Bob Probert Passes

[guido911]

Just damn:

http://www.freep.com/article/20100706/SPORTS05/7060441

[Hoss]

Just damn:

http://www.freep.com/article/20100706/SPORTS05/7060441

Saw that yesterday and wondered what Craig Coxe (played several seasons for the Tulsa Oilers from 1992 to about 1998 AND fought Probert many times when he played in the NHL) thought of it.  One of the longest fights I ever saw was of Probie and Coxey when Craig was playing for the Canucks when they wore those horrific yellow orange and brown monstrosities (looked like the old Houston Astro jerseys come to life for hockey).  Those guys traded punches for what seemed to be about two minutes.

Hockey has lost a legend.  Usually the tough guys on the ice are the most timid and humble off of it.  He sure was.  Many like that in the minors who are the same way.

Prayers go to his family and the two organizations (Detroit and Chicago) of whom he was such a big part.

[guido911]

A link to a story about Probert in Afghanistan.

http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=d336da46-340c-4392-bceb-a8dc6dcb617b&sponsor=

[Breadburner]

I have both of there playing cards autographed....Sad indeed.....

[Hoss]

I have both of there playing cards autographed....Sad indeed.....

Coxe was (and probably still is) quite a character.  I remember after he retired from playing he came to Tulsa and he could knock the brewskies back like noone else I'd ever seen.

I remember the old cable TV ads for the Oilers touting him as being 'nearly seven feet tall on skates'.  He was listed as 6'4" for hockey, but he was easily 6'6" and would have been very close to seven feet on skates.  He never lost a faceoff those first few seasons because the other center feared getting his block knocked off by him.  He rarely had to fight when playing for Tulsa, but that's why Luc Beausoleil and Doug Lawrence did so well.  Nobody would mess with those guys as long as Coxe was on the same line with them.  He did tutor several guys on the 'pugilistic arts' though.  Guys like Curtis Voth and Mike Bajurny.  Bajur was a beast.  I saw him break a guy open in a fight; it took the refs and off-ice officials twenty minutes to clean up the 'leaking' afterwards.  Brutal.

Here are some recent interviews with him; he talks about fighting and the minors:

[Breadburner]

[Conan71]

Coxe reminds me of Councilor Westcott.  I suspect Councilor Westcott may have gotten into a few brawls in his day.

[Breadburner]

Bajurny was a good fighter but his hockey skills were almost non-existant......

[Hoss]

Bajurny was a good fighter but his hockey skills were almost non-existant......

And at the time that's what he was used for; a fighter.  He went off the hockey radar when someone put it in his head that he could be a skill player (when he went to the WPHL).  He didn't last much longer after that.

[guido911]

That was perhaps Coxe's most notable win. For you hockey purists out there (ya know, those that like the fights), here's a link to a fan site which has a ton on Probert:

http://www.hockey-fights.com/

[Breadburner]

Lol..Beat ya to it a few post ago...lol...

[Hoss]

That was perhaps Coxe's most notable win. For you hockey purists out there (ya know, those that like the fights), here's a link to a fan site which has a ton on Probert:

http://www.hockey-fights.com/

In my bookmarks for YEARS.  I'm a purist, but I enjoy the game as much as the fighting.  Fighting just for the sake of fighting sucks in hockey.  You do it as part of protecting the smaller skill guys AND as revenge for nastiness.

Here's another fight with another former Tulsa Oiler in the NHL (Raitis Ivanans) vs Georges Laraque.  They had Laraque mic'd up for this.  You hear Laraque asking Ivanans if he wants to go.  Cool clip.  Not sure what set it off, but both of these guys have reputations as enforcers.

[guido911]

Possibly one of Laraque's worst losses (The Twister):

Back in the late 90s, one of the more interesting rivalries was Probert v. Twist.

[Hoss]

Possibly one of Laraque's worst losses (The Twister):

Back in the late 90s, one of the more interesting rivalries was Probert v. Twist.

Mean man for sure.  Laraque didn't lose many, especially after Probie was past his prime (later on during his years with the Hawks).

The following clip is ABSOLUTELY not safe for work, and likely home.  Please be wearing headphones for this or at the very least turn it down and close your office/home office/bedroom/computer room door.  Kevin Stevens and Brian Trottier let Brian Bellows of the Minnesota NorthStars have it for about a full minute.

[guido911]

Don't really want to turn this into a Twist thread, but this fight between Tony and Rob Ray is a classic heavyweight beatdown: