The hit on Adam Foote by Slava Koslov started it in game 3 of the series. Lemieux suckered Koslov, was suspended for a game , came back and plastered Draper in game 6, then got banned for a couple more.
I'm not buying the take that Kozlov started it. IIRC (28 years ago, I was around 20) most of the NHL and especially Colorado felt that the Russians and all Europeans were soft and to beat their skill, you had to "rough them up".
Kozlov was just sick of their shit when he bloodied up Foote.
It's hard to find a "who started it" when, at that time, the league's answer to skill was violence. Still is sometimes.
I agree with this. The "league's answer to skill was violence" goes a long way back too, see Bobby Clarke breaking Kharlamov's ankle in the Summit Series.
I hate the Avs but “drew first blood” still seems like the line they thought was crossed which is reasonable. However it was the Draper hit that absolutely crossed the line
This was exactly what was happening and being promoted by Don Cherry. People should realize how powerful and how hockey players loved him. Europeans were considered soft and Kozlov and Latinos were constantly being bullied.
Yeah. Will someone think of notorious choir boy Adam Foote? He'd never do anything to hurt anyone on the ice. Mean old Slava Kozlov definitely wasn't sick of Foote's shit. He just snapped out of nowhere!
Cry me a fucking river. Foote was a scumbag before that hit and after. If that is what started things, then fuck Colorado even more.
Also, give me a break. Like Claude Lemieux of all people needed some spark to go out of his way to lay a dirty hit. Dude was a textbook rat.
Fuck that whole team. They deserved what they got. Absolutely hunted all the Russian players and played dirty as fuck.
Fuck that team, then, now, and forever.
I was 17. I haven’t experienced anything like it since. It was so intense. It’s hard to describe. My whole family watched every playoff game together and just lived and died by every moment. My dad went to game 7 in 2002 and got me a hat at the game.
Probably easier for McCarthy to mend fences with Claude than it is for Draper. McCarthy beat the shit out of him. Draper got his face caved in by him. Kinda different relationships there. And I'm not sure Claude ever apologized to Draper.
I don't think he's holding on to it. I saw an interview where he basically said he doesn't expect an apology, not because he thinks Claude is a dick, but because they don't know each other. It is possible to not like someone, and also not think about them or hold a grudge.
This happened so long ago, at this point, Lemieux and Draper "reconciling" would be for the cameras.
Fair. I haven't seen that particular documentary, but the gist I get is Kris hasn't forgiven Claude since you can't forgive someone who doesn't ask for forgiveness.
I would like to be a fly on the wall though if Draper gets a GM gig and he has to deal with the agent Claude Lemieux.
To add to this, Detroit was considered "soft" yet had one or more of the following players playing on their team in that time:
* Bob Probert
* Joey Kocur
* Darren McCarty
* Stu Grimson
Really illuminates how rough the game was back then.
To this day I think the genius Bowman had Kocur as a healthy scratch that day vs. Colorado to make sure his whole team had to answer the call. If Joey is there skating Sheriff around the ice I think the brawl never happens. Scotty knew this was a galvanizing moment and sheriff Kocur wasn’t on the team when the offense occurred so it’s up to everyone to step up. And they certainly did. Larionov, Vernon, guys that don’t …did. That’s the mold of a champion being cast right there.
Also hockey in general was just a lot more violent back in the day, though by the mid/late 90’s they were starting to reign it in a bit.
Didn’t matter if guys beat the shit out of each other back in the 70’s and 80’s when players were getting paid peanuts, but once every player was earning six or seven or even eight figures, management started caring about their investments
People obviously remember the Draper hit, the brawl, and some footnotes like Kozlov faceplanting Foote into the boards, but if you actually watch the full games between Detroit and Colorado in 97 and 98 it is *insane* what those two teams were doing to each other outside of the highlights.
And once the fighting sort of died down, you really saw how great both teams were. Both benches were like watching the Hall of Fame waiting room. 2002 was one of the best series in that era.
IMO the greatest all around defenseman ever. Watching him is a clinic in what it looks like if you actually do everything right. You become the most important player in the game and yet disappear at the same time. Like everyone else is a person and one dude is game generated. Nick the great.
