Remembering the brawl that turned it all around
March 26, 2017, 12:27 PM ET [4 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
For Detroit Red Wings fans, it defined a generation.
For Red Wings players, it turned them into champions.
It was 20 years ago today that the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche brawled at Joe Louis Arena and Detroit forward Darren McCarty exacted revenge on Colorado’s Claude Lemieux for the facial injuries he caused to Wings forward Kris Draper with a dirty hit from behind into the boards in Game 6 of the Western Conference final, part of a line brawl during the first period of Detroit’s 6-5 overtime win over the Avalanche.
To this day, it remains the seminal moment of McCarty’s NHL career - and don’t forget, he scored the OT winner that night and a couple of months later, produced the Stanley Cup-winning tally with a highlight-reel marker against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“Around here, more people want to talk to me about the fight,” McCarty said. “When people come up to me, they say 'What you did to Lemieux, that was awesome, man. And, oh yeah, nice goal, too.’”
With Draper, the man who was the linchpin to the whole thing, it’s also something that people still frequently bring up in conversation.
“Probably the two biggest conversations I have with Wings fans are the $1 trade (was the Wings paid Winnipeg to acquire him) and then this, obviously, the hit in ’96 and the brawl in ’97,” Draper said. “A lot of people want to talk about that game.
“That thing, you can’t script that any better. I think that was something … when you watch the brawl and you hear the fans, you can hardly hear the announcer, it’s that loud. It just seems like there was roar after roar after roar as the sequence of it just played out.
“You remember even in the dressing room it was like you felt that was something special we just did, and obviously for me it meant a lot, with the way my teammates responded and the way Mac responded. That was something that meant a lot to me and something that I’ll never forget.”
Beyond avenging Draper, March 26, 1997 was also about exorcising demons for the Red Wings. Up until that day, the Avalanche had proven to be Detroit’s kryptonite.
Colorado beat Detroit in the 1996 conference final after the Wings had won an NHL-record 62 games during the regular season, and up until March 26, the Avs were 3-0 against the Wings in 1996-97.
Detroit would go on to eliminate the Avalanche in the 1996-97 Western Conference final en route to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup triumph since 1954-55.
“I think when you look at a lot of teams that go on to win the Stanley Cup, they can pick - it might be a playoff game, it might be a regular season game down the stretch - something they allude to that they believe ‘this is our year’ kind of thing,” Draper said..
“There’s always that special defining moment of great teams. For us, that was a big one. Just with the previous losses we’d had, not being able to beat Colorado through the ’96-97 year. They had a swagger, they had a great team, they had great young players, and we had to beat them, we had to find a way to believe in ourselves that we could beat them, and I think that night, that’s the one thing I’ve always tried to make an impression on - the brawl was obviously something but for us the way we responded and the way we came back in that game and then Mac coming out and scoring the OT winner, that was huge.
“If it was just the brawl and we lost, there still probably would have been a good feeling the way it played out, but back in our minds and back in their minds they would know they still had our number if we didn’t win that hockey game. They would know that going into the conference finals.
“Not only the brawl but coming back from the deficit, I think it was three goals, not only winning it in overtime but Darren McCarty winning it in overtime. I just think when you look at the way that game played itself out, for our team, we couldn’t have scripted that any better, the fight, the game, the comeback and then obviously Mac scoring the goal in overtime. That was for us.
“And then in the locker room … I don’t think the 20,000 fans at that game wanted to leave. There’s no chance there was a single fan that left that game early, with everything that was going on.”
More than a fight, more than revenge, it was the night that galvanized the Wings into a championship team.
