The Life, Fights & Tragic Death of an NHL Legend
Bob Probert wasn't just the toughest man in hockey—he was a contradiction wrapped in tape and blood. A man who could score 29 goals in a season and then pummel anyone who looked at his teammates wrong. He was beloved in Detroit, feared everywhere else, and haunted by demons that eventually caught up with him.
This is his story, told through the memories of those who played with him, fought him, and loved him.
Robert Alan Probert was born on June 5, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario—just across the river from Detroit, the city that would eventually adopt him as their favorite son. Growing up, Bobby wasn't the biggest kid, but he had something that couldn't be taught: he simply refused to back down.
"I remember playing against Bobby in junior," recalled one former teammate. "Even then, you could see it. Most guys, when things got rough, they'd find a way out. Bobby? He'd find a way in. Deeper. Harder. He wanted it more than anyone I'd ever seen."
Probert came up through the Brantford Alexanders of the OHL, where he started developing his reputation. By the time the Detroit Red Wings selected him in the third round of the 1983 NHL Draft—46th overall—scouts knew they were getting a player who could fight. What they didn't know was that they were getting a hockey player who happened to be the best fighter of his generation.
When Bob Probert arrived in Detroit full-time in 1985, the Red Wings were a franchise desperate for an identity. They'd missed the playoffs for years. The Joe Louis Arena faithful were hungry for something—someone—to believe in.
They found it in Probert.
"Bobby wasn't just an enforcer," explained a former Red Wings equipment manager. "That's what people who didn't watch him don't understand. He could play. Really play. The year he scored 29 goals? That wasn't a fluke. He had hands. He had vision. He just also happened to be able to beat the hell out of anyone in the league."
The numbers tell one story: 29 goals, 33 assists, 62 points, and 398 penalty minutes. No player in NHL history had ever put up those kinds of offensive numbers while also leading the league in fighting. Bob Probert wasn't just good at two things—he was elite at both.
"That year, teams didn't know what to do with him," said a former opponent. "You couldn't put a skill guy on him because he'd run them over. You couldn't put your tough guy on him because he'd score on them. And if you tried to take liberties with Yzerman or anyone else on that team? Probie would find you. Always."
The Red Wings reached the conference finals that year, and Probert was a major reason why. His presence gave Steve Yzerman room to breathe. His fists gave the whole team confidence.
Any discussion of the greatest hockey enforcers must include Bob Probert's legendary bouts. With 246 career fights, Probert built a resume that may never be matched.
When people talk about Bob Probert fights, one name comes up more than any other: Tie Domi. Their rivalry defined an era of hockey violence.
"The Probert-Domi thing was personal," one witness recalled. "They genuinely didn't like each other. It wasn't theater. When they dropped the gloves, both guys knew they were in for a war."
Their most famous encounter came on December 2, 1992, when Domi—then with the Rangers—knocked Probert down with a series of uppercuts. It was one of the few times anyone had gotten the better of Probert so decisively. The hockey world was stunned.
"After that fight, Bobby was different for a few weeks," a teammate observed. "Not scared—Bobby was never scared of anyone. But focused. He wanted Domi again. And eventually, he got him."
The list of men who faced Probert reads like a who's who of hockey tough guys:
"Fighting Probert was different than fighting anyone else," admitted one former enforcer. "Most guys, you could find a rhythm. You'd trade punches, look for an opening. With Bobby, there was no rhythm. It was just violence. Pure, relentless violence. And he could take a punch like no one I've ever seen. You'd land one that would drop most guys, and he'd just smile at you."
For all his success on the ice, Bob Probert fought a harder battle off it. His struggles with cocaine and alcohol were well-documented, and they nearly destroyed everything he'd built.
In March 1989, Probert was arrested at the U.S.-Canada border with 14 grams of cocaine in his underwear. The arrest led to a three-month prison sentence and a lengthy suspension from the NHL. Many thought his career was over.
"The addiction stuff—that was the real fight," said a close friend. "The guys on the ice? Bobby could handle them. But this disease, it doesn't care how tough you are. It finds your weaknesses and exploits them."
Probert missed most of the 1989-90 season but returned to the Red Wings in 1990-91. The league had banned him from traveling to Canada—a stunning punishment that meant he couldn't play in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or any other Canadian city. For four years, Probert played only home games and road games in American cities.
Despite the restrictions, Probert continued to produce. He remained one of the league's most feared fighters, and he still contributed offensively when called upon. The Red Wings stuck by him, and the fans never wavered.
"Detroit loved Bobby through all of it," recalled a longtime observer. "Most cities would have turned on a guy with those problems. Not Detroit. He was one of them—flawed, fighting, but never giving up."
In 1994, Probert's time in Detroit came to an end. The Red Wings, now building a championship team around a different identity, let him go. The Chicago Blackhawks signed him, and Probert found a second hockey home.