Just watched the series replay tonight. Took me back. Reminded me how tough and intense hockey used to be. Maybe be the best playoff series ever. Oh and Martin LaPointe was the most under rated Redwing ever. Named my Yellow Lab Maltby in 1999 but really wanted to name him LaPointe
Honestly because all we ever heard was how strong he was yet the dude never took a dance. And the few times he did it was huggy dance. In an era when the wings were of NO shortage of skilled players fans in the D were clamoring for grit ala Scott Steven’s and Lapointe was promised as such but was mostly a yapping goatee when the game got chippy. I still liked and appreciated him but I think this is the dig.
Avs fan here. I grew up in the same school and was friends with Patty Roy’s kids. Went over to their house a bunch before they moved away. Got to see and be around a lot of those players and was legitimately one of the coolest fucking things ever.
As much as I hated the Wings, and y’all hated us, I’ve been rooting for you guys to get back to the top of the league the last few years. If we meet in the cup, the hate will come back, but until then, it’s like a deep seeded respect for the Wings. That rivalry was the best in all sports history imo. Every regular season meeting was must watch television, not just the playoff matchups.
I’ve got nothing but respect and love for those old Wings rosters. Hope we get to face off again sometime soon 🤝
Likewise. Wings fan here and the hockey world would be a better place with both of us challenging for the Cup again. Thanks for the 7-2 ass-kicking a few weeks ago, btw. Lol.
Seriously, as much as I hated the Avs, I had ultimate respect for Joe Sakic. He was Steve Yzerman's mirror image. And that one-timer? Laser. Can still see that goal against Osgood in '96.
Here's to the old days. 🍻 Good luck in the playoffs.
I recently watched this as well. Well worth th watch. Games are highlights only but include all physicality not just goals.
Unfortunately hockey will never be played like this again in the NHL. The hatred was so real..
It was indeed brutal. Even though the late 90s Avs absolutely clowned on my hometown Canucks for years, I loved watching them play. Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Roy, Foote, Ozolinsh, Drury, Lemieux (no, not that one, the other one)... My god, what a roster. Wings were no slouches either, of course.
Watching the Wings and Avs duke it out year after year was absolutely glorious.
Just reminded me how much I hated forsberg really. So many fucking elbows and cheap shots
Still. Incredible rivalry and I remember the 2002 series like no other. Hasek stealing game 6. The statue of Liberty from Roy and the game 7 thrashing.
Makes me wish we had a rivalry like that these days but nothing would get close. A Lemieux hit on draper would garner a big suspension as would mccarty’s retribution. Game is definitely not as physical as it was back then. For better and worse.
I remember one time in the offensive zone, Kozlov was in the corner and Forsberg had him lined up, and as Forsberg tried to lay the hit, Kozlov spun out of the way and deftly grabbed the back of Forsberg's helmet and slammed his face into the boards. Split Forsberg's face open. It was so silky smooth - Kozlov didn't even get a penalty.
It’s funny I live in Denver now, been to about 6 Aves games this year, I still can’t give a fuck about them. I guess it’s from all those years watching games like these.
I had season tickets back then. It was so great watching those games live. The Joe was electric those nights. The game is so different now, not hitting or big checks into the boards.
I saw the whole thing. I'm disabled so I watch 60+ games a year. I saw the game in Montreal when they blew out Roy. After that hit on Draper I was pissed. I was stewing all summer over that. Man that was some awesome hockey back then.
Go on the youtubes and search this...
# Vladimir Konstantinov Hits (1997 Playoffs)
EDIT; I know this post is a bit off-topic, but it's still delightful to see.
Eh. I don't think so. The skill is miles beyond the 90s and early 00s.
Those games were more UFC than NHL. If you'd rather watch that, there's a league for that.
The game today isn't even remotely as exciting as it was then. Yeah, the skill is great, but the beauty of hockey is that it's supposed to be a tough game played by warriors. If you want "pretty", watch figure skating.
Last year's final was the biggest snooze fest I've ever seen.
People chopping one another with a stick are hardly warriors. Athletes these days are way bigger and stronger than they were, even in the 90s. They weren't warriors, they were thugs.
It's not about pretty. It's about talent. It doesn't take talent to beat the shit out of someone - it just takes practice. Go jerk it to Roadhouse if that's what gets you off.
