Legendary NHL tough guy Bob Probert died Monday after collapsing while on a boat on Lake St. Clair near Windsor, Ont. He was 45.
Probert was boating with his children, father-in-law and mother-in-law. His father-in-law, Dan Parkinson, said in a short news conference Monday night at Windsor Regional Hospital that Probert developed "severe chest pain" around 2 p.m. before collapsing to his death. Emergency crews attempted to revive Probert on the shore, but to no avail.
The Windsor Star reported his death was confirmed by Ontario Provincial Police spokeswoman Shawn Coulter shortly after 5 p.m.
"This is a tragedy for the family and totally unexpected," Parkinson said.
AM 800 CKLW, a Windsor radio station, first reported that Probert had collapsed. Probert was rushed to a Windsor Regional Hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Probert, who turned 45 last month, spent his 17-year career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. He was known as one of the NHL's most feared enforcers and fighters, and he wracked up 3,300 penalty minutes in 935 NHL games. He also had 384 points.
Probert ranks fifth on the NHL's all-time list for most career penalty minutes behind Tiger Williams (3,966), Dale Hunter (3,565), Tie Domi (3,515) and Marty McSorly (3,381), though he played in fewer games than all of those fellow fighters/enforcers. Probert holds the Red Wings franchise records for career penalty minutes (2,090) and penalty minutes in a season (398).
A third-round pick of the Red Wings in 1983, Probert debuted with Detroit in 1985-86. He was voted to the Campbell Conference All-Star team in 1988, the only time he received such an honor.
Probert finished the 1987-88 seasons with career highs in points (62) and PIMs (398). He also led the Wings with 21 points in 16 playoff games, though Steve Yzerman did not play in the playoffs that season.
"It's very sad, very, very sad," Red Wings Vice President Jim 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 percent out of him because of his off ice problems."
Probert was suspended indefinitely by the NHL in 1989 after he was arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine across the Canada-U.S. border. He was involved in a minor motorcycle accident in July 1994 and suffered minor injuries, but police determined his blood alcohol level was roughly triple the legal limit and he had traces of cocaine in his system.
Probert was boating with his children, father-in-law and mother-in-law. His father-in-law, Dan Parkinson, said in a short news conference Monday night at Windsor Regional Hospital that Probert developed "severe chest pain" around 2 p.m. before collapsing to his death. Emergency crews attempted to revive Probert on the shore, but to no avail.
The Windsor Star reported his death was confirmed by Ontario Provincial Police spokeswoman Shawn Coulter shortly after 5 p.m.
"This is a tragedy for the family and totally unexpected," Parkinson said.
AM 800 CKLW, a Windsor radio station, first reported that Probert had collapsed. Probert was rushed to a Windsor Regional Hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Probert, who turned 45 last month, spent his 17-year career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. He was known as one of the NHL's most feared enforcers and fighters, and he wracked up 3,300 penalty minutes in 935 NHL games. He also had 384 points.
Probert ranks fifth on the NHL's all-time list for most career penalty minutes behind Tiger Williams (3,966), Dale Hunter (3,565), Tie Domi (3,515) and Marty McSorly (3,381), though he played in fewer games than all of those fellow fighters/enforcers. Probert holds the Red Wings franchise records for career penalty minutes (2,090) and penalty minutes in a season (398).
A third-round pick of the Red Wings in 1983, Probert debuted with Detroit in 1985-86. He was voted to the Campbell Conference All-Star team in 1988, the only time he received such an honor.
Probert finished the 1987-88 seasons with career highs in points (62) and PIMs (398). He also led the Wings with 21 points in 16 playoff games, though Steve Yzerman did not play in the playoffs that season.
"It's very sad, very, very sad," Red Wings Vice President Jim 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 percent out of him because of his off ice problems."
Probert was suspended indefinitely by the NHL in 1989 after he was arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine across the Canada-U.S. border. He was involved in a minor motorcycle accident in July 1994 and suffered minor injuries, but police determined his blood alcohol level was roughly triple the legal limit and he had traces of cocaine in his system.
Soon after the Red Wings announced they weren't going to re-sign Probert.
"This is the end," Devellano said at the time. "(In) my 12 years with the organization ... we've never spent more time on one player and his problems than we have on Probert."
Probert signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in July of 1994, but Probert did not play in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season because he was suspended for violating the NHL's substance abuse policy.
He returned for the 1995-96 season and played through 2001-02. Probert officially announced his retirement on Nov. 16, 2002.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Probert family during this difficult time," Blackhawks President John McDonough said in a statement. "Bob will always be a member of the Blackhawks family and his memory will live on through our fans."
"This is the end," Devellano said at the time. "(In) my 12 years with the organization ... we've never spent more time on one player and his problems than we have on Probert."
Probert signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in July of 1994, but Probert did not play in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season because he was suspended for violating the NHL's substance abuse policy.
He returned for the 1995-96 season and played through 2001-02. Probert officially announced his retirement on Nov. 16, 2002.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Probert family during this difficult time," Blackhawks President John McDonough said in a statement. "Bob will always be a member of the Blackhawks family and his memory will live on through our fans."
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