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| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Bob Probert
Selected in
third round
No. 46 overall by Detroit Red Wings
Born
June 5, 1965
 | Position:
Left Wing
Height: 6-3 Weight: 210
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Brantford (OHL)
Birthplace:
Windsor, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown: Windsor, Ontario |
 |
 |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
Windsor | Ont. AAA |
55 | 60 |
40 | 100 |
40 | | 1982-83 |
Brantford | OHL |
51 | 12 |
16 | 28 |
133 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Was Brantford's seventh-round pick, No. 95 overall, in 1982
OHL priority selection. ... Also played center in junior hockey. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: November 6, 1985 (St. Louis at
Detroit)
Numbers: 24 (Detroit); 24
(Chicago)
Stanley Cup: Never won. Playing Status:
Retired 2003 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1985-2002 |
Detroit, Chicago | 935 |
163 | 221 |
384 | 3,300 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1987-2002 |
Detroit, Chicago | 81 |
16 | 32 |
48 | 274 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1988 (Detroit)
Detroit Records: Most career penalty minutes (2,090), most penalty
minutes in one season (398 in 1987-88)
NHL Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1987-88 (Detroit) (398 PIM)
Detroit
Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1987-88 (398), 1990-91 (315), 1991-92 (276),
1992-93 (292), 1993-94 (275)
Detroit Playoffs Points
Leader: 1988 (21)
Detroit Playoffs Assists Leader: 1992 (6)
Detroit Playoffs Penalty-Minutes
Leader: 1991 (50), 1992 (28)
Chicago Penalty-Minutes
Leader: 1995-96 (237), 1996-97 (326), 1998-99 (206), 2001-02 (176)
Chicago Playoffs Penalty-Minutes
Leader: 1997 (41)
Broadcasting Career: Named Chicago radio
studio analyst on Nov.
16, 2002, and remained in that position until Feb. 4, 2003.
Miscellaneous: Suspended by NHL for four games during 1985-86 season
for head-butting Bob McGill during a bench-clearing brawl with 5:09
remaining in Detroit's Jan. 13, 1986, game at Toronto. Probert received a
match penalty, game misconduct and major penalty for the incident. The NHL
suspended Probert immediately after the game and then held a hearing to
determine the length of the suspension, which was set at four games. Probert
did not return to the Detroit lineup until the Red Wings' Jan. 23, 1986,
game at Philadelphia. Detroit coach Brad Park later said he had specifically
ordered his players to leave the bench and join the fight. ... Played on
line with Steve Yzerman and Gerard Gallant for Detroit in 1986-87 and
1987-88. ... Began playing right wing, in addition to left wing, for Detroit
during 1986-87 season. ... Suspended by NHL for six games (automatic suspensions) during 1987-88 season as a
result of his repeated game misconduct penalties. He was suspended one game
for receiving his third game misconduct of the season during Detroit's Dec.
23, 1987, game vs. Buffalo. He was suspended two games for receiving his
fourth game misconduct of the season during Detroit's Jan. 3, 1988, game at
Winnipeg. He was suspended three games for receiving his fifth game
misconduct of the season during Detroit's March 6, 1988, game at Chicago. ...
Set Detroit record (since broken) for points in one playoff year with 21 in
1988. ... Assisted on goal by Wayne Gretzky in his lone NHL All-Star Game on
Feb. 9, 1988, at St. Louis. ... Suspended by NHL for three games during 1988-89 season for hitting
goaltender Allan Bester with 10:25 remaining in Detroit's Dec. 10, 1988,
game at Toronto. He received a match penalty for attempting to injure Bester
on the play, and the NHL announced the suspension on Dec. 15, 1988.
...Suspended by Detroit for one game after showing up late to a Jan. 9,
1989, game vs. Montreal. ... Suspended by Detroit for one game after showing
up late to the Red Wings' Jan. 25, 1989, game vs. Buffalo. The following
day, he was suspended indefinitely. He was reinstated on Feb. 15, 1989, and
returned to action for Detroit's Feb. 25, 1989, game vs. Chicago. ...
Suspended indefinitely by NHL after being arrested for attempting to smuggle
cocaine across the U.S.-Canada border on March 2, 1989. ... Reinstated to
NHL on March 9, 1990. He returned to NHL action, making his 1989-90 season
debut in Detroit's March 22, 1990, game vs. Minnesota, and he scored
Detroit's lone goal in a 5-1 loss. ... Missed remainder of 1989-90 season
with the flu, an illness contracted in late March 1990. ... Was not allowed
to travel with Red Wings to Canada for any of the team's 1990-91 or 1991-92 games on
the other side of the border because he was appealing a ruling which would
have led the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to deport him if he
re-entered the country -- given his status as a convicted felon. He finally
was granted permission to play in Canada on Dec. 7, 1992, and he returned to
Canada for Detroit's Dec. 9, 1992, game at Toronto, having missed three
games in Canada in the early portion of the 1992-93 season. ... Missed
part of 1990-91 season with broken left wrist, an injury suffered when he
collided with Ed Belfour during Detroit's Dec. 1, 1990, game vs. Chicago. He
did not return until Detroit's Dec. 28, 1990, game at Pittsburgh.
... Suspended by NHL for one game (automatic suspension) during 1990-91
season for receiving his second stick-related major penalty and game
misconduct of year during Detroit's Jan. 22, 1991, game vs. Washington.
... Suspended by NHL for one game during 1991 playoffs for sucker-punching
Blues goalie Vincent Riendeau during Game 2 of
Detroit's first-round series at St. Louis on April 6, 1991. ... Suspended by
NHL for one game during 1991-92 season (automatic suspension) for receiving
his third game misconduct of the season during Detroit's Jan. 3, 1992, game
vs. Toronto. ... Suspended by NHL for three games during 1991-92 season for
swinging stick at Garth Butcher and drawing match penalty during Detroit's
Feb. 29, 1992, game at St. Louis. The suspension was announced on March 6,
1992. He was unable to return until Detroit's March 20, 1992, game vs. N.Y.
Rangers because the stretch of three games also included three games in
Canada, which he was ineligible to play. ... Suspended one game by NHL
(automatic suspension) during 1992-93 season for receiving his third game
misconduct of the season in Detroit's Feb. 3, 1993, game vs. Chicago. ...
Suspended by NHL for four games and fined $500 during 1993-94 season for
slashing Bob Rouse during Detroit's Oct. 15, 1993, game vs. Toronto. Rouse
was also suspended for four games, even though he was clearly the aggressor
and had forced Probert to retaliate. The NHL said Probert received the same
suspension as Rouse because he was a repeat offender. ... Missed part of
1993-94 season with bruised tailbone, an injury suffered during Detroit's
Nov. 20, 1993, game at New Jersey. He did not return until Detroit's Dec. 6,
1993,
game vs. Winnipeg. ... Suspended by NHL for two games and fined $500 for
head-butting Sandy McCarthy during first period of Detroit's April 2, 1994,
game vs. Calgary. Probert received a match penalty for attempting to injure
McCarthy, necessitating an automatic review by the league office. The
suspension was announced on April 7, 1994. ... Missed part of 1995-96 season
with sprained knee, an injury suffered during Chicago's Dec. 26, 1995, game
vs. Dallas. ... Suspended by NHL for one game during 1995-96 season for
elbowing incident during Chicago's Feb. 8, 1996, game at St. Louis. ...
Missed part of 1997-98 season with torn cartilage and sprained MCL in right
knee, an injury suffered during Chicago's Oct. 9, 1997, game vs. Tampa Bay.
The injury required arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 16, 1997, and Probert did
not return to action until Chicago's Nov. 10, 1997, game vs. Calgary. ... Missed most of the 1997-98 season with
torn right rotator cuff, an injury initially suffered in fight with Sandy
McCarthy during Chicago's Nov. 10, 1997, game vs. Calgary. He re-aggravated
the injury during Chicago's Nov. 16, 1997, game vs. Detroit, and required
major surgery on Dec. 3, 1997. He did not return to action until Chicago's
April 4, 1998, game vs. Detroit. ... Scored final NHL goal in the history of
Maple Leaf Gardens during Chicago's Feb. 13, 1999, game at Toronto. ...
Suspended by NHL for four games during 1999-00 season for leaving the bench,
along with Dave Manson, to join a fight in Chicago's Oct. 4, 1999,
season-opener at San Jose. He sat out games from Oct. 6-15, 1999. ... Missed
parts of 1999-00 season with sore elbow, an injury suffered during Chicago's
Nov. 27, 1999, game at St. Louis, and with the flu, an illness contracted in
February 2000. ... Became sixth NHL player to record 3,000 career
penalty minutes when he achieved feat in Chicago's March 11, 2000, game at
Florida. ... Was Chicago's nominee for 2000-01 Masterton Trophy. ... Opted
to unofficially retire on Nov. 16, 2002, after Chicago placed him on waivers
and he was not claimed by any other NHL team in November 2002. He later made
the retirement official during the 2003 off-season. ... Retired
with
No. 4 ranking on the NHL's all-time penalty-minutes list (3,300 PIM).