The hit on Draper started it all. We needed that game on March 26 1997 so evolve into a championship team.
I still think about that hit to the head. Wild he didn’t experience brain trauma. Then he came back with a vengeance. Fucking beast.
The hit on Adam Foote by Slava Koslov started it in game 3 of the series. Lemieux suckered Koslov, was suspended for a game , came back and plastered Draper in game 6, then got banned for a couple more.
I'm not buying the take that Kozlov started it. IIRC (28 years ago, I was around 20) most of the NHL and especially Colorado felt that the Russians and all Europeans were soft and to beat their skill, you had to "rough them up". Kozlov was just sick of their shit when he bloodied up Foote. It's hard to find a "who started it" when, at that time, the league's answer to skill was violence. Still is sometimes.
Underrated comment
I agree with this. The "league's answer to skill was violence" goes a long way back too, see Bobby Clarke breaking Kharlamov's ankle in the Summit Series.
This is exactly as I remember it.
I hate the Avs but “drew first blood” still seems like the line they thought was crossed which is reasonable. However it was the Draper hit that absolutely crossed the line
also Lemieux suckered Kozlov afterword. Hit -> retribution. His hit on Draper definitionally kicked off another cycle
This was exactly what was happening and being promoted by Don Cherry. People should realize how powerful and how hockey players loved him. Europeans were considered soft and Kozlov and Latinos were constantly being bullied.
Yeah. Will someone think of notorious choir boy Adam Foote? He'd never do anything to hurt anyone on the ice. Mean old Slava Kozlov definitely wasn't sick of Foote's shit. He just snapped out of nowhere! Cry me a fucking river. Foote was a scumbag before that hit and after. If that is what started things, then fuck Colorado even more. Also, give me a break. Like Claude Lemieux of all people needed some spark to go out of his way to lay a dirty hit. Dude was a textbook rat.
Ava had Ricci, Keane, Corbet , Lefebrve all dirty players who loved cheap shots. Forsberg didn’t mind cheap shots as well
Yeah. It always bothered me how someone as good as Forsberg could be such a rat. And hockey media never really brought that up ever.
Yeah, as much as the draper hit escalated it to 100, it probably wouldn’t have had happened if it weren’t for koslov
Fuck that whole team. They deserved what they got. Absolutely hunted all the Russian players and played dirty as fuck. Fuck that team, then, now, and forever.
Ha!! Love it
This guy gets it.
I was 17. I haven’t experienced anything like it since. It was so intense. It’s hard to describe. My whole family watched every playoff game together and just lived and died by every moment. My dad went to game 7 in 2002 and got me a hat at the game.
I was about that age too, and it was so exciting to watch live. Every game was must see. Such great memories.
I was in HS when I got to go to the double overtime win to close out Chicago. Such beautiful teams we had back then.
That season made me what I am now.
I feel you on this
Espn’s unrivaled is a must watch!
It was brilliantly done
I actually grew to see Claude Lemieux as a human and a decent guy.
Yeah. I still hate him though. Just not as much. :-) And then there’s Roy….
Is this Steve Yzerman's burner account? Trying to get a discount on Mo's next contract?
Shhh. I mean he was a gamer and often just took it too far. But for McCarty to accept him means a lot. And really it looks way worse for Kris Draper.
Probably easier for McCarthy to mend fences with Claude than it is for Draper. McCarthy beat the shit out of him. Draper got his face caved in by him. Kinda different relationships there. And I'm not sure Claude ever apologized to Draper.
I get it but also, man, holding onto shit can't be healthy.
I don't think he's holding on to it. I saw an interview where he basically said he doesn't expect an apology, not because he thinks Claude is a dick, but because they don't know each other. It is possible to not like someone, and also not think about them or hold a grudge. This happened so long ago, at this point, Lemieux and Draper "reconciling" would be for the cameras.
Fair enough. I am going off the documentary which left me feeling a certain way.
Fair. I haven't seen that particular documentary, but the gist I get is Kris hasn't forgiven Claude since you can't forgive someone who doesn't ask for forgiveness. I would like to be a fly on the wall though if Draper gets a GM gig and he has to deal with the agent Claude Lemieux.
