Bob Probert Dies at 45

Bob Probert fights Tony Twist on Feb 8, 1996. AP Photo/James A. Finley

CKLW is reporting that Bob Probert has died after collapsing on a boat earlier in the day:

Probert, a former Detroit Red Wing forward, was on a boat in Lake St. Clair when an emergency call was made.  EMS and fire met the boat and started CPR, but sources say Probert was not revived.

Probert, 45, played 935 games in the NHL, racking up 384 points and 3300 penalty minutes.  His PIMs mark is fifth all-time.

In 1987-88 Probert made the All-Star team.  He finished the season with 29 goals and 33 assists.  It was the only season he led the league in penalty minutes with a whopping 398.  Probert had 23 fights that season, including one of his legendary bouts with Craig Coxe.  He had two more scraps in the playoffs.

From the Windsor Star:

Former NHL fighter Bob Probert was boating with his children, father-in-law and mother-in-law on Lake St. Clair when he developed “severe chest pain” around 2 p.m. before collapsing to his death, his father-in-law Dan Parkinson said in a news conference at Windsor Regional Hospital Monday night.

Parkinson said he performed CPR on the 45-year-old Probert, but was unsuccessful.

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press has reaction from the Detroit Red Wings organization:

The news of Bob Probert’s passing was especially sad for senior vice president Jimmy Devellano, who drafted Probert in 1983.

“It’s very sad, very, very sad,” Devellano said. “He was a pretty popular player in Detroit in the ‘80s, and certainly one tough guy with a lot of ability. But unfortunately we never got 100% out of him because of his off ice problems.”

Whenever I’m asked to name my favorite fight, I point people to Probert’s fight in 1994 with Marty McSorley.

Probert leaves behind four children.  Our deepest sympathies go out to his entire family.

Update 7:10pm: George Malik has done a good job updating and putting together a timeline of today’s news unfolding.