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Whoa, baby, that’s a teaser now!
We know there hasn’t been much to celebrate lately in Detroit’s big four pro sports, a city that’s been looking for its first playoff win since April 2016.
But over the years there have been many glory days. The Bad Boys and Goin’ to Work Pistons. The Tigers’ 1968 and 1984 runs – even 2006 and 2011-14.
The Lions; OK, not much to do there.
But for all the moments and rivalries this city has had, few compare to the mid-’90s to early-2000s with the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
[ How to order new Free Press book commemorating Red Wings’ road to glory ]
The Red Wings are celebrating 25 years since their 1997 Stanley Cup title run, and a trailer for an ESPN E:60 documentary airing this June about the rivalry between the powers that be was released on the network’s The Point of the Western Conference is published. Show.
This caused an uproar on social media.
“I’m just as excited as everyone else to be able to include everyone’s perspectives. Kudos to ESPN,” former Red Wing Darren McCarty wrote to the Free Press on Friday. “This was the 30/30 I’ve been waiting for……but hey, I’m biased.
The video is 2:20 and starts with an old clip of Claude Lemieux from Colorado discussing his definition of a rivalry. He explains that if it stays on the ice, it’s not that much of a rivalry.
Deleted scene: Lemieux checks Kris Draper into the boards in Game 6 of the 1996 West Finals, splitting his lip and smashing his face in, which required reconstructive surgery.
The players on this Detroit team still say they didn’t know how badly Draper had been injured until they saw him on the plane after the game and wish they hadn’t shaken hands after the game after watching the series lost in six games.
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It’s widely credited as the hit that started the rivalry, as Colorado would wrap up the series that night with a 4-1 win en route to winning the Stanley Cup over Florida.
Lemieux missed the first two meetings in the following season. Somehow nothing boiled over in the third matchup when the two met in Colorado.
That all changed on March 26, 1997 at Joe Louis Arena with the biggest brawl in hockey history.
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McCarty talks about his “cold cock” from Lemeiux, letting blood drip from his face. Replays of the goalie brawl between Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon flying in from off screen. Then there’s Brendan Shanahan, who said, “I just thought I’d (expletively) grab someone here. Someone gets it.”
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There’s footage of Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Shanahan, Peter Forsberg, Roy, Scotty Bowman, Marc Crawford, McCarty, Adam Foote, Draper, Mike Ricci and Vernon all sitting down in their chairs to end the rivalry with the directors of the discuss documentary.
And then Vladimir Konstantinov, who suffered life-changing injuries in a car accident six days after the Red Wings won the 1997 Stanley Cup, comes into the picture and is asked, “What is your fondest memory of that rivalry with the Avalanche?”
“Hit her,” says Vladdy.
The two-hour documentary is scheduled to air during the Stanley Cup finals, which begin in mid-June.
The Wings and Avalanche met five times in the seven postseasons from 1996 to 2002, with the Wings winning in 1997 and 2002 and the Avalanche in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Detroit won the cup three times during this period and Colorado won twice.
MORE:Road to Stanleytown: Avalanche coach accuses Vladimir Konstantinov of dirty tricks
MORE:Au Rev Roy! Remembering the night Wings destroyed the hated Avalanche in 2002
Relive the glory
The Free Press has created a 208-page, full-color, hardcover collector’s book with fresh insight and dynamic storytelling about the Wings of 1996-97. It’s called “Stanleytown 25 Years Later: The Inside Story on How the Stanley Cup returned to the Motor City after 41 frustrating seasons.” It’s only $29.95 and is available at RedWings.PictureBook.com. (This makes a great Father’s Day gift for the Wings fanatic in your life!) Personalized copies are available via [email protected].
Contact Tony Garcia at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.