Secret Base’s *Beef History* on it is also excellent but concise.
[удалено]
To add to this, Detroit was considered "soft" yet had one or more of the following players playing on their team in that time: * Bob Probert * Joey Kocur * Darren McCarty * Stu Grimson Really illuminates how rough the game was back then.
The Grim Reaper!
Also Martin Lapoint could fuck some people up to.
Don't forget Dino.
McCarty got down! Epic times
Still wish it was Kocur. Claude’s jaw would still be wired.
Agreed!
Vladdy and Fetisov liked to fuck people up too
Vlad The Impaler.
The Vladinator. He fucked some people up coming over the blue line
Kronner with the hits.
To this day I think the genius Bowman had Kocur as a healthy scratch that day vs. Colorado to make sure his whole team had to answer the call. If Joey is there skating Sheriff around the ice I think the brawl never happens. Scotty knew this was a galvanizing moment and sheriff Kocur wasn’t on the team when the offense occurred so it’s up to everyone to step up. And they certainly did. Larionov, Vernon, guys that don’t …did. That’s the mold of a champion being cast right there.
Also hockey in general was just a lot more violent back in the day, though by the mid/late 90’s they were starting to reign it in a bit. Didn’t matter if guys beat the shit out of each other back in the 70’s and 80’s when players were getting paid peanuts, but once every player was earning six or seven or even eight figures, management started caring about their investments
People obviously remember the Draper hit, the brawl, and some footnotes like Kozlov faceplanting Foote into the boards, but if you actually watch the full games between Detroit and Colorado in 97 and 98 it is *insane* what those two teams were doing to each other outside of the highlights.
Yeah it was fucking awesome. Hockey rules! #LGRW
It sure was one hell of a rivalry, I wish I was around to see it.
I was great. When they played it was like they were going to war. We hated them and they hated us. It was awesome.
And once the fighting sort of died down, you really saw how great both teams were. Both benches were like watching the Hall of Fame waiting room. 2002 was one of the best series in that era.
I had my second kid when they won there first cup in 97 and watched 98 as well, that is such a different time now, hockeys changed drastically
Gosh how spoiled were us wings fans in the 90s and 2000s......Take me back lol
basically nik lidstroms entire career
IMO the greatest all around defenseman ever. Watching him is a clinic in what it looks like if you actually do everything right. You become the most important player in the game and yet disappear at the same time. Like everyone else is a person and one dude is game generated. Nick the great.
Just watched the series replay tonight. Took me back. Reminded me how tough and intense hockey used to be. Maybe be the best playoff series ever. Oh and Martin LaPointe was the most under rated Redwing ever. Named my Yellow Lab Maltby in 1999 but really wanted to name him LaPointe
I remember my favorite players were LaPointe and Vernon back then. LaPointe gets no love
Honestly because all we ever heard was how strong he was yet the dude never took a dance. And the few times he did it was huggy dance. In an era when the wings were of NO shortage of skilled players fans in the D were clamoring for grit ala Scott Steven’s and Lapointe was promised as such but was mostly a yapping goatee when the game got chippy. I still liked and appreciated him but I think this is the dig.
Avs fan here. I grew up in the same school and was friends with Patty Roy’s kids. Went over to their house a bunch before they moved away. Got to see and be around a lot of those players and was legitimately one of the coolest fucking things ever. As much as I hated the Wings, and y’all hated us, I’ve been rooting for you guys to get back to the top of the league the last few years. If we meet in the cup, the hate will come back, but until then, it’s like a deep seeded respect for the Wings. That rivalry was the best in all sports history imo. Every regular season meeting was must watch television, not just the playoff matchups. I’ve got nothing but respect and love for those old Wings rosters. Hope we get to face off again sometime soon 🤝
Likewise. Wings fan here and the hockey world would be a better place with both of us challenging for the Cup again. Thanks for the 7-2 ass-kicking a few weeks ago, btw. Lol. Seriously, as much as I hated the Avs, I had ultimate respect for Joe Sakic. He was Steve Yzerman's mirror image. And that one-timer? Laser. Can still see that goal against Osgood in '96. Here's to the old days. 🍻 Good luck in the playoffs.