The Blackhawks years were different. Probert was older, slower, battling injuries and the accumulated damage of thousands of punches given and received. But he could still fight. He could still protect his teammates. And Chicago fans embraced him the same way Detroit had.
"Bobby was a warrior until the end," said a Blackhawks teammate. "Even when his body was breaking down, he'd go out there and do his job. Never complained. Never made excuses."
Probert retired in 2002 after 16 NHL seasons. His final statistics: 163 goals, 221 assists, 384 points, and 3,300 penalty minutes across 935 regular season games. The penalty minutes ranked among the highest in league history.
Retirement brought new challenges. Probert continued to struggle with addiction, though he worked hard at recovery. He became involved in charity work, particularly efforts to help young people avoid the mistakes he'd made.
"Bobby was honest about what he'd been through," said a friend. "He'd talk to kids, tell them his story without sugarcoating it. He wasn't proud of the addiction stuff, but he thought if his experience could help someone else, it was worth sharing."
He also dealt with the physical toll of his career. His hands were gnarled from years of bare-knuckle fighting. He had trouble with memory, with mood swings, with the little things that most people take for granted.
On July 5, 2010, Bob Probert collapsed while boating with his family on Lake St. Clair. He was 45 years old. The cause of death was later determined to be heart failure.
The hockey world mourned. Tributes poured in from teammates, opponents, and fans who remembered the enforcer who had defined an era.
"Bobby was the best fighter I ever saw," said one rival. "But he was also a good guy. Funny, loyal to his friends, loved his family. The fighting stuff—that was his job. Outside the rink, he was just Bobby."
After his death, Probert's family made the courageous decision to donate his brain to research. Scientists at Boston University's CTE Center examined the tissue and found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy—the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.
Bob Probert became one of the first NHL players posthumously diagnosed with CTE, joining a growing list of athletes whose brains showed the damage of their violent professions. His diagnosis helped raise awareness about the long-term consequences of fighting in hockey and contributed to ongoing debates about the role of enforcers in the modern game.
For more on this issue, see our piece on Bryan Fogarty's tragic story and the toll hockey takes on its players.
What do we make of Bob Probert's life? He was the best at something many people wish didn't exist. He brought joy to millions of fans while suffering through addiction and, ultimately, brain damage that likely contributed to his early death.
The role of the hockey enforcer has changed dramatically since Probert's prime. Fighting is down across the league. The heavyweight specialists who once filled rosters have largely disappeared. Some see this as progress. Others mourn the loss of an era.
But no one who saw Bob Probert play will ever forget him. The way he could shift from skilled playmaker to terrifying fighter in an instant. The loyalty he showed to teammates. The courage he demonstrated every night he stepped on the ice, knowing that someone would want to test him.
"He was one of a kind," said a former teammate. "There will never be another Bob Probert. The game won't allow it anymore. But those of us who were there, who saw it—we know what he was. The toughest man to ever play hockey. And somehow, underneath all that, a good person trying to do his best."
| Full Name | Robert Alan Probert |
| Born | June 5, 1965 - Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | July 5, 2010 (age 45) - Lake St. Clair, Michigan |
| Position | Left Wing |
| Height/Weight | 6'3" / 225 lbs |
| NHL Teams | Detroit Red Wings (1985-1994), Chicago Blackhawks (1994-2002) |
| NHL Draft | 1983, Round 3, 46th overall (Detroit) |
| Career Stats | 935 GP, 163 G, 221 A, 384 PTS |
| Penalty Minutes | 3,300 (5th all-time) |
| Career Fights | 246 documented |
Bob Probert died on July 5, 2010, at age 45 from heart failure while boating with his family on Lake St. Clair in Michigan. After his death, researchers discovered he had CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), making him one of the first hockey players diagnosed with the brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.
Bob Probert had 246 documented fights during his NHL career, making him one of the most prolific fighters in league history. He accumulated 3,300 penalty minutes across 935 regular season games with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
Bob Probert's most famous rivalry was with Tie Domi. The two fought multiple times throughout their careers, with their battles becoming legendary in NHL history. Other notable opponents included Craig Coxe, Donald Brashear, Marty McSorley, and Stu Grimson.
Yes. After Bob Probert's death in 2010, his family donated his brain to research at Boston University. Scientists found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. Probert was among the first NHL players to be posthumously diagnosed with CTE.
Bob Probert played for two NHL teams: the Detroit Red Wings (1985-1994) and the Chicago Blackhawks (1994-2002). He was drafted by Detroit in the third round of the 1983 NHL Draft.
Bob Probert was a legitimate hockey player who happened to also be the best fighter in the league. In 1987-88, he scored 29 goals and 62 points while leading the NHL in penalty minutes—a combination that has never been replicated. He finished his career with 163 goals and 384 points.
In 1989, Bob Probert was arrested at the U.S.-Canada border with cocaine. He served three months in federal prison and was subsequently barred from entering Canada by immigration authorities. This ban lasted until 1992, meaning he could not play in Canadian NHL cities during that period.