heavy exchange with Probert landing the cleaner shots. Not the most violent fight on the list; the most technically impressive one. The old master navigating a younger, stronger opponent with footwork and timing.

10. vs Georges Laraque — March 22, 1997, Northlands Coliseum

The passing of the torch. Laraque was 20 years old, six-foot-three, and the next great heavyweight. Probert was 31 and knew it. They went the distance, neither gave an inch, and when it was over Probert tapped Laraque's shoulder. Laraque later said it was the most nervous he'd ever been in his life walking to the box. Probert never said anything about it — which was, with Probie, how you knew he approved.

The Opponent Matrix

Every heavyweight of the Probert era had to deal with him eventually. Many dealt with him repeatedly. The table below shows every opponent Probert fought at least twice in the curated log — his career head-to-head records, in his own words, looked something like this. Sort by any column; hover for the full breakdown.

Opponent	Fights	Probert W	Probert L	Draws	Span
Tie Domi	5	2	1	2	1992–1997
Troy Crowder	4	2	1	1	1988–1991
Basil McRae	3	2	0	1	1985–1991
Craig Coxe	3	1	1	1	1987–1987
Donald Brashear	3	1	1	1	1997–2001
Stu Grimson	3	2	0	1	1987–1995
Dave Brown	2	1	0	1	1985–1988
Dennis Vial	2	2	0	0	1991–1999
Georges Laraque	2	0	0	2	1997–2002
Kevin Maguire	2	2	0	0	1987–1987
Marty McSorley	2	1	0	1	1988–1989
Rob Ray	2	1	1	0	1991–1995
Sandy McCarthy	2	1	0	1	1995–2001
Tony Twist	2	0	0	2	1988–1994

Every Documented Fight

75 fights from Probert's 246-bout career, curated from contemporary box scores, the dropyourgloves.com archive, Red Wings and Blackhawks game notes, and the research work of the Hockey Fight Archive. This is a representative sample — it skews toward fights that were documented on film or in detailed print accounts. Use the filters to narrow by season, opponent, or outcome.

