Joe Kocur
Encyclopedia
Joseph George Kocur is a retired professional ice hockey
player. He is best known as one half of the "Bruise Brothers," the other being the late Bob Probert
, when playing for the Detroit Red Wings
.
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 officially 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 coach Mike Babcock
.
Kocur was best known for his devastating right-hand punch; he so frequently hit players with his right hand, often landing blows on their helmets or teeth, his right hand was often in poor condition.
In an interview with Donald Brashear
, Brashear described how Kocur cracked his helmet with his punches; though his helmet absorbed most of the blow, he still felt serious pain in his gums even on the other side of his face, leaving him unable to eat for a day or so. Kocur's punches often seriously injured players, such as Brad Dalgarno
of the New York Islanders
, whose orbital bone, cheek bone, and jaw
were fractured by Kocur.
Kocur left the NHL following the 1996 season and was playing in the International Hockey League
when the Red Wings brought him back during the 1996–97 season after captain Steve Yzerman
suggested him to head coach Scotty Bowman.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E0DD103AF932A25755C0A96E958260 Although he didn't fight as much as in his younger days, Kocur brought an element of toughness to the Wings that had been lost with the departures of Probert and Stu Grimson
. Kocur scored goals in the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup finals series, helping the Wings win the Stanley Cup both times.
with his wife Kristen, son Liam, and daughter Kendall. He is a member of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association and is active in its efforts to raise money for children's charities in Metro Detroit
. In 2010 he created Kocur Enterprises, a manufacturer's representative of specialty products serving commercial, industrial and municipal markets in several states.
, Kocur is featured in a book entitled Bruise Brothers by Bob Duff .
Kocur makes occasional cameo appearances playing adult league hockey in Waterford, MI.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He is best known as one half of the "Bruise Brothers," the other being the late Bob Probert
Bob Probert
Robert Alan Probert was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks...
, when playing for the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
Career
Known for his physical play, Kocur was one of the most penalized players in NHLNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
history, amassing a career total of 2519 penalty minutes in stints with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Kocur officially retired at the end of the 1998–1999 season. He served as a video coach to Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
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
Barry Smith
Barry Smith may refer to:*Barry Smith , ontologist at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York*Barry Smith , preacher from New Zealand...
; he was not asked to return after the hiring of coach Mike Babcock
Mike Babcock
Michael "Mike" Babcock, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and former player. He serves as head coach of the Red Wings. He also served as the head coach of Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver...
.
Kocur was best known for his devastating right-hand punch; he so frequently hit players with his right hand, often landing blows on their helmets or teeth, his right hand was often in poor condition.
In an interview with Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Rivière-du-Loup CIMT in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . He previously played for five organizations in the National Hockey League . His main role is that of an enforcer. He was...
, Brashear described how Kocur cracked his helmet with his punches; though his helmet absorbed most of the blow, he still felt serious pain in his gums even on the other side of his face, leaving him unable to eat for a day or so. Kocur's punches often seriously injured players, such as Brad Dalgarno
Brad Dalgarno
Brad W. Dalgarno is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right wing. He was drafted in the first round, 6th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft....
of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, whose orbital bone, cheek bone, and jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
were fractured by Kocur.
Kocur left the NHL following the 1996 season and was playing in the International Hockey League
International Hockey League
The International Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The IHL served as the National Hockey League's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League . After 56 years of operation, financial instability led to...
when the Red Wings brought him back during the 1996–97 season after captain Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
suggested him to head coach Scotty Bowman.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E0DD103AF932A25755C0A96E958260 Although he didn't fight as much as in his younger days, Kocur brought an element of toughness to the Wings that had been lost with the departures of Probert and Stu Grimson
Stu Grimson
A. Stuart Grimson is a former Canadian ice hockey forward. Grimson played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings,...
. Kocur scored goals in the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup finals series, helping the Wings win the Stanley Cup both times.
Post hockey career
He lives in MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
with his wife Kristen, son Liam, and daughter Kendall. He is a member of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association and is active in its efforts to raise money for children's charities in Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
. In 2010 he created Kocur Enterprises, a manufacturer's representative of specialty products serving commercial, industrial and municipal markets in several states.
In media
Along with former teammate Bob ProbertBob Probert
Robert Alan Probert was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks...
, Kocur is featured in a book entitled Bruise Brothers by Bob Duff .
Kocur makes occasional cameo appearances playing adult league hockey in Waterford, MI.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1982–83 | Saskatoon Blades Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.-History:... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
62 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 289 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 25 | ||
| 1983–84 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 69 | 40 | 41 | 81 | 258 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 1983–84 AHL season The 1983–84 AHL season was the 48th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league initiates two new awards. The Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award is first awarded to the league's "best goaltender." The Jack A... |
Adirondack Red Wings Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
— | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | ||
| 1984–85 1984–85 AHL season The 1984–85 AHL season was the 49th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Whalers finished first overall in the regular season... |
Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 47 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 1985–86 1985–86 AHL season The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season... |
Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 9 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 59 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 377 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 77 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 276 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 71 | ||
| 1987–88 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 64 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 263 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||
| 1988–89 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 60 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 213 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1989–90 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 71 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 268 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 52 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 253 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 21 | ||
| 1991–92 | New York Rangers | NHL | 51 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 121 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 38 | ||
| 1992–93 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | New York Rangers | NHL | 71 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 129 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17 | ||
| 1994–95 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 71 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | New York Rangers | NHL | 38 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | San Antonio Dragons San Antonio Dragons The San Antonio Dragons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League for two seasons in 1996–97 and 1997–98. The Dragons were based in San Antonio, Texas and played at the Freeman Coliseum and occasionally the Alamodome.... |
IHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 34 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 70 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 1997–98 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 63 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 92 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 30 | ||
| 1998–99 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 39 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 821 | 80 | 82 | 162 | 2519 | 118 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 231 | ||||
Achievements
- 1994 Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Champion (NYRNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
) - 1997 Stanley Cup Champion (DetroitDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
) - 1998 Stanley Cup Champion (Detroit)
- 2002 Stanley Cup Champion (Detroit as Video Coach)