Enforcer Advent Calendar – December 17th – Joey Kocur
It’s the half-way point! Not only are we are nearing the end of the ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar,’ but also this crazy year. Every fan has a different player who they hold near and dear to their heart, meaning that there are so many more warriors that could have made this list. That’s the beauty of sport, we all have a different favourite. Some think Gretzky, others – Mario Lemieux, the older generation may tell you Gordie Howe, while the younger generation argues for Sydney Crosby. Regardless of who your favourite is, we can agree that all these men deserve to be celebrated for their sacrifices. Frankly, enforcers deserve a little spotlight for their accomplishments too because they are far-too-often the unsung heroes. So, let’s celebrate some legends… ‘tis the season, after all.
Past Poster Boys –
December 1st – John “Fergy” Ferguson Sr. December 2nd – Tony “Twister” Twist
December 3rd- Dave “Cementhead” Semenko December 4th – Ryan “Muffin Man” Reaves
December 5th – Darren “Big Mac” McCarty December 6th – Colton “Bobby” Orr
December 7th – Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan December 8th – Lyle “Cornelius” Odelein
December 9th –Krzysztof “The Polish Hammer” Oliwa December 10th – Stu “The Grim Reaper” Grimson
December 11th – Basil “Baz” McRae December 12th – Jordan “Tootoo Train” Tootoo
December 13th – Dave “Browny” Brown December 14th –Darcy “Hordichuks” Hordichuk
December 15th – Eddie “The Entertainer” Shack December 16th – Georges “Big Georges” Laraque
December 17th – Joey Kocur
The 80s birthed the best nicknames: ‘The Bash Brothers’ (Jose Canseco & Mark McGwire), ‘The Road Animals’ (Animal & Hawk) and, in Detroit, it was all about ‘The Bruise Brothers’ – Bob Probert and our ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar’ surprise, Joey Kocur. When Kocur exploded in the league his hand almost did too. The Saskatchewan native was playing down in the AHL for the Adirondack Red Wings when he knocked out a massive defenceman with a huge right hand and had to head to the dressing room for repairs. The medical staff thought it would take just 40 stitches – yes, 40 stitches – but they were wrong. Luckily, Kocur was rewarded for his fearlessness and got the call-up to fly to Detroit the next day. After a restless night in a hotel room where his arm ballooned to the size of the Hulk, Kocur went to practice in the morning like nothing had happened. Thankfully, the medical staff in Detroit saw the rookie was only wearing one glove and opted to examine his hand. Unbeknownst to the Adirondack medical staff, Kocur had cut his hand on the teeth of his battered opponent and the doctors had sewn his gash shut with an infection. This caused the tendons in Kocur’s hand to begin to rot and his arm nearly needed to be amputated. Fortunately for hockey fans, Kocur was an absolute warrior and healed up quickly to get back doing his job alongside his ‘Bruise Brother’ – Mr. Bob Probert.
Joey Kocur vs Jay Miller – March 08, 1988 – 1st period – 17:42
Kocur kept the momentum going when he jumped to the ‘Big Leagues’ by battling some of NHL’s baddest dudes. Jay Miller was 4 years his elder, but his moustache made him look 10 years older. But that didn’t matter to Kocur, because his right-hand was one of the strongest the league’s ever seen, and the former Saskatoon Blade was more than willing to show-it-off. In this bout, Jay Miller jumped Kocur and landed two quick uppercuts that Kocur didn’t even blink at. Miller must have thought – “Who is this kid?” Kocur kept coming and took a few more shots before he landed a huge right hand to the moustached-man. Perhaps that punch was the motivation the Saskatchewan native needed, because he then delivered a flurry of blows, including an uppercut and huge left banger that sent Miller to his knees. This bout may have been deemed a draw, but Kocur must have taken it as evidence that he could battle with anyone in this league. Both the Wings and the Bruins had playoff success after this bout, but both of their Stanley Cup journeys ended at the hands of the Mark Messier-led Oilers. ‘The Bruise Brothers’ weren’t able to win the Cup that year, but they had a hell-of-a-time beating up anyone and everyone on the journey.
Joey Kocur vs Mike Eagles – November 21, 1992 – 2nd period – 2:56
‘Fly Eagles, Fly.’ In all seriousness though, Mike Eagles should have flown away from this bout with the proven heavyweight. All the credit in the world to Eagles for taking on Kocur, but the Nordiques draft pick didn’t stand a chance against Kocur’s huge right-hand. After a brief discussion, the two locked up at center ice in the Peg’. At first glance, seeing Eagles wearing a visor was a recipe for disaster…first glance was right. Kocur absolutely ragdolled Eagles in this one-sided affair. The Jets winger ducked his head throughout the majority of this bout – honestly, most of us would have done the same. But after landing a few shots, Kocur rocked Eagles with his legendary right-hand that dropped him to the ice. In hindsight, Eagles should have known he was in trouble when he realized he was wearing a visor because as soon as the visor came off…it was over. When Kocur came to the Rangers he may not have been expecting the Stanley Cup, but the second Mark Messier landed in the Big Apple he knew they were going to achieve something special. Flash-forward a season later: Kocur and the Rangers lifted the cup in New York for the last time…26 years ago.
Joey Kocur vs Sean Brown – December 12, 1997 – 3rd period – 4:28
Every person playing in a ‘Beer League’ hopes that one day an NHL club will see them and sign them to a big-league contract. More often than not…it doesn’t happen. But Joey Kocur isn’t your average fella, and after a brief stint in Vancouver, ‘The Bruise Brother’ was looking to come back to the Wings. Who better to make that happen than his partner in crime, Bob Probert. In Chicago, Kocur allegedly told his best friend to beat up the Wings when he came to town. That way they’d have no option other than to sign him. Kocur alleges that this was all tongue-in-cheek but, let’s be honest, you didn’t exactly have to pull teeth for Probert to make some bodies hit the floor. As expected, Probie delivered with some huge hits and a fight with Brendan Shanahan. After a series of events that included a car dealership and Scotty Bowman, Kocur was on his way to joining the squad. The former Wings draft pick was brought in to intimidate the opposition and provide some much needed grit to Detroit’s line-up. The end result: ‘The Grind Line’ of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Joe Kocur. This line was the backbone of the Wings as they won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. In regards to this bout, you could see the fear on Sean Brown’s face the second Kocur approached him. Kocur unloaded ~10 shots into the back of the Oilers’ head before he dropped to the ice in surrender. While Bowman didn’t sign Kocur to fight, I’m sure he didn’t mind when Kocur gave a beat down to a Western Conference foe.
For fight fans, ‘The Bruise Brothers’ will continue to live in infamy. Adding to the legend, Kocur joked that he and Probert would pick out who they were going to fight prior to the game and even do paper-rock-scissors to see who ran the goalie to incite a brawl. Kocur may be seen as the ‘Pippen’ and Probert the ‘Jordan’, but that doesn’t do either warrior justice. They both brought different dynamics to the game and if you ask fellow enforcers, Kocur had one of the hardest right-hands they’ve ever seen. Donald Brashear added to the legend by saying that Kocur was the only opponent to ever crack his helmet with a punch. The former Wing remains an active member of the Alumni Association and still calls Michigan his home. Overall, ‘The Bruise Brothers’ were sports icons and often drew more attention than the Wings’ wins and losses. The only reason this was possible was because two gladiators committed to doing their job, every single night. While one of them may be the ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar” poster-boy, stay-tuned: we all know his other-half will be making an appearance soon.
Twitter:@Jonesinthezone
