Probert Bio

[Tim Robinson 133]

     On February 8th, 2002 in Detroit, MI, Mo Probert was born. Mo spent all of his childhood in his hometown of Saginaw, MI with his Father who was a now retired boxer. Once he was able to stand his Father had him practicing jabs on his hands as he wanted Mo to follow in his footsteps and become a great boxer. Mo took to fighting quickly and grew up training with his Father almost everyday, it looked like he was going to do just what his Father had wanted him to.

 

     It wasn't until around 2014 when Mo was introduced to Hockey. Mo was taken to visit his Grandfather for the first time and he stated in an interview "I don't think I even knew what hockey was until my Grandpa took me to a game when I was 12 years old. We had seats by the glass and I saw a bench clearing brawl and was surprised that no one was trying to stop it. All the fans in the crowd cheering and jumping outta there seats got my adrenaline and excitement pumping. I knew right then and there I wanted to be a hockey player." Once Mo returned to his home in Saginaw he pestered his Father for a year before he finally got him some skates and a stick to start practicing. Mo would go down to the pond near his house everyday that winter to practice skating and shooting. He still practiced boxing with his Father often and even started to spar with some of the young fighters at the gym his Father owned.

 

     Mo didn't take to hockey as quickly as he did to boxing, but he still went to tryout for his high schools hockey club the Saginaw Heritage his freshman year. He didn't make the cut that year as the Coach of the team told him his skating wasn't good enough to be on the team. After his father heard the news that Mo didn't make the team he told him if he did not make the team next season he would have to give up on hockey and focus on boxing. All year Probert worked on his skating in hopes to make the team his Sophomore year. When tryouts opened for the team next season Proberts skating had seen significant improvement and he made the team. He proved to be a force on the ice as he had a large growth spurt and was now 6' 6". He led his team in hits every season and would be named Captain of his team his Senior year.

 

     Following high school, Mo had a few options on what he could do next. He could go to college and try to be a walk on, He could stay home and work at his Fathers gym and possibly focus on becoming a professional boxer, or he could tryout for a VHLM team and try to get drafted into the VHL. He decided on trying out for a VHLM club in hopes of being recognized by the VHL sooner and to avoid doing schoolwork at college. Mo traveled to Miami because the Marauders had most of their team filled out, but they did not have too many defenseman, and so he figured this was his best chance at joining a VHLM team. If he didn't make the cut for the team he said he would've traveled back home and worked with his Father. "I put all my cards on Miami taking me onto their team and hoping that season would get me recognized by some VHL teams. If I didn't make the team that would've been it for my hockey career, I would've went home and worked at my Pops gym and train and spar with the fighters he brings in. I figured this was my one chance to play hockey and I was not gonna let the opportunity it pass me by."

 

    After Mo made the team for the Miami Marauders and played his first season in the VHLM he was eligible to be drafted by teams in the VHL, VHLE, and VHLM. He was hoping to get drafted by a team in each league and work his way up to the VHL, but his name was only called during the VHLM draft. After hearing the news that he was not drafted by a VHL or VHLE team Mo had little hope of continuing his hockey career. He considered going back home to his father and giving up on his dream to play hockey. "I remember being pretty down that day ya'know. I put all this work in and I was not even gonna get a chance to show one of the big teams what I could do. I didn't wanna play in the VHLM if I wasn't gonna get a chance to play in the VHL in the future. I had my bags packed and I was gonna call my Pops and tell him I was coming home, but I got a call the next day from Malmo saying they were interested in signing me. I knew that signing this contract would give me a chance to at least show the Nighthawks what I could do and hopefully I would be playing for them in the future."

 

     It took Mo three more seasons to finally make it to the VHL, but he is now in his 3rd season with the Nighthawks and has proven to be a valuable player to the team.

 

 

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