You can’t talk about hockey tough guys without mentioning the name Bob Probert.

If Mike Tyson was the baddest man on the planet (at least for a little while), Probert was the baddest man on ice. He had hard fists on the outside and soft hands on the inside. He was a threat to beat you senseless or a threat to score a goal. He was tough as nails on the ice but pretty soft-hearted off it.

Probert died the other day. He collapsed while on a boat, enjoying the holiday with his family. He was only 45.

Probert will be remembered for playing on the edge as a National Hockey League player for Detroit and Chicago. He, unfortunately, will also be remember for living life on the edge as well. His off-ice problems are now as much as his bio as his achievements on the ice.

That kind of notoriety is too bad. He certainly had his demons and likely brought that aggression to his role on the ice. They likely went hand-in-hand. But now, his arrests for drunk driving and drug possession overshadow the reputation he built on the ice. He was considered by some a tragedy waiting to happen. It’s kind of odd that a guy that you’d expect to go out with fists flying simply collapsed and died while on a boat. His death made news on ESPN probably more because of his troubles with the law than his time spent on the ice.

But with him now at rest in the big penalty box in the sky, maybe his off-ice exploits can be put behind him and his achievements on the ice can be what he’s most remembered for.

He was a rare breed of tough guy. He was a hard-nosed hockey player. He was one of the most feared fighters in the game – finishing sixth all-time in penalty minutes. He also molded himself into more than just a thug. He could score goals and be more than a liability on the ice. I bet if you ask any teammate, they’d tell you how significant a role he played on those successful Red Wings team, and not just for his toughness.

He was the kind of hockey tough guy that others wanted to be like. They wanted to be as tough as him, as fearless as him, as intimidating as him and also as skilled as him around the puck.

One Facebook friend of mine, a former pro hockey tough guy himself, posted his feelings about Probert this morning. Probert was his hero and was the hockey player he looked up to most. He was devastated to hear about the passing of someone he considered one of the all-time greats.

Hockey tough guys are a rare breed. They do a tough job and pay a heavy price. Many are just dismissed as run-of-the-mill thugs. The good ones deserve more than that. Baseball has its specialty players, closers, set-up men, designated hitters, pinch-runners. They’re recognized and honored for the roles they play and the impact they have on the game. Hockey’s tough guys, especially good ones, should be remembered for more than their fists of fury. They play valuable roles on their teams, often thankless ones. They’re significant contributors. A good hockey team often takes a good tough guy. And few did that as well as Probert.

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