Battling Addiction: Few players in sports history have
had as long and difficult a struggle with alcohol and drug addiction as Probert had during the early years of his NHL career.
Although Probert's abuse of alcohol dated well back into his junior hockey
days, his addiction problems began to interfere with his pro career on April
4, 1986, when he was first arrested in his native Windsor, Ontario, for
speeding, driving while impaired and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. Three
months later, Probert added to his woes by assaulting a Windsor police
officer after a fight outside a local bar. This second arrest was the wake-up call Probert needed, and on July 22, 1986,
he agreed to enter the Hazelden Foundation's
rehabilitation facility in Lindstrom, Minn., to address his addiction to alcohol.
After the first 10 days, he was moved to Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in
Minneapolis, where he was treated for his withdrawal and other medical
symptoms. In total, Probert spent 36 days in the two rehab programs,
returning to training camp with a renewed sense of himself. Within three
months, however, Probert was in trouble again, as he was arrested by Windsor
police for driving while impaired on Dec. 19, 1986. On Jan. 30, 1987,
Probert was fined $2,000, and had his driver's license revoked after he was
convicted of two drinking-related charges from the Dec. 19, 1986 incident.
At that time, he was acquitted of the more series DUI charge. On Feb. 11, 1987, during
the NHL's All-Star break for the Rendez-vous Series with the Soviets,
Probert returned to rehab at the Red Wings' insistence -- this time checking
into the Brentwood Recovery Center in Windsor. He did not return to Detroit's lineup until the
Red Wings' March 2, 1987, game at Boston. Under a special work release
program, Probert was granted permission to attend Red Wings practices and
games while he was still taking part in the treatment program, provided he
had someone from his rehab center to take him to and from all team
functions, and he had begun taking advantage of this privilege on Feb. 28,
1987. However, on March 30, 1987, Probert was kicked out of the Brentwood
program for violating unspecified rules. Probert's troubles with alcohol
resurfaced on Dec. 3, 1987, when he was jailed one night in Redford
Township, Mich., for violating his probation related to a previously
unreported DUI conviction. Over the next 10 months, Probert was caught
breaking curfew before Game 5 of Detroit's Campbell Conference finals series
at Edmonton and was fined $200 for missing a team bus and flight from
Chicago to Detroit on Sept. 20, 1988, during Detroit's 1988 training camp.
That led to his demotion to the minor leagues, which only made the situation
grow even worse. On Sept. 23, 1988, the Red Wings suspended Probert
indefinitely for skipping an Adirondack (AHL) practice and missing a team
flight. Detroit insisted that Probert enter a rehab clinic, and he finally
checked himself into the famous Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
on Oct. 3, 1988. Less than 10 days later, on Oct. 12, 1988, Probert left the
rehab center despite having more than 30 days left in his treatment program.
He flew back to Detroit, and other passengers reported that he was drunk on
the plane. Probert's agent, Patrick Ducharme, reportedly told team officials
that Probert had to leave rehab come back to the Wings because he needed
money and was "flat broke." The suspension cost him $1,300 per day in lost
salary. He was forced to sell his home and Corvette while he lived with
fellow recovering alcoholics in Windsor and took the medication Antabuse.
Under heavy pressure from Ducharme, Detroit finally let Probert rejoin the
team on Nov. 22, 1988, and he made his 1988-89 season debut in Detroit's
Nov. 27, 1988, game vs. Washington. On the day of his return, Probert
personally apologized to all of his Red Wings teammates for what had
happened. After his return, he roomed with Petr Klima, who had been going
through similar battles with alcohol and other off-ice problems. The Red
Wings felt the two players would provide a steadying influence on each
other. This arrangement worked for a short while, but problems resurfaced in
January when Probert showed up late for Detroit's Jan. 9, 1989 game vs.
