Joe Kocur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph "Joey" Kocur (Born December 21, 1964) is a retired professional ice hockey player of Ukrainian extraction from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is best known as one half of the "Bruise Brothers", the other being Bob Probert, when playing for the Detroit Red Wings.

Known for his physical play, Kocur is one of the most penalized players in NHL history amassing a career total of 2519 penalty minutes in stints with the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. Kocur retired at the end of the 1998-1999 season. He served as a video coach to Scotty Bowman from the 2001 season until Bowman's retirement following the 2002 season. Under head coach Dave Lewis, Kocur served as an associate coach along with Barry Smith. He was not asked to return after the hiring of new coach Mike Babcock.

On December 17, 1993, while a member of the Rangers, Kocur was involved in a multi-player brawl involving the Red Wings. At one point, Kocur, looking for an opponent to fight, grabbed the nearest Wing, who happened to be Probert. The two traded several punches before either of them realized exactly who they were fighting. After the moment of realization, Kocur and Probert continued to trade punches, albeit with less intensity.

Kocur had actually left the NHL following the 1996 season, and was playing in a beer league when the Red Wings brought him back during the 1996-97 season. Although he didn't fight as much as in his younger days, Kocur still brought an element of toughness to the Wings that had been lost with the departures of Probert and Stu Grimson.

Kocur has played alongside both of his cousins, Barry Melrose and Wendel Clark, in separate stints with the Red Wings. Kocur played with Melrose in both Detroit and Adirondack (AHL) from 1984 to 1986; Clark joined Kocur and the Wings for the end of the 1999 season.