How one violent hit snowballed into years of championship-grade hockey beef | Red Wings vs Avalanche

In game six of the 95-96 Western Conference Finals, Claude Lemieux ran Kris Draper into the boards during an Avalanche win that knocked the Red Wings out of the playoffs. It also ignited a rivalry that would go on until 2003. In that span, the teams combined for 5 Stanley Cups, 2 major brawls, countless other fights, and so many penalties. Highlights include multiple goalie vs. goalie fights, coaches screaming at coaches, blood, hits, revenge, and really good hockey.
Special thanks to Adrian Dater and his book "Blood Feud"
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[@GerardMichaels]

Back in the good ole days where you could commit a literal felony on ice and the NHL would just put you in time-out for 120 seconds.

[@Capodecamper]

then Marty MCcsorely ruined it when he slashed brashear, come to think of it he ruined the Kings chance at Cup with a illegal stick too, he truly was a garbage person

[@FMichael1970]

@@Capodecamper Honestly I think he's a decent guy - just maligned by 2 incidents, and poor judgement (1 being assault with a deadly weapon, and the other an illegal curve of said weapon)...All joking aside - he's not the evil villain some in the media want to portray him as.

[@meatman1086]

Still true but now hockey players spend to much time thinking about skill we need some real fighters like Mcarty back in the league

[@SadisticStang]

@@Capodecamper No Brashear ruined it. They hit was not hard and it wouldn't have caused him to fall backwards. He intentionally fell to try and draw a penalty, and in the process concussed himself. They should have penalized Donald and used him as the prime example of why to never fake it.

[@TonyStebbins]

@@SadisticStang you're joking right? He fall backwards to draw a penalty? He couldn't have held his head instead? That's an absolutely foolish take.

[@honeybadgerstudios21]

In my Michigan History class my senior year, we spent an entire day just discussing the red wings avalanche feud

[@chrisprou9216]

real history

[@Starsfan2004]

What a good teacher

[@packerfan3157]

Hell yeah, brother. Most important thing to happen in Michigan in 100 years...

[@travispetrick2412]

God I would've loved that your teacher sounds great!

[@andrewelliott1592]

Jealous

[@davidderifield3820]

"This all could have been put away if he would have just said sorry (Canadian accent)" LOL!

[@VentureCAM]

As a Canadian it’s pretty funny lol

[@iitsLeaf]

ive never been so offended at something i so agree with

[@edep3970]

7:44 I couldn’t stop laughing at the ref just standing there with his arms crossed

[@KyleMacSkill]

lollll I didn't catch that the first time I watched this 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@redwingsfan3621]

😂😂😂😂

[@sneakyninjaedit]

Ref was sitting there thinking: "Not my circus"

[@ladywaffle2210]

"I'm not dumb enough, nor do I get paid enough, to get between those two."

[@Roger-hp1yg]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@KrackDiesel]

As a black kid from Detroit who didn't know much about any sport but basketball, this was the series to really introduce me to hockey. Loved hockey around this era.

[@rvbagentky6532]

KrackDiesel the 80s had Calgary/Edmonton which was basically this on steroids and meth

[@shadyergrady]

Gotta agree with you. As a kid growing up in Detroit, I started watching hockey a few seasons before they won the Cup. The way the Wings stood up for their teammate made me proud to be a Detroiter!

[@truth135]

KrackDiesel stfu

[@Pain-mr2hn]

This was real hockey. Now a days both teams would be suspended for this behavior LOL

[@bjnt92281]

Same here. Only I’m from Houston.

[@onewhovlogs]

Most underrated rivalry in sports

[@francoeurtim]

onewhovlogs you haven't checked out /r/hockey, I'm guessing. It's one of the great rivalries, but underrated it is not

[@13DatsyukDangle13]

It's pretty underrated in the sports community. In the hockey community everyone knows about it and appreciates it, but outside of it not so much.

[@SolidPain6624]

As a wings fan, it’s not a rivalry anymore... hopefully something sparks it again

[@onewhovlogs]

Justin Kiwi you right. The wings aren't going to be relevant for a long time so it'll be ez games for us Avs

[@passit8d]

its underrated because of how brief it was compared to other rivalries, like only lasting for the late 90s and early 00s. but i think a solid argument can be made that no rivalry was more intense than this one during its time.

[@rockerseven]

Patrick Roy Hat Trick: Fighting three different Wings goalies. Lol

[@jok3r906]

Gotta lose all three fights as well

[@bookworm3283]

@@jok3r906 Well then Roy never got his own hat trick. Hasek fell down trying to get there. Osgood get his ass handed to him. Vernon is the only one who held their own and it was a close decision.

[@jamiethornton6101]

The best thing about all this wasn't all the star power, amazing fights, incredible storylines, a trip to play for the cup each year; but it was some of the best DAMN HOCKEY in the history of the game. Watching these two play between '96 and '02 was magical. Even if you didn't like the Wings or Avs, you knew you were going to be watching some of the best damn hockey action in the history of the game. I still don't know of a more passionate hatred with the level of play being that high on both sides in the history of the game.

[@MM-qi5mk]

It was my childhood as I was born in 90. Youre 100% right

[@michaelwood7169]

Agreed! Well said my friend 👍

[@thesloppyjoes]

agreed. it was must watch TV. AVS Wings games were always Primetime on ESPN.

[@deusvult6920]

I am so sick of hearing the phrase "storylines" referring to real life experiences. It's not a story. It's real life

[@Stephenc35753]

Best time ever to be a Wings fan

[@noxebop]

Now this is the kind of Beef I like, Righteous Beef. You smashed a dudes face in and you won't say sorry? We're fighting every night I see your face.

[@Pain-mr2hn]

This is the Canadian way. They kept it on the Ice. And ONLY on the ice.

[@reaverofsouls]

That's some old school, Eddie Shore style hockey.

[@iron60bitch62]

zXBlackjackXz Children apologize man get over it

[@PSonak]

Ron Hahahaha They got over it after McCarty murdered Lemeuix...

[@michaeljoseph8674]

exactly lmao

[@13DatsyukDangle13]

I never realized McCarty only received a double minor for what he did to Lemieux. That's funny as hell. Today that'd be a minimum 10 game suspension.

[@vashstarwind36]

13DatsyukDangle13 , Riiiiiiight?!?!??

[@trace6242]

And that's why the 90s NHL was so much better than it is today.

[@michaeljoseph8674]

fact

[@michaeljoseph8674]

yeah todays game is a little soft compared to this era lol There was a code even with the refs..The game was awesome..You go away with nothing, you wither manned up or boom you got your butt beat

[@dpayne6567]

Dude what's funny as hell is where the Red Wings are today. Blub blub blub....

[@gearswarrior902]

The true golden age of ice hockey. I feel very blessed to have grown up near Detroit and watched this develop as a child. Taught me to back up your boys no matter what, a team wins, fights, dies together.

[@faffywhosmilesatdeath5953]

Detroit vs everybody baby

[@illmuskyhunter3313]

Literally the greatest rivalry in pro sports ever.

[@hoozoohleague8264]

Certainly makes top5 no doubt

[@screepyspooks8794]

Tell me how a 7-year literal blood feud isn't number one​@@hoozoohleague8264

[@Nuclear_Gandhi]

7:44 That referee is my spirit animal

[@danhockey2020]

Referees actually aren’t allowed to break fights up believe it or not. That’s left for the linesmen

[@AlpineAspen]

Although Dan Hockey here nailed it, I see your point and I feel the same.

[@codinginzen8793]

@@danhockey2020 that is incorrect. While it is primarily the linesman refs arent disalowed.

[@nurse0857]

I feel like at some point getting sent in to ref these games was a punishment for pissing someone off. 😂

[@pr9039]

LOL Roit?

[@josenellandrewtumulak2400]

Not even a hockey fan but this some wagyu-grade beef

[@NotThatTerrible]

you're gonna want it aged if its a wagyu

[@JoshBolden91]

@@NotThatTerrible Montreal Steak Spice should really be in this conversation..

[@kyles.3514]

As a Red Wings fan, this was the greatest rivalry any of my favorite teams have ever been involved with. I was 12 years old when it all started and 18 by the time it unofficially ended in 2002. It almost seemed like these two teams were destined to face each other in the playoffs every year and it got ugly, almost every year. I will never forget watching Roy and Vernon fight at center ice in '97 only to be followed by Roy and Osgood squaring off the very next year. This rivalry made Darren McCarty one of the most loved athletes in the history of Detroit sports. It was downright epic! I challenge anyone to find a more fierce sports rivalry than this one that went on for the better part of 6 years!

[@MonTube2006]

Montreal vs Boston. Soon 100 years in the making. Bench clearing brawls , epic playoffs series over several générations. Goaltending heroics. I could go on. The Avs-Wings one was a good rivalry too tough

[@TheConvertable50]

I still hate the Red Wings

[@stpbasss3773]

@@TheConvertable50 me too

[@christopherr3676]

If your talking sports in a worldwide context .celtic v rangers. 130 yrs ish and counting of sheer hatred on and off the pitch

[@j0ebiden865]

Your my exact age and I had this same experience from the Colorado side of things. No one has a more brutal rivalry in hockey that produced the best hockey. These two teams could beat any other team on ice from any generation.

[@TheGeneralZubas]

5:50 Mickey Redmond. One of the best commentators around. And that's saying a lot for commentary in this leauge.

[@thenickfoxx]

The guy is still killin it. Love mickey and ken

[@johnsmith4811]

I absolutely loved it when a fight would break out, the fans would start "WOOOOOO"ing, clapping, and yelling and Mickey would say "And the crowd hates it" in an obvious dig at Bettman for trying to "civilize" hockey.

[@mattbrigidi]

roy forcing a trade out of montreal is one of the most amazing stories i’ve ever heard

[@Rowgue51]

Why? Guys force trades all the time.

[@neildurbin]

and how it was a game against the wings that instigated the trade and how it lead to this rivalry. amazing.

[@imaratspal]

​@@Rowgue51 Because there's layers to this. Roy was already a legend with the Habs and won them 2 cups (also winning MVP both times). He had a terrible relationship with 1st-year coach, Mario Tremblay (was a prominent former player for the Canadiens in his own right) and being left in net for 9 goals against was the final straw for Roy so he literally told the owner, who was sitting a few seats away from the bench, that he wouldn't play any more games with Montreal. The team that scored all of those goals on Roy was none other than the Detroit Red Wings who were having a record-breaking year. They were also a franchise that hadn't won a championship in over 40 years. Their only competition in the West was the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs had a very good team except they didn't have that great goaltender who could put them over the top. The Red Wings pretty much signed their own death warrant by running up the score against the Habs because Roy was traded to their only real competition that year. He actually did end up putting the Avs over the top and won the Stanley Cup, furthering Detroit's long drought for another year. The funny thing about this whole scenario is that Roy would never have been traded to the franchise had the Quebec Nordiques, who were rivals with the Montreal Canadiens, not moved to Colorado before the season.

[@SandsSpades]

@@Rowgue51 It was really about how he did it.

[@imaratspal]

​@EsotericKnave You're being way too over-dramatic. Roy did nothing to harm an entire country (and if blame should go anywhere for that trade, it would be with the Montreal Canadiens). Quebec City was also the smallest market in the NHL and the Nordiques were struggling financially. That's what caused the move, not getting "hijacked from Canada."

[@dcz2899]

What made this rivalry so great wasn't just the nastiness of it and all the fights but all the skill/future hall of fame players both teams had...also the fact that they were battling for cup wins in the process.

[@rickchampion2912]

I’m from Detroit I had to cry 😢 just looking at these memories hockey will never be the same 🗣💯

[@Adam202]

I was 10 years old when I saw Claude Lemieux crush Kris Draper's face on live TV. I will never forget the bone-crunching sound that it made as they played the replay over and over, nor will I forget the passionate seething rage that it put in the hearts of the Detroit Red Wings fans and organization. The rivalry was so intense that even on School nights I was allowed to stay up as late as the games took to finish. I still vividly remember sitting in my bed and watching the huge team brawl unfold, and relishing in every moment of vengeance taken upon Lemieux and the Colorado Avalanche team. I remember talking about what happened at school the next day with my friends that were also allowed to stay up late to watch the games. The rivalry made for what was arguably the best hockey in history between two of the best put together teams of all time. The energy that was unleashed in each game has gone unmatched in any of the hockey that I have watched since. However, as I look back on it now as a guy in his 30's, I understand that Scotty Bowman was right about the brutality, it really didn't have to be like that. Lemieux should have apologized, and he should have been barred from ever playing in the NHL again. I honestly don't have any remaining animosity towards Lemieux. It's well in the past now, but he quite literally could have killed someone with the viciousness of that hit. It wasn't at all about what team either of them played for.... you just don't do something like that to someone. To this day the Draper hit and the Kozlov sucker punch were the two worst things I have ever seen a player do. Lemieux behaved like a coward, and the way he embarrassed himself by turtling on the ice was to the tremendous delight of all Red Wings fans. McCarty was our judge, jury, and executioner, and Detroit loved him for it. The reality of the situation was that it frustrated all of us to no end that no adequate responsibility was taken to address the hit on Draper. It wasn't just Red Wings fans that wanted Lemieux gone, and by failing to do anything significant about it the Red Wings organization itself was forced to take matter into their own hands by the only way that they could, out on the ice. It's a bummer to know that I will never see such great hockey played ever again, but even back then as a 10 year old I understood that what I was seeing was something truly special. The 42 year Stanley Cup drought coming to an end, winning back to back cups, and having a team that hardly ever lost... What a time it was to be a Red Wings fan! It's interesting how time changes people and things. These days I actually like the Colorado Avalanche team, and I haven't seen them in a negative light for quite some time now. When the rivalry was in full swing I could have never imagined that some 25 years later I would actually like the organization that I had once loathed above all else.

[@AubreyChase7]

Damn. Better than I could ever describe it 👏👏👏

[@thegamebastard]

How has there not been a 30/30 made about this?

[@RobbyAlsey]

Because it's ESPN.

[@timmylunney5938]

There's a book

[@GreatCdn59]

There is this : kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmekZY2thsSEp5I

[@xx_atomiclizard_xx8331]

ESPN doesn't care about hockey sadly

[@jonathangarmuth8975]

ESPN presents 30 for 30 the 1976 Curling championship. Canada's greatest sport.

[@dianne1466]

"But as they say in hockey, the regular season doesn't mean shit."

[@ExoTikSalSA]

truer words have never been said regular season hockey and playoff hockey are two completely different worlds

[@quentincampbell612]

People always say "the regular season doesn't matter" in pro sports leagues....until there's just a handful of games left and their team needs to win every one of them just to get into the playoffs.

[@ExoTikSalSA]

@@quentincampbell612 you dont get it its not about that its about the record in the nhl having a good regular season doesnt translate to the palyoffs as playoff hockey is way more physical so when they say the regular season doesnt matter it means that the game two team meeting in the playoff played against eachother in the regular season cannot predict in the slighest what will happen in this serie

[@quentincampbell612]

ExoTikSalSA None of it really matters really. Pro sports leagues are sports entertainment. Nobody really loses because everyone still gets paid. Just watch it for what it is,sports entertainment.

[@thecasualanarchist0307]

This comment has aged pretty well actually.

[@jamesday6319]

This was a golden age for hockey. What a rivalry.

[@conjandysecurity]

4:56 I love that open ice collision.

[@BMWWolf]

Lived through this era as a Detroit native. Without a doubt, this was the golden age of modern hockey.

[@nubcake67]

I was just growing up when this happened - I was 3 years old in 95. My earliest childhood memories are watching Wings games with my dad on the living room floor. I remember The Brawl. 20 years later and I still wish we could have a rivalry like we did with the Avs. Thanks for the memories!

[@aaronbradley3232]

Yeah well Philadelphia but I grew up and came of age in the midst of this rivalry so yeah

[@nickb1762]

Back when people didn’t spend 22 hours a day stick handling

[@roygoodhand1301]

Same here, dude. Got teased mercilessly because my first name is the last name of the goalie of The Enemy Team.

[@cr-nd8qh]

Yea I'm from subarbs of Detroit I hate claude lemieux I'm glad mccarty got him

[@gakk8658]

The greatest rivalry in sports history, here. It propelled the NHL to heights it hasn't reached since. As an Avs fan who lived through it, amazing in every way.

[@clashtiger138]

Ohio state Michigan is the greatest rivalry in sports. This is second

[@robdugas4476]

@@clashtiger138 Nah, Ohio St v. Michigan is mundane and mostly hype compared to this. Closest I've seen to this rivalry was Yankees v. Red Sox some years ago. Wings v. Avs was the most intense rivalry in my lifetime. I still hate Forseberg because he played for Colorado.

[@lelouchvibritannia4028]

@@robdugas4476 Forsberg wasn't a dirty player though lol. As an Avs fan, the only Red Wings I never hated were Yzerman and Datsyuk since they were so skilled.

[@niteangel84]

As a Wings fan that lived through it, I agree. It was a special time in hockey. Both teams were so talented and had so much passion, both for the game and for respective cities. To this day, I can't stand Lemieux because of the hit on Draper. I will never cheer on the Avs, no matter what. It just won't ever happen.

[@thenextgreat8652]

Clash Tiger LOL...not even in the same zip code.

[@bigego503]

I grew up in Detroit in the 60's watching Howe, Mahovolich and Delveccio. The glory days for those immortals was ending leading to 2 decades of truly sub par hockey. As they started to rise in the 90's it seemed that the only real thing to stand in their way was these never to be sufficiently damned Avalanche. Then the hit. With this rivalry the Red Wings (and the Avalanche) rose to heights they never would have scaled otherwise. It was a great time to be both a hockey fan and a Detroit fan. Possibly also a Colorado fan, tho' I couldn't say about that. Great video and thank you for posting.

[@sub2technoblade849]

As a who was born in Colorado in 01 and has a brother who was born 95 and a father who is a avs fan yes

[@GrassValleyGreg]

I