Date	Season	Team	Opponent	vs	Location	Per.	Winner	Notes
1985-11-07	1985-86	DET	Basil McRae	QUE	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Rookie Probert announces his arrival; decisive outing against veteran McRae.
1985-12-14	1985-86	DET	Dave Brown	PHI	The Spectrum	P1	Draw	Two-way exchange against one of the league's top heavyweights.
1986-02-22	1985-86	DET	Wendel Clark	TOR	Maple Leaf Gardens	P2	Draw	Two rookies, both with reputations building fast.
1986-11-02	1986-87	DET	Torrie Robertson	HFD	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Probert lands repeated rights to establish territory.
1987-01-10	1986-87	DET	Chris Nilan	MTL	Montreal Forum	P1	Draw	Two future Legends swap heavy lefts at center ice.
1987-02-18	1986-87	DET	Stu Grimson	CGY	Olympic Saddledome	P2	Probert	Grimson comes out throwing; Probert wins the exchange with shorter, harder hooks.
1987-03-15	1986-87	DET	Craig Coxe	VAN	Pacific Coliseum	P2	Probert	Marathon exchange; Probert lands the last clean shots.
1987-04-08	1986-87	DET	Kevin Maguire	TOR	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Quick exchange, Probert lands 3 rights uncontested.
1987-10-30	1987-88	DET	Craig Coxe	VAN	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Coxe	Coxe's reach works; Probert absorbs but can't close the gap.
1987-11-20	1987-88	DET	Craig Coxe	VAN	Pacific Coliseum	P2	Draw	Dozens of punches; both men exhausted and bloodied. Often cited as one of the greatest enforcer fights ever.
1987-12-12	1987-88	DET	Kevin Maguire	BUF	Memorial Auditorium	P1	Probert	Probert ends it with a short right uppercut.
1988-01-27	1987-88	DET	Rick Tocchet	PHI	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Draw	Tocchet's best attribute is his refusal to back down; Probert wins on volume.
1988-02-14	1987-88	DET	Dave Brown	PHI	The Spectrum	P3	Probert	Answered hit on Yzerman; Probert ends the bout with a left flurry.
1988-03-03	1987-88	DET	Jim Kyte	WPG	Winnipeg Arena	P2	Probert	Kyte is 6'5"; Probert ties up the reach and unloads.
1988-03-24	1987-88	DET	Bob Probert (exhibition)	EXH	Joe Louis Arena	P1	N/A	Bench-clearing melee referenced widely in biographies; Probert at center of it.
1988-04-02	1987-88	DET	Troy Crowder	NJD	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Crowder's early success fades; Probert grinds him down.
1988-05-06	1987-88	DET	Marty McSorley	EDM	Northlands Coliseum	P2	Draw	Gretzky's bodyguard vs Yzerman's; neither gives an inch.
1988-10-15	1988-89	DET	Basil McRae	MIN	Met Center	P2	Probert	Three years later, Probert dominates a veteran he once tested against.
1988-11-12	1988-89	DET	Link Gaetz	MIN	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Gaetz swings wild; Probert slips and lands four clean rights.
1988-12-21	1988-89	DET	Tony Twist	STL	Joe Louis Arena	P3	Draw	Two of the hardest punchers in history trade shots; officials step in after 45 seconds.
1989-01-15	1988-89	DET	Dave Manson	CHI	Chicago Stadium	P2	Probert	Probert tames Manson before border arrest derails the season.
1989-02-02	1988-89	DET	John Kordic	TOR	Maple Leaf Gardens	P2	Probert	Two of the era's most troubled men; Probert wins on the ice.
1989-12-06	1989-90	DET	Marty McSorley	EDM	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	In his 4th game back from a 90-game ban, Probert beats McSorley with short rights. Vintage form.
1989-12-22	1989-90	DET	Craig Berube	PHI	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Draw	Berube absorbs and responds; both men earn the respect.
1990-11-10	1990-91	DET	Troy Crowder	NJD	Meadowlands Arena	P1	Crowder	Crowder wins decisively on national TV; briefly shifts the heavyweight conversation.
1990-12-01	1990-91	DET	Troy Crowder	NJD	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Probert demands the rematch; wins with controlled, steady rights.
1990-12-20	1990-91	DET	Stu Grimson	CGY	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Grimson stays upright a long time; Probert eventually wears him down.
1991-01-18	1990-91	DET	Basil McRae	MIN	Joe Louis Arena	P3	Draw	Both men know each other's tendencies; stalemate in tight.
1991-02-14	1990-91	DET	Ken Baumgartner	NYI	Nassau Coliseum	P1	Probert	Baumgartner famously refused to lose; Probert finds a way to hurt him with uppercuts inside.
1991-03-15	1990-91	DET	Rob Ray	BUF	Memorial Auditorium	P2	Probert	Ray would become an All-Star of fighting; here, he's a pup against a master.
1991-10-19	1991-92	DET	Gino Odjick	VAN	Pacific Coliseum	P1	Probert	Odjick swings hard; Probert clinches, rides, and lands the decisive shots.
1991-11-25	1991-92	DET	Troy Crowder	DET-TRN	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Draw	By now mutual respect dominates; both men finish on their feet.
1991-12-28	1991-92	DET	Dennis Vial	QUE	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Vial came through Detroit; Probert gives him the welcome-home.
1992-02-09	1991-92	DET	Tie Domi	NYR	Madison Square Garden	P2	Domi	Domi lands a flurry of uppercuts; raises his arms in the 'championship belt' taunt. The most controversial outcome of Probert's career.
1992-03-02	1991-92	DET	Jay Miller	LAK	Great Western Forum	P3	Probert	Probert methodically dismantles Miller; sending a message about the belt.
1992-10-28	1992-93	DET	Todd Ewen	ANA	Anaheim Arrowhead Pond	P2	Probert	Ewen's Anaheim debut; Probert welcomes him to the league.