Yesterday at 8:15 am by Rocky
» utube 5/21/24 MM&C Oil - Revenues - Exchange Rate Recovery - IQD Inevitable
Yesterday at 7:00 am by Rocky
» Political bloc: Progress has lost all its cards in the House of Representatives
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» The Finance Committee holds its first meeting to study the budget schedules
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Agricultural associations demand penalties against those who market spoiled wheat
Yesterday at 6:52 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sales increased at today's auction
Yesterday at 6:50 am by Rocky
» Iraq is close to completing a final plan to develop Baghdad International Airport
Yesterday at 6:48 am by Rocky
» The government takes a number of new decisions
Yesterday at 6:46 am by Rocky
» The first parliamentary meeting to discuss the general budget schedules... agreeing to host two mini
Yesterday at 6:43 am by Rocky
» Learn about dollar sales outlets for pilgrims
Yesterday at 6:40 am by Rocky
» It includes 6 paragraphs... The House of Representatives holds a new session
Yesterday at 6:33 am by Rocky
» The House of Representatives votes on the proposed Second Amendment Law to the Election Commission L
Yesterday at 6:31 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Voting on the budget tables will not exceed next June 9
Yesterday at 5:22 am by Rocky
» Al-Rafidain Bank: Launching the process of selling the dollar to pilgrims exclusively at 3 thousand
Yesterday at 5:21 am by Rocky
» The rise of Bitcoin, the second largest cryptocurrency, jumps by more than 22%
Yesterday at 5:20 am by Rocky
» A representative from the front: Al-Halbousi directed the representatives to create chaos in Parliam
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» Dhi Qar Energy announces the imminent establishment of a private company for the governorate’s elect
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» The Sunnis are calling on the Shiites for help to resolve their differences, and Big Brother is resp
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» A former MP reveals: Türkiye ignored solving the problem of oil exports... for this reason
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Legal: Political differences hinder the passage of important laws
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» MP: Parliament does not have the right to propose amending the salary scale...for this reason
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Deputy: Parliament continues to perform its oversight and legislative duties
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Khamenei to Al-Sudani: Mokhbar has a great responsibility and will continue to cooperate with the Ir
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» "Al-Eqtisad News" publishes the full decisions of the Council of Ministers session
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank determines the branches for selling dollars to pilgrims
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Iraq intends to deliver the capacity of the northern refineries to 600 thousand barrels per day
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Referring the 2024 budget tables to Parliamentary Finance
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Former MP: Türkiye ignored solving the oil exports problem for this reason
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Electricity expects: power supply will reach 16 hours this summer
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» In the document... Al-Mandalawi refers the draft Federal Budget Law 2024 to the Parliamentary Financ
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance Committee to / NINA /: Today the committee meetings will begin to discuss the
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Opening of the optical access network project today in Basra
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» The blacklist for the “theft of the century” increases to nine names... secret investigations and wa
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Revealing the effects of Raisi’s death on Iranian-Iraqi relations
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Details of the telephone call between the Sudanese and the Ukrainian President
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers approves the appointment of 17 general directors in various ministries and
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» After the events of the presidential election session... parliamentary calls to activate the Conduct
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» A slight increase in the dollar exchange rates in Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» In the document.. referring the 2024 budget schedules to Parliamentary Finance
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Parliament will vote next Wednesday on the draft law on public holidays
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Justice discusses Iraq's report on the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discr
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Al-Fateh: The current parliamentary session did not adhere to the laws
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» What are the reasons for the World Bank’s demand to reform the retirement system in Iraq?.. Economic
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Trade Bank announces facilities for the health sector with external transfer operations
Yesterday at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Transport announces the reduction of the airspace designated for military aviation for the internati
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Components of the Kurdistan Region issue a statement regarding the decisions of the Federal Court
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Christian writer: The Federal Court’s decision to reduce component seats is worse than canceling the
Yesterday at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Oil signs a contract to develop the Mansuriya gas field
Yesterday at 4:26 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Resources announces a 6-pronged plan to organize water management
Yesterday at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Baghdad blames international oil companies for obstructing Ceyhan pipeline exports
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky
» The real estate market in Kurdistan...a new recovery after bitter years of stagnation
Yesterday at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Health: The latest AIDS infections came from beauty centers
Yesterday at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Deputy: There will be no session soon to elect the Speaker of Parliament
Yesterday at 4:20 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank announces approved dollar sales outlets for pilgrims
Yesterday at 4:18 am by Rocky
» The end of this month.. Will the trial census include the Kurdistan region?
Yesterday at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Optional retirement guarantee comes into effect!
Yesterday at 4:15 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers issues decisions regarding lagging projects and financial reform
Yesterday at 4:12 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani arrives in Tehran to participate in the funeral of the Iranian president and his companion
Yesterday at 4:10 am by Rocky
» Floating the Iraqi dinar A solution to fill the "gap" of its turbulent price against the dollar
Tue 21 May 2024, 2:57 pm by Will Cashem
» MM&C 5/21/24 Big and scary.” What did financial experts say about the unprecedented 2024 budget?