Montreal and was scratched from the lineup with "the flu." Detroit later
acknowledged that it had been covering up for Probert. He was suspended yet
again for violating team rules on Jan. 25 and did not return to the team
until Detroit's Feb. 15, 1989 practice, finally returning to the lineup on
Feb. 25, 1989 vs. Chicago. He remained with the Wings until March 2, 1989,
when he was involved in the most devastating drug-related incident of his
career, leading to temporary banishment from the NHL. Sadly, Probert's
chemical dependency stayed with him throughout his NHL career, and he even
sought help for substance abuse in February 2003, several months after his
unofficial retirement from hockey.
Brushes with the Law: Probert
made the first of his many negative headlines in November 1986, when he was
barred from re-entering the United States by American customs agents on Nov.
2, 1986. The decision, early in the 1986-87 season, stemmed from Probert's
being on probation for having assaulted a police officer outside a Windsor,
Ontario, bar on July 6, 1986 -- the
incident that led to his first trip to a rehab facility. Probert had avoided
jail time and been placed on probation on Oct. 2, 1986, after promising that
he would no longer use alcohol. That situation with his right to cross the
border was
quickly resolved, but Detroit demoted Probert to the minor leagues on Nov. 6, 1986,
recalling him on Nov. 20, 1986. He played well after his recall, but got
into trouble again at 1:55 a.m. on Dec. 19, 1986, when he was arrested in
Windsor, Ontario, for driving while impaired -- his second such arrest in
eight months. This time, he was also charged with violating his probation. Probert had driven his car into a utility pole before being
arrested. Police also charged him with violating his probation linked to his
earlier drunken driving arrest and his assault of a Windsor police officer.
His license was suspended, and he was fined $500. After the arrest, Detroit suspended Probert indefinitely,
but the suspension was later reduced to just two games. Probert returned to the
Red Wings
lineup for Detroit's Dec. 23, 1986, game vs. Chicago.
Busted for Smuggling Drugs: Probert's NHL career nearly came to an end
in March 1989, when he was expelled from the NHL after being arrested for
attempting to smuggle cocaine over the U.S.-Canada border. On March 2, 1989,
Probert was driving from his native Windsor, Ontario, into Detroit with a
packet of cocaine tucked in his underwear. The cocaine, a total of 14.3
grams, fell out of his underwear during a strip search by U.S. Customs
Service agents on the U.S. side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Police had
noticed Probert driving his 1988 GMC Jimmy in an erratic fashion and noticed
evidence of drug and alcohol use in the car, which was occupied by Probert, a
man and two women. The street value of the cocaine found on Probert was
thought to be at least $1,500. Probert was charged with drug smuggling, and
he faced up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted. Released on
$50,000 bond, Probert was dealt with harshly by the NHL. On March 4, 1989,
NHL president John Ziegler banned Probert form the league and the Red Wings
tore up his three-year, $600,000 contract. At the time, most fans assumed
Probert was being banned for life, thereby becoming the fourth player ever
given such a ban. He also became the third player in NHL history to be
suspended for a drug-related criminal offense, joining Don Murdoch and Ric
Nattress. Red Wings officials said they knew Probert was rumored to have
widened his alcohol addiction into the use of cocaine and were not surprised
by the news of his arrest. They said Probert had refused the team's offers
to help him get over his drug problem, denying that he used cocaine at all.
Probert was not allowed to apply for reinstatement to the NHL until the
legal case against him was closed. Over the course of the following year,
Probert went through extensive rehab for his addiction and also served a
90-day sentence that resulted from his pleading guilty to federal
drug-smuggling charges. He served his prison time at a federal penitentiary
in Rochester, Minn. After his release from prison, Probert began skating on
March 5, 1990. Two days later, the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service granted him a 90-day work permit, enabling him to
work in the U.S. despite being a convicted felon. After earning his work
permit, he was finally reinstated by the NHL on March 9, 1990. The league
had initially said he could not return until Nov. 1, 1990, but the Wings got
the process expedited in time for the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs. Ziegler
said he was satisfied Probert met conditions for reinstatement. Despite the
NHL decision, Probert was only allowed to play games in the United States
until the U.S. immigration service dropped its orders to have him deported
if he were to enter the U.S. from Canada. This situation would last through the
1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons and part of the 1992-93 season as he appealed the ruling.
When he was
reinstated, Probert was finishing his sentence in a Detroit halfway house.
