As some of you probably have read by now, former Detroit Red Wing and Chicago Blackhawk enforcer Bob Probert died yesterday at the age of 45. Many who saw him play in the late 80's and the through the 90's know what he brought to the table: a willingness to drop the gloves in order to stick up for his teammates. His career was as much defined by penalty minutes (3,300) as they were by his off the ice issues,namely drinking and cocaine. That he was a bright spot in Detroit's lean years speaks of how beloved he was by Red Wings fans, and when he joined the Blackhawks in the mid-90's, he became a fan favorite there, too. In recent years, he had tried hard to clean up his act off the ice, but like so many who have partied hard years before, it all finally caught up to him. No one is immune from such as a thing, as Theo Fleury notes in his autobiography Playing With Fire, especially when it comes to drunk driving (drunk while riding a motorcycle as was Probert's case in 1994). There is much to learn from Probert to ensure that the mistakes he made will not be repeated by others. One lesson that Probert taught us on the ice is to be there for your friends when they are getting pushed around.
Here is a video of Probert doing what he did best: fight.
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