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This was quite shocking to see flash over the news, I really don't know what to say, grew up watching Probert fight his way around the NHL, he was a hell of an enforcer for sure, straightened his life around, and now he's gone. RIP Probie.

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The OPP have confirmed that former NHL enforcer Bob Probert has died of an apparent heart attack after being rushed to hospital with vital signs absent after collapsing on a boat on Lake St. Clair in Windsor, Ontario on Monday.

Probert was 45 years old.

Probert's father in law, Dan Parkinson, said at a news conference Monday that Probert had complained about "severe chest pain" around 2 p.m. before collapsing.

"This is a tragedy for the family," said Parkinson. "We ask that you respect their privacy at this time. This was totally unexpected. Bob lost the fight of his life this afternoon."

An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday to determine the official cause of death.

Windsor radio station AM 800 CKLW first reported that emergency crews performed CPR on the former Red Wings and Blackhawks' forward and then transported him to Windsor Regional Hospital where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

One of the most feared fighters in the history of the NHL, the Windsor native scored 163 goals and added 221 assists and whopping 3,300 penalty minutes in 935 career NHL games.

While Probert's bouts with the likes of Tie Domi and Marty McSorley were legendary, he was also an incredibly skilled player who played in the 1988 NHL All-Star game. A star on the ice, Probert battled his demons off the ice, including well documented problems with the law as well as alcohol and substance abuse. He also spent time in an NHL-supervised substance abuse treatment center.

The Red Wings family were shocked by his passing.

"It's very sad, very, very sad," Red Wings vice president Jim Devellano told the Detroit Free Press. "He was a pretty popular player in Detroit in the '80s, and certainly one tough guy with a lot of ability. But unfortunately we never got 100% out of him because of his off ice problems."

"We did everything," Devellano said. "I don't think there was a player I ever worked harder on, tried harder on to get his off ice life turned around."

Probert is survived by his wife and four children.

Former NHL enforcer Probert pronounced dead