Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge [Hardcover]

Bob Probert (Author), Kirstie McLellan Day (Author), Dani Probert (Foreword), Steve Yzerman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2010

In a notorious career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, Bob Probert racked up points, penalty minutes, and bar bills, establishing himself as one of the most feared enforcers in the history of the NHL. On the ice, he was a fan favorite. He backed up his teammates 100 percent, taking on the toughest guys of his era. Off the ice, Probert played hard as well. Over his pro career he went through rehab 10 times, was suspended twice, was jailed for carrying cocaine across the border, and survived a near fatal motorcycle crash. When he died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 45 on July 5, 2010, he was hard at work on his memoir. Probert wanted to tell his story in his own words to set the record straight.



Tough Guy is a gripping journey through the life of Bob Probert, with jaw-dropping stories of his on-ice battles and his reckless encounters with drugs, alcohol, police, customs officials, courts, and the NHL, told in his own voice and with his rich sense of humor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bob Probert was a winger with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks between 1986 and 2002. He supported many local charities and twice visited troops in Afghanistan. He died suddenly in 2010 at the age of 45 while boating with his family. Kirstie McLellan Day is the author of Above and Beyond, No Remorse, the number one bestselling memoir Playing with Fire, and Under the Mat. She lives in Calgary, Alberta. Dani Probert is the wife of Bob Probert. Steve Yzerman is a former player for the Detroit Red Wings, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (October 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160078562X
• ISBN-13: 978-1600785627
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read! October 27, 2010

By CGS17

Format:Hardcover

I am a Leaf fan that hated Bob Probert as a kid. As I got older and Probert moved on to Chicago I respected him much more and appreciated his abilities. I guess that comes with age as I learned to respect Stevie Y much the same way even though I was sick to my stomach at having to watch the Wings win Stanley Cups. This is an excellent account of Probert's life told in his own words and I thought it was very well done. I literally could not put this book down and read it in one night. Definitely worth it for any hockey fan - not just Red Wing and/or Blackhawks fans.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you to the Probert's October 19, 2010

By J. NOLAN

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is fantastic, and for fans of Bob Probert, it is extremely insightful. The book opens with a prologue from Steve Yzerman and Mrs. Probert, and goes on to recount the day that Bob passed away. Chapter 1 starts the autobiographical story of Probie's life, and he goes into great detail about the highs and low's of his career. To truly understand 'The Enforcer,' this is a must read. Thanks for the memories Bob-

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard-core Hockey Animal November 4, 2010

By J. Scott Moore

Format:Hardcover

Bob Probert was cuffed with his hands behind his back. He was facedown on the ground with a cop's knee on his neck. Probert told him he was probably the fat kid in school that was always picked on, and that's why he became a cop. Probert's face was a mess after that comment. The worst part was that the cop took his $600 sunglasses.

Tough Guy is the no nonsense expose that's part Animal House and part Slap Shot. This is a story of a time in sports that is so different from today that it's hard to believe that it was only a couple decades ago. Probert was such a hard party machine that he would stay out all night, till 7 A.M. dress for practice and play that night. He was a smoker. He microwaved his urine to fool the testers into thinking it had just come out of his body and yet he occupies some interesting spots in the record books.

The book opens with an emotional narrative of that last day of Probert's life. Kirstie McLellan Day stirs the emotional soup by quickly shifting the book to Probert's voice and taking us back in time to a fight with Tie Domi. Probert tells us of Domi's first shot at fighting him, filling the page with four letter words, you are suddenly jolted out of the opening passage of the book. You know you are in Probie's world now.

Probert's ability to party was stunning; it's amazing he had time for hockey. An example of Probert's thought process: when meeting the press with fellow draft pick, Steve Yzerman, Probert assessed him as "fairly serious...and not someone you would expect to be sitting next to in a jail cell, laughing off a hangover."

But he did have time for hockey. In the 1988 Playoffs he broke Gordie Howe's playoff record of 21 points. Probert held that record until 1995. Probie's chapter about his friendship with Sheldon Kennedy is particularly heart warming. It was his first really successful attempt at staying clean after a major scrape with the law.

Probert said he was most happy when he was playing and fighting.

The thing you will see over and over with fighters is pride. That blue collar ethic applied to their job as the enforcer, the man that provides protection. Probert was no different when it came to protecting his guys off the ice. In an incident at a bar, Probert engaged in a street fight to defend a teammate. After the fight he went back in the bar to have a couple more beers before going into the emergency room to get stitched up.

Bob Probert was clearly a troubled man. He struggled with priorities and even as he looked back on his life he alternately took responsibility and dodged it throughout the book. Two things kept Probert on the straight and narrow, the game and his family. And he did manage to keep clean, now and then. It's a crazy ride through the life of a hard partying and hard hitting hockey player.