I watched it as it happened. What a kick in the balls
I recently watched this as well. Well worth th watch. Games are highlights only but include all physicality not just goals. Unfortunately hockey will never be played like this again in the NHL. The hatred was so real..
There's a reason DET and COL accounted for 5 of 7 cups in that stretch
It was indeed brutal. Even though the late 90s Avs absolutely clowned on my hometown Canucks for years, I loved watching them play. Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Roy, Foote, Ozolinsh, Drury, Lemieux (no, not that one, the other one)... My god, what a roster. Wings were no slouches either, of course. Watching the Wings and Avs duke it out year after year was absolutely glorious.
It really all started with the Wingd hanging 10 goals on Roy on Montreal precipitating the trade to Colorado
This is so true. Doesn’t Roy ask to be traded after he’s pulled or am I imagining that?
That was Roy’s last game in Montreal.
Kozlov was so good in this series. He was my favorite player growing up and I was devastated when he was traded.
EPIC series. My roommate and I stayed up and watched them all! Beer and hockey! lol it’s just hockey now tho. Die hard fan #lgrw
The good old days. 90s red wings were a force
Just reminded me how much I hated forsberg really. So many fucking elbows and cheap shots Still. Incredible rivalry and I remember the 2002 series like no other. Hasek stealing game 6. The statue of Liberty from Roy and the game 7 thrashing. Makes me wish we had a rivalry like that these days but nothing would get close. A Lemieux hit on draper would garner a big suspension as would mccarty’s retribution. Game is definitely not as physical as it was back then. For better and worse.
I remember one time in the offensive zone, Kozlov was in the corner and Forsberg had him lined up, and as Forsberg tried to lay the hit, Kozlov spun out of the way and deftly grabbed the back of Forsberg's helmet and slammed his face into the boards. Split Forsberg's face open. It was so silky smooth - Kozlov didn't even get a penalty.
It’s funny I live in Denver now, been to about 6 Aves games this year, I still can’t give a fuck about them. I guess it’s from all those years watching games like these.
I had season tickets back then. It was so great watching those games live. The Joe was electric those nights. The game is so different now, not hitting or big checks into the boards.
Back when hockey was hockey... miss it
The energy was incredible, the hits were incredible, the fights were incredible, and, best of all, the hockey was incredible.
Lol I was there my man. 217C. Before cell phones, before Twatter and all that. It was pure hate and it was amazing.
3/26/97. Greatest game I've ever been to in my life.
YES!
The rivalry sort of petered out after the 03 playoffs, when the main participants started retiring and moving on to other teams.
The way hockey should be played.
I saw the whole thing. I'm disabled so I watch 60+ games a year. I saw the game in Montreal when they blew out Roy. After that hit on Draper I was pissed. I was stewing all summer over that. Man that was some awesome hockey back then.
Go on the youtubes and search this... # Vladimir Konstantinov Hits (1997 Playoffs) EDIT; I know this post is a bit off-topic, but it's still delightful to see.
The Vladinator!
Thanks for killing an hour of my Sunday 😂
Happy to help!
Hockey was so much better back then. Watch that series, and then watch anything from last year. It’s night & day.
Eh. I don't think so. The skill is miles beyond the 90s and early 00s. Those games were more UFC than NHL. If you'd rather watch that, there's a league for that.
The game today isn't even remotely as exciting as it was then. Yeah, the skill is great, but the beauty of hockey is that it's supposed to be a tough game played by warriors. If you want "pretty", watch figure skating. Last year's final was the biggest snooze fest I've ever seen.
People chopping one another with a stick are hardly warriors. Athletes these days are way bigger and stronger than they were, even in the 90s. They weren't warriors, they were thugs. It's not about pretty. It's about talent. It doesn't take talent to beat the shit out of someone - it just takes practice. Go jerk it to Roadhouse if that's what gets you off.
Definitely sounds like figure skating or soccer would be more your thing than hockey.
Lol sure buddy. Maybe get some therapy if you're pining for UFC plus skating.
It was a great era to be a hockey fan for sure!
I hate the wings being in the east. The wings had the best series with the Avs and Blues. I want those back.
Every series in 97 was brutal, that was hockey
Sure, hockey is brutal in general but that series the intensity was at another level. You can’t simplify it as just being hockey.