Former Flames enforcer Tim Hunter reflected on some memorable moments during his NHL career. Hunter revealed why one fight in particular with former Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert stood out. He said the circumstances turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, but it was a painful lesson that he has found humor in.
Hunter, 65, had a long NHL career. Although he was relied on to produce points, Hunter was important because he stood up for his teammates as an enforcer. He achieved success, winning the Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989.
Probert, meanwhile, was regarded as one of the NHL’s toughest enforcers and was feared as a result. What made the Red Wings enforcer stand out was that he also produced points while playing with Steve Yzerman.
Tim Hunter Reveals the Hilarious Mix-up That Led to Him Fighting Ex-Red Wings Enforcer Bob Probert
Tim Hunter revealed that he was the one who instigated a fight with former Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert. Hunter noted that the fight took place when he played for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1992-93 season.
Hunter admitted that he was to blame because he went after Probert, thinking Probert had taken a run at his teammate. He recalled the fight ending badly for him, as the Red Wings enforcer did a number on him.
“The puck comes around the boards to me and I hear this big roar from the crowd and I’m trying to chip the puck off the D and get around him. And I look back and see Mike Hough, my left-winger, he’s laying on the ice and Probert skates by,” Hunter told Clearing The Crease. “I’m going, ‘Caged animal. Now I got to go fight him.’ So I go right across the ice and I cross-check him and he’s looking at me like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I’m thinking, ‘What am I doing?'”
“He’s going to kill me and you probably could watch the fight. I don’t do so good. He did a pretty good job and it was tough sledding, so to speak. The best part is the period ends and the guys are going, ‘Hunts, why did you fight Probie?’ I go, ‘Well, he ran over [Hough].’ [They said] ‘No, that was somebody else.’ I got the wrong guy,” Hunter laughed.
Hunter Recalls His First Fight With Probert
Hunter also recalled his first fight with Probert and what he took away from that. He said he hit the former Red Wings enforcer as hard as anybody he had fought. However, Probert was unscathed and the former Flames enforcer had a sigh of relief when it was over.
“I fought [Probert] in Detroit and he was early in his career and I’d only played four or five years. And I hit him as hard as I ever hit anyone with a punch and he didn’t even flinch. I just went, ‘Uh oh. This is not good,'” Hunter told Clearing The Crease.
Hunter continued:
“He swung for the fences and I ducked and we spun into the ice. I went, ‘Thank God.'”
Tim Hunter Reveals the Hilarious Mix-Up That Led to a Fight With Ex-Red Wings Enforcer