Brett Hull made a strong case for Bob Probert to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The former Detroit Red Wings star believes Probert should be recognized for revolutionizing the enforcer role.
Probert was well respected among his peers and widely considered the toughest and greatest enforcer of his era.
He was not an ordinary enforcer. Probert often played on the top line with captain Steve Yzerman and produced during his time in Detroit.
The former Red Wings enforcer’s best statistical season came during the 1987-88 NHL season. He scored 29 goals and added 33 assists for 62 points in 74 games. That strong production earned him a spot in the All-Star game.
Probert later scored 20 goals and recorded 44 points in 63 games during the 1991-92 season. Although he had strong offensive numbers, Probert still remained effective in his role as Red Wings enforcer.
Ex-Red Wings Winger Brett Hull Pushes for Bob Probert’s Hockey Hall of Fame Induction
Despite never being teammates with Bob Probert, former Red Wings winger Brett Hull made a strong push for his Hall of Fame recognition. He acknowledged that the criteria for the Hockey Hall of Fame has changed over time.
Hull noted that Probert deserves recognition for being synonymous with the enforcer role.
“I’ve said it for years now that there needs to be [enforcers], and we decided that Bob Probert should be the first guy kind of in that niche or category,” Hull said during a recent episode of Ice Guardians. “He’d be the guy to me that you would put in the Hall of Fame if you’re gonna go enforcer type guy. I think Probie would be your inaugural guy.”
He added: “For guys like me, and I’m sure the rest of the team as well, we loved having him on [Steve] Yzerman’s line because he was playing hockey.”
Hull’s Ice Guardians guest former NHL enforcer Stu Grimson, also supported his take.
“If you want to bring in the physical element as Probie, who was that gifted, just in terms of the ability to play, he was never less than a third line player. He was a top six guy much of his career and nobody wanted to fight him. You don’t find that skill set, that package in just any player.”
Hull Praises The Role of NHL Enforcers
Getty7 Apr 2000: Bob Probert #24 of the Chicago Blackhawks fights with Kelly Chase #39 of the St. Louis Blues at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport
Hull also praised the role Probert and other NHL enforcers played throughout their careers. The former Red Wings winger expressed gratitude toward teammates who protected him on the ice.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion noted that enforcers deal with a lot of pressure. Hull highlighted those challenges while contrasting them with his own role as a scorer.
“To me, if I didn’t score for a couple of games, I wasn’t worried about me, like, ‘Oh, there’s another guy coming in and he’s gonna score.’ But if a guy loses a couple of fights in a row, there’s always someone down in the minors, right?” Hull said on a recent episode of Ice Guardians.
Brett Hull Pushes Ex-Red Wings Enforcer for Hall of Fame Recognition