Ten Years Ago

It has actually been ten years since (as so many people would say) the greatest hockey game ever was played. Yes, I'm talking about THE game between Detroit and Colorado--the game of retribution for what Lemieux did to Draper the previous year. To those who don't know hockey, this video can look like a bunch of thugs beating on each other--but it was much more than that. On May 29, 1996, Draper was hit with a sucker punch by Lemieux--this ended Draper's season and left him with broken bones to his nose, jaw, cheekbone and eye socket. Five teeth were bent backward toward his throat. He needed 40 stitches to close cuts around his eye and in his mouth. His jaw was wired shut for five weeks. Lemieux never apologized for what he did and actually came very close to belittling anyone who saw this for the terrible tragedy it was. This was the night that the six-year 'blood feud' was born between the Red Wings and the Avalanche. Almost a year later, on March 26, 1997, the tension, media sniping, and bad blood came together and produced the night no hockey fan will ever forget. Here is the 'highlight' video of the game. This is good, old-time hockey! The Wings won the game AND the Stanley Cup. And they won the Cup the following year, too.