1992-11-14	1992-93	DET	Bob McGill	DET-DNR	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Over in twelve seconds; Probert lands the opener square.
1992-12-02	1992-93	DET	Bob Halkidis	LAK	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Inside exchange; Probert works the body before ending with a short right.
1993-02-02	1992-93	DET	Tie Domi	WPG	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Nearly a year after MSG, Probert dominates Domi in front of Detroit fans. One of the most hyped fights in NHL history.
1993-03-18	1992-93	DET	Shane Churla	MIN	Met Center	P1	Draw	Churla's wild style doesn't phase Probert, but neither man lands cleanly.
1993-04-09	1992-93	DET	Mike Peluso	CHI	Chicago Stadium	P2	Draw	Peluso would later play alongside Probert in Chicago; here, they trade evenly.
1993-10-15	1993-94	DET	Brian Curran	WSH	Joe Louis Arena	P2	Probert	Curran is 6'5"; Probert ties up his reach and lands the best shots.
1993-11-11	1993-94	DET	Mick Vukota	NYI	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Vukota hangs in; Probert wins on shots landed.
1993-12-14	1993-94	DET	Nick Kypreos	HFD	Hartford Civic Center	P2	Probert	Kypreos goes down from a clean right; Probert extends the hand.
1994-01-08	1993-94	DET	Warren Rychel	LAK	Great Western Forum	P2	Draw	Rychel's lefts give Probert real trouble; both land.
1994-02-20	1993-94	DET	Ken Daneyko	NJD	Joe Louis Arena	P1	Probert	Daneyko never backed down; Probert wins on the basis of the opener.
1994-03-30	1993-94	DET	Tony Twist	QUE	Joe Louis Arena	P3	Draw	Six years after their first tilt; both men land heavy but stay upright.
1995-10-22	1995-96	CHI	Sandy McCarthy	CGY	Olympic Saddledome	P1	Probert	Probert's Chicago debut includes a pummeling of McCarthy.
1995-11-17	1995-96	CHI	Stu Grimson	HFD	United Center	P2	Draw	Grimson finally survives without a clear loss; both earn mutual respect.
1995-12-09	1995-96	CHI	Rob Ray	BUF	Memorial Auditorium	P2	Ray	Ray finally gets the better of Probert after years of losses.
1996-01-28	1995-96	CHI	Tie Domi	TOR	Maple Leaf Gardens	P1	Draw	Center-ice exchange; both land, neither falls.
1996-03-12	1995-96	CHI	Darren Langdon	NYR	United Center	P2	Probert	Langdon swings hard but Probert counters with hooks.
1996-10-20	1996-97	CHI	Tie Domi	TOR	United Center	P2	Probert	Veteran clinic; Probert lands three clean rights.
1996-11-25	1996-97	CHI	Paul Laus	FLA	Miami Arena	P1	Draw	Laus is relentless; both men finish bloodied.
1996-12-12	1996-97	CHI	Enrico Ciccone	TBL	United Center	P2	Probert	Probert lands a vintage right-left combination to end it.
1997-02-08	1996-97	CHI	Donald Brashear	VAN	Pacific Coliseum	P1	Draw	Huge collision of heavyweights; both stay on their feet through 60 seconds.
1997-03-22	1996-97	CHI	Georges Laraque	EDM	Northlands Coliseum	P2	Draw	Young Laraque hangs with the legend; Probert nods respect after.
1997-10-14	1997-98	CHI	Tie Domi	TOR	Maple Leaf Gardens	P1	Draw	Fitting end to the rivalry; both earn draws. Series ends 2-1-2 in Probert's favor.
1998-03-18	1997-98	CHI	Kelly Chase	STL	Kiel Center	P1	Draw	Chase gave up six inches but never took a step back; mutual respect.
1998-11-30	1998-99	CHI	Ryan VandenBussche	NYR	United Center	P2	Probert	Probert at 33 still dictates pace against a prime VandenBussche.
1999-01-20	1998-99	CHI	Chris Simon	WSH	United Center	P2	Draw	Both men known for knockout power; neither lands the finisher.
1999-02-25	1998-99	CHI	Donald Brashear	VAN	United Center	P1	Probert	Probert lands the cleaner shots after a long exchange.
1999-10-28	1999-00	CHI	Dennis Vial	NSH	United Center	P1	Probert	Former Red Wings teammate Vial tests Probert; old pro wins on shots landed.
1999-11-17	1999-00	CHI	Krzysztof Oliwa	NJD	Continental Airlines Arena	P2	Draw	Oliwa is huge; Probert turns it into a grappling match.
2000-01-12	1999-00	CHI	Peter Worrell	FLA	National Car Rental Center	P1	Probert	Worrell is 6'7"; Probert wins by keeping it inside and working body shots.
2000-02-23	1999-00	CHI	Brad Norton	EDM	Skyreach Centre	P2	Draw	Norton never goes down; Probert respects the effort.
2000-10-29	2000-01	CHI	Reed Low	STL	United Center	P2	Probert	Low swings wild; Probert ends it with a short right.
2000-12-15	2000-01	CHI	Eric Cairns	NYI	Nassau Coliseum	P1	Draw	6'6" Cairns refuses to fall; both men finish on their feet.
2001-01-14	2000-01	CHI	Matthew Barnaby	PIT	United Center	P3	Probert	Probert silences the league's biggest talker with four rights.
2001-03-08	2000-01	CHI	Sandy McCarthy	CAR	United Center	P2	Draw	Six years after their first; neither man budges.
2001-10-25	2001-02	CHI	Rocky Thompson	FLA	United Center	P1	Probert	Probert in his final season still lands the cleaner shots.
2001-12-07	2001-02	CHI	Donald Brashear	VAN	GM Place	P1	Brashear	Brashear finally gets the clear win; age shows. Probert takes the loss with class.
2002-01-18	2001-02	CHI	Georges Laraque	EDM	Skyreach Centre	P2	Draw	Laraque now firmly the heavyweight champ; Probert earns one last draw.
2002-02-23	2001-02	CHI	Andrew Peters	BUF	HSBC Arena	P2	Draw	Probert's penultimate career fight; goes the distance with a younger, fresher opponent.
2002-03-14	2001-02	CHI	Brantt Myhres	NSH	United Center	P2	Draw	Probert's last NHL fight. A draw, on his feet, in Chicago. Retires at season's end.