Tue 21 May 2024, 1:59 pm by Rocky
» Biden extends the state of national emergency in Iraq for an additional year
Tue 21 May 2024, 7:08 am by wciappetta
» utube 5/18/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar - Iraq Central Bank - IMF - UNAMI - World Bank - Key Votes Tabled -
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:58 am by Rocky
» utube 5/21/24 Iraqi Dinar | The NDA Dinar EXPOSE: Big News Release Hold Your Dinar | Iraqi Dinar N
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:56 am by Rocky
» Iraq is getting rid of the yoke of debt to face the snake of financial waste
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:55 am by Rocky
» An Iraqi court begins electronic work with the systems for issuing legal arguments and divisions
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:52 am by Rocky
» Government statistics on the number of lagging projects in Iraq
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:50 am by Rocky
» Within the budget... Parliament renews its keenness to fix financial allocations for the development
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:49 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Oil directs the achievement of high flow in the movement of products and the develop
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:47 am by Rocky
» “The deficit rate is large.” An economic message to the House of Representatives regarding the 2024
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:46 am by Rocky
» Al-Kadhimi reveals the date for approving the general budget schedules
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:44 am by Rocky
» Al-Mandalawi calls for holding periodic meetings before and after enacting the budget to ensure fair
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:42 am by Rocky
» Minister of Justice Dr. Khaled Shawani chairs the meeting of the National Committee for Writing Inte
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:39 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: We are working to keep the budget away from political influences
Tue 21 May 2024, 6:38 am by Rocky
» A Kurdish movement shows the goals of the Turkish presence in northern Iraq
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:06 am by Rocky
» In harmony with the government’s performance...the majority coalition calls for the election of a yo
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:05 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Oil: The region receives sums of money from Baghdad as a “courtesy”
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:04 am by Rocky
» Deputy: The gas import bill will begin to decline starting in 2025
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:03 am by Rocky
» State real estate monitoring indicates 8,250 encroachments on public property
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:02 am by Rocky
» An economist explains the reasons for reducing government support for “enhanced” gasoline
Tue 21 May 2024, 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki's coalition: The Diyala problem is closely linked to the issue of choosing the Speaker of
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:59 am by Rocky
» Collecting signatures to add the item on the election of the Speaker of Parliament to the agenda
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:58 am by Rocky
» The central bank sells more than $271 million at auction today
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:57 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Parliament receives the 2024 budget schedules
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:55 am by Rocky
» The service effort implements 3 water projects in an Iraqi governorate
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:53 am by Rocky
» Iraq announces the reactivation of an electrical project that has been stalling for ten years
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:52 am by Rocky
» What are the reasons for the World Bank’s demand to reform the retirement system in Iraq?.. Economic
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:51 am by Rocky
» Ministry of Interior: Closing more than 800 violating tourist facilities during the past four months
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:47 am by Rocky
» The launch of the conference “Legislative and supervisory cooperation between the federal and local
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:46 am by Rocky
» Al-Sayhud: The attempt to thwart the session to elect the Speaker of Parliament is intended to place
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:45 am by Rocky
» The Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers discusses with the Regional Director of the
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:43 am by Rocky
» (Development Road) provides 6 million job opportunities
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:40 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani heads the meetings of the Development Fund and the Supreme Council for Youth
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:39 am by Rocky
» A study to establish an institute for tourism and archeology in the ruins of Babylon
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:37 am by Rocky
» Environment: Legal landfill sites do not exceed 28%
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:36 am by Rocky
» Security forces await restructuring
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:35 am by Rocky
» More than 900 educators receive “entitlements” from the Education Fund
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:34 am by Rocky
» The judiciary grants Christians and Turkmen in the region five seats in the Kurdistan Parliament
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:32 am by Rocky
» A "negative" political outlook towards progress after Saturday's incident... and expectations of its
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:31 am by Rocky
» The Democrat comments on the "Federal" decision regarding the representation of the components: Corr
Tue 21 May 2024, 4:29 am by Rocky