After getting clearance from his probation officer and halfway house
director, Probert returned to practice on March 19, 1990, and made his
1989-90 debut in a March 22, 1990, game vs. Minnesota. He scored a goal in
that game and in each of his next two. Despite the difficult year after his arrest, Probert later said the experience made him a
better person. His saga ended when he was released from the Detroit
halfway house on May 2, 1990.
Probert Leaves Detroit: Just when it
looked as if Probert had truly conquered his chemical dependency problem, he
found himself at the center of controversy once again in a series of events
that led to his departure from Detroit. On July 15, 1994, Probert suffered
minor injuries when he crashed his motorcycle into a car while driving in
West Bloomfield Township, Mich. At the time of the accident, a local
newspaper reported Probert's blood-alcohol level was as high as .31, more
than three times the legal .10 limit. The accident came just two days after
Probert had been pulled over for erratic driving and had been unable to
produce his license. At the time of the accident, Probert had been ruled an
unrestricted free agent. Given added controversy, Detroit senior
vice-president Jim Devellano decided not to make another contract offer to
Probert. On July 19, 1994, the Wings announced that Probert was no longer
part of the team. "This is the end," said Devellano. "In my 12 years with
the organization ... we've never spent more time on one player and his
problems than we have on Probert."
Another Season-Long Suspension: Five years after he was nearly banned
from the NHL for life, Probert's addiction landed him in more trouble. In a
bit of deja vu, Probert sat out the entire 1994-95 lockout
season after being suspended by the NHL for violating the league's substance
abuse policy. The suspension stemmed from a July 15, 1994, motorcycle
accident, which led to formal DUI charges against Probert on July 27, 1994.
Blood tests from July 15, revealed cocaine in Probert's system, in addition
to a high level of alcohol. Probert was not, however, charged with driving
under the influence of cocaine, because he was already facing the DUI charge
for alcohol. The charges left Probert facinig up to three months in jail.
Probert's lawyers disputed the police procedures in evidence collection.
Police, however, said Probert had threatened officers and workers at the
hospital as they tried to draw his blood. A police report said Probert
threatened to kill the arresting officers. On Aug. 8, 1994, Probert had a
hearing with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to determine the extent of
Probert's punishment. On Sept. 2, 1994, the NHL announced that Probert had
been suspended indefinitely and could not be reinstated until he had
completed a drug rehabilitation program. Probert was ordered to enter the
ASAP Family Treatment Center in California. The program was set for a
minimum of 28 days, but he ended up spending six months at the center before
he applied for reinstatement into the league, which at the time was
dealing with the protracted labor dispute and lockout. Probert was finally reinstated on April 28, 1995, allowing him to resume his career at the start
of the 1995-96 season. The ruling was a slight disappointment, since Probert
had hoped to play in the 1995 playoffs. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Brantford/Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL); Adirondack (AHL)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
AHL Calder Cup: 1986
(Adirondack)
Miscellaneous: Was on Brantford (OHL)
team that relocated to Hamilton prior to 1984-85 season. ... Released by
Hamilton (OHL) in October 1984. ... Traded by Hamilton (OHL) with Shawn
Tyers to Sault Ste. Marie in exchange for Alex Haidy, John English and 1985
sixth-round priority-selection pick in November 1984. ... Was active in charitable causes during
his playing days, including work to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, a cause
he became involved with after serving his prison sentence. ... Ran hockey
camp in Detroit during off-seasons of his playing days with Red Wings. ...
Arrested by police in the early morning hours of June 4, 2004, after a
scuffle on the streets of Delray Beach, Fla. Probert attempted to fight off
police officers who were looking to break the fight. He was finally
restrained by multiple uses of a Taser gun. Police charged him with three
felony counts -- battery
on a law-enforcement officer, violently resisting arrest and
disorderly conduct. Pending a hearing, he was jailed without bail at the
Palm Beach County jail. On Feb. 17, 2005, a jury acquitted Probert of all
three charges he had faced as a result of the incident.
Personal:
Full name is Robert A. Probert. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| FREE AGENCY: Probert, already a Group II
restricted free agent, had his status upgraded to unrestricted free agency
in July 1994 when the NHL ruled that Detroit's June 21, 1994, qualifying
offer did not meet the necessary standards. Probert was offered a raise only
over his base 1993-94 salary of $400,000 with no adjustment for a deferred
$200,000 in income he had also been receiving. Free to go elsewhere, Probert signed
a four-year, $6.6 million deal with Chicago on July 23, 1994. |
|
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|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
|
| 