If any of you became hockey fans post the 2004 lockout, you missed a lot in the way of pugilism. The days of the old school enforcer are long gone. In some ways that’s great, fighting shouldn’t be the main focal point of the sport. It does mean that the dust ups we see today are considerably less impressive.

Less impressive than what you ask? Um, this.

Beauty, eh?

This week Friday Fisticuffs looks back at one of the most famed enforcers in hockey history, Bob Probert.  His fights loom large in NHL legend, but it’s often easy to forget that he could actually flat out play the game.

Probie lost his battle with his demons and the affects of such a hard hitting career, passing away two years ago at the age of  45.

His family donated his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute after his death and their research found he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. For newer fans of the sport, that’s the same thing found on the study of Derek Boogaard’s brain after his passing.

Why do I bring this up? We all love hockey fights, that’s just a fact. We have to recognize the price many of the men who drop the gloves have paid. Many have suffered after effects of the blows to the head, whether it’s shortened careers or shortened life. We appreciate their toughness, their heart, and their willingness to stand up for their teammates. We just hope we don’t have to write another obituary for someone gone far too soon.

On to this week’s videos.

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