2007-08 Probert Award: Fighter of the Year

[Merlin401]

The best fighter with the best year. Basically, if you throw out all past history and started over this year, who would have been ranked on top?

Nominees

Derek Boogaard - 10 fights
Key Wins: D.J. King, Eric Godard, Jody Shelley
Key Losses: Edged out by David Koci and George Parros early in the year

Donald Brashear - 12 fights
Key Wins: Dominated Chris Neil, Riley Cote and Colton Orr, beat Shawn Thornton twice
Key Losses: Edged out by Brian McGrattan
Key Controversy: Got beat up by Georges Laraque but knocked him down with a wild last punch. What does that mean? Who knows!

D.J. King - 14 fights
Key Wins: Mr. Consistency systematically beat the likes of Parros, Hordichuk, Shelley, and Ivanans plus a great FOTY candidate draw with Eric Godard
Key Losses: Derek Boogaard and a surprise slight loss to Krys Barch

Georges Laraque - 13 fights
Key Wins: Easy wins over McGrattan, Godard, Cote and Barch
Key Losses: None (but see below)
Key Controversy: Was picking #1 contender Donald Brashear apart before getting floored with a wild last punch.

Colton Orr - 18 fights
Key Wins: George Parros, Andre Peters, Riley Cote x2 in great fights, beat down of Wade Brookbank
Key Losses: Beat up by Donald Brashear again


My Pick

Orr still has to beat one of the top two, Boogaard had an off year which was injury plagued and D.J. King is consistently very good but not explosively great yet. That leaves the same two familiar targets. Laraque and Brashear both basically walked over the competition so it comes down to their fight. Last punch aside I still see Laraque as the more impressive fighter so I'm going to give him the slightest of nods.

Previous Winners

2003-04: Matt Johnson
2005-06: Georges Laraque
2006-07: Derek Boogaard

[skacore]

My pick is Orr. He isn't up there with Laraque and Brashear yet but when I hear "fighter of the year", his name just comes to mind along with Riley Cote. Orr put up some very impressive wins and was pretty consistent throughout. I didn't pick Laraque simply because his lack of fights (although it's not really his fault), and the way his fights went down.

[Rugged]

Georges Laraque showed a mean streak and willingness to enforce this past season that I haven't seen in him in a while. He's still the best, most respected fighter in the NHL. He's simply the best fighter, technically speaking, and still "The Champ." No one is better.

[IhateLindros]

I still call Laraque the champ, but i gave this award to Brashear simply because he showed me more this season. He had some good spirited bouts instead of those contraversial "hugs and kisses." Im throwing out the fight versus BGL. It was really close but I gave it to Brash.

[Rugged]

How many times did Laraque let Brashear up/regain his composure in that fight? Two or three times? Christ, if BGL had Dave Brown's heartless nature Brash would have been mincemeat.

Laraque is the better fighter of the two, although Brashear is the better enforcer.

[gazza51]

I've gone for BGL, And I gave him that fight againt Brashear but gave Brash the other one that many people think was a draw to answer your controversy!
The linesmen intervined at a bad time making it look like a TKO for Brash imo but he was totally dominated before that and theres no way he won!

[Isles4life]

The gap from #1 to #2 has narrowed, but I still think BGL was the best fighter in the league this year. If only the champ had a more entertaining style.

[Killah_punk]

BGL with no clear losses this season is still the Champ.

[ProbieRules]

1. Laraque...had a solid year, opened up a little more, dropped em more often...he was the best this year.

2. Boogaard
3. Brashear
4. King
5. Orr

Honorable mention: Parros and Godard

[IceDog44]

Say what you want about his style. Say what you want about his level of activity. Say what you want about his controversial fight with Brash. Just make sure that you say that Georges Laraque is still the heavyweight champion of the league. Until someone clearly unseats him, he is still the #1 guy, and my fighter of the year.

[Cat Smasher]

he still owns his thrown

[BStreetBullies]

BGL is still champ.

Although, Colton Orr deserves a mention here, he went from a 6-10 guy, to a solid top 5 spot. He really established himself as an elite heavy, but because I feel like this award should go to the champ.. BGL.

[skacore]

this isn't necessarily who we think is #1, is it? seems like a lot of people are voting that way... Boogaard won it last year

[Phila26Flyers]

My hat goes off to Colton Orr. He may have lost to Eager, but he still has the ability and stregth to hang with anybody in the league.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by Phila26Flyers

My hat goes off to Colton Orr. He may have lost to Eager, but he still has the ability and stregth to hang with anybody in the league.

Orr can't beat Brashear or Laraque, so how he can can have 9 more votes than Donald Brashear is beyond my comprehension. Colton Orr is a top 3-5 heavy, which is nice, but he's certainly not the best fighter that had the best fight year.

Some of you may want to re-think your vote for Orr.