Not only have the Detroit Red Wings featured some of the greatest NHL talents to have ever hit the ice throughout their history, but some of the toughest.
During his heyday, the legendary Gordie Howe was not only one of the most skilled players, but also one of the hardest-nosed and physically imposing presences on the ice, who was never shy about clearing his way through opponents.
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Of course, the Red Wings also featured the iconic “Bruise Brothers” duo of Bob Probert and Joey Kocur. Additionally, Stu Grimson spent a portion of his NHL career in Detroit.
Known as one of the fiercest fighters in NHL history, the late Probert skated in over 900 NHL games between the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, racking up over 3,000 penalty minutes.
Grimson, who fought Probert multiple times, recently recounted a story of their on-ice bouts that always made for must-see action for the fans.
“I fought Probie…we fought 14 times over the course of our careers,” Grimson said while on the Ice Guardians Podcast. “Like, there was nobody I fought more than Probie. The same is true of him, God rest his soul. Probie was a handful, he was a good fighter. He didn’t hit like some of the other guys did.”
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Grimson played a total of 68 games with the Red Wings, during which he racked up 165 penalty minutes.
In 729 career games, Grimson accumulated 2,113 penalty minutes, a large portion of which came from fighting majors.
While the role of players who are mostly deployed as “enforcers” has been phased out of the game, fans who watched the respective careers of the late Probert as well as Grimson look back upon those memories fondly.
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