I remember where I was on May 29, 1996: Mortimer’s bar in Minneapolis. I should have been enjoying a night out with friends. Instead I nervously stared at a television screen, watching another once-promising Detroit Red Wings season end early.
Detroit, which set a single-season record for points (131) and wins (62) in the 1995-96 season, fell to Colorado that night in May, ending their season in the Western Conference Finals. But 14 minutes into that game came the incident that, arguably, changed the Red Wings’ decade and created a dynasty.
Claude Lemieux’s hit-from-behind on Kris Draper broke Draper’s jaw and shattered his cheek and orbital bone as the Red Wing forward was only a few feet from the boards. Colorado won the game, the series and the Stanley Cup.
Colorado then won the first three meetings between the teams in 1997, and with the playoffs around the corner, Detroit was needing a spark.
I also remember where I was on March 26, 1997. It was 301 days after Lemieux leveled Draper, after Dino Ciccarelli famously said “I can’t believe I shook that guy’s friggin’ hand.” That was when Detroit hockey came alive.
First Colorado’s Brent Severyn and Detroit’s Jamie Pushor squared off. Then Rene Corbet and Kirk Maltby tangled.
Then, at 18:21 of the first period, came the retribution Detroit had been waiting for.
Peter Forsberg got tangled up with Igor Larionov and took an extra shot at the Red Wings’ center’s head. Larionov took exception and fought back. But behind the play, Darren McCarty found himself near Lemieux and leveled him. Lemieux famously “turtled” on the ice to not get hit as McCarty dragged him to the boards, getting a few left hands and a couple of right knees to Lemieux’s head.
Detroit fans got the blood they wanted, and then some; goalies Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon squared off at center ice and Vernon cut Roy above the right eye.
The game ended with nine fights, 11 goals, 39 penalties and 148 penalty minutes. Down 5-3 in the third period, the Red Wings rallied to tie. Fittingly, McCarty scored the game winner from fellow combatants Larionov and Brendan Shanahan 39 seconds into overtime.
Colorado coach Marc Crawford said that he’d love to see the Red Wings in the playoffs. He did that year; the Red Wings won the Western Conference Finals 4-2 before sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. The Red Wings went on to win Stanley Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2008, defeating the Avalanche in the playoffs in the during the last two Stanley Cup runs.
Friday evening, many of the players involved in the those games will be back in their team’s colors at Coors Field for the Stadium Series Alumni Game. Joe Sakic, Roy, Forsberg and Lemieux will be among those playing for Colorado. Steve Yzerman, Shanahan, Niklas Lidstrom, McCarty and Draper will be suiting up for Detroit.
This game probably won’t be as intense as those nights in the mid-90s, but I think a lot of fans will enjoy it as much — or more — as the main event on Saturday night.
What: Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings alumni game
Where: Coors Field
When: Friday, Feb. 26, 5 p.m. MST
Follow Lonny on Twitter @lonny_goldsmith and you can always reach him at Lonny.Goldsmith@prohockeynews.com
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