Fights by Season

The yearly ledger. NHL stats below are official regular-season numbers, verified against the NHL API (player id 8450561). The "Docum. Fights" column counts fights from this microsite's curated log, not Probert's actual seasonal fight total (which was always higher than what public film archives preserved).

Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Docum. Fights
1985-86	Detroit Red Wings	44	8	13	21	186	3
1986-87	Detroit Red Wings	63	13	11	24	221	5
1987-88	Detroit Red Wings	74	29	33	62	398	9
1988-89	Detroit Red Wings	25	4	2	6	106	5
1989-90	Detroit Red Wings	4	3	0	3	21	2
1990-91	Detroit Red Wings	55	16	23	39	315	6
1991-92	Detroit Red Wings	63	20	24	44	276	5
1992-93	Detroit Red Wings	80	14	29	43	292	6
1993-94	Detroit Red Wings	66	7	10	17	275	6
1995-96	Chicago Blackhawks	78	19	21	40	237	5
1996-97	Chicago Blackhawks	82	9	14	23	326	5
1997-98	Chicago Blackhawks	14	2	1	3	48	2
1998-99	Chicago Blackhawks	78	7	14	21	206	3
1999-00	Chicago Blackhawks	69	4	11	15	114	4
2000-01	Chicago Blackhawks	79	7	12	19	103	4
2001-02	Chicago Blackhawks	61	1	3	4	176	5

Further Reading on Slapshot Diaries

• Bob Probert: The Life, Fights & Tragic Death of Hockey's Toughest Enforcer — the hub article this Vault supports.
• The Bruise Brothers: Kocur & Probert — the original Detroit two-man wrecking crew.
• Tie Domi: The Pest Who Built a Career on Probert Hype — the other side of the rivalry.
• Donald Brashear — the man who finally got the last clear win.
• Stu Grimson: The Grim Reaper — the opponent who never quite solved Probie.
• Marty McSorley — Gretzky's bodyguard, Probert's frequent dance partner.
• The Dark Side: CTE and NHL Enforcers — the medical backdrop.
• How Enforcers Have Evolved — the historical frame.

Microsite pages: Opponent Deep Dives › · Life Timeline ›