Bob Probert documentary

[DetroitRed]

I think Probert became a distraction, but I don't think the team's success in the late '90s had much to do with Probert being cut in the sense that, if not for his off-ice issues, he was a player who could have fit right in on those cup teams. Part of the formula for those cups were Kocur, McCarty, Shanahan: They had a number of guys who liked to drop the gloves. They had a number of other tough players. Chelios was eventually one. They had a ton of grit. Although, we probably remember the hall-of-fame coach, goalie, defenders, and forwards first.

I also felt like the movie kinda suggested that the Wings cut Probert to try to save him from his substance abuse, but at the time, it felt a lot more like they cut him just because he was bad publicity. In either case, it wasn't about team strategy. I mean, here's a guy who, if not for the issues, would've gotten 20-25 goals a season and been the best fighter in the league for a long portion of his career. Those guys don't grow on trees. Cutting him wasn't a decision that the Wings wanted to make.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Bob has said it saved his life,so has his widow

 

[MBH]

Probert went 7-10-17 in his last season in Detroit.
He more than doubled his salary by going to Chicago.
The Wings had turned the corner.
Why did they need Probert?
Fedorov 56 goals
Sheppard 52 goals
Yzerman 24 goals in 58 games
Kozlov 34 goals
Primeau 31 goals
Ciccarelli 28 goals
Drake 10 goals
Sillingers 8 goals McCarty 9 goals
Burr 10 goals.

They also had Marty Lapointe, Kris Draper, Greg Johnson and other young forwards on the way.

He had already been an unsigned free agent for a couple weeks when he wrecked his bike drinking and driving
Only July 19:
"This is the end," said senior vice-president Jim 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."
Only July 23, he signed with Chicago.

 

[Richard Gibson]

it SAVED his life,more importantly

 

[Richard Gibson]

In the movie tough guy there is a couple pics of Bob's dad Al in the war. They were my dads pics that my son gave to Bobby. Heres the pic when it happened.( My dad and Bob's dad were close friends growing up and had sent them to my dad back in the day. born 29 he be 16 in 1945)-Tom Hutchinson