Today, Craig Berube is a highly respected NHL coach with one Stanley Cup to his name. During his playing days, however, he was known as one of the league’s most feared enforcers. On one occasion, he even fought Bob Probert four times in three days.
The NHL of the late 1980s was a very different league compared to today. Every team had at least one enforcer—often several. The Detroit Red Wings, for example, had both Bob Probert and Joey Kocur, two of the most intimidating players in NHL history.
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Tried to make a name for himself
In 1987, a 21-year-old Craig Berube was playing his rookie season in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers. Trying to make a name for himself and establish his reputation, Berube refused to back down from anyone—even Joey Kocur and Bob Probert. As a guest on the Nasty Knuckles podcast, Berube recalled his first encounter with two of the toughest players ever to play in the NHL.
Craig Berube fought Bob Probert
“I fought Probie twice in that game at the Spectrum. It was the first time I ever fought him. I fight him, I’m in the penalty box, and then Joey Kocur comes by the box and says, ‘I’m next.’ So I get out of the box and fight Kocur. Then Probie and I went at it again. After a day off, we go to Detroit. The night before the game, I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ it was hard to relax. I ended up fighting Probie two times in that game too,” Craig Berube said on the podcast.
Quite the start to a career. Berube went on to play 1,054 NHL games before transitioning into coaching. During his playing career, he accumulated 3,149 penalty minutes, ranking seventh all-time in NHL history.
You can watch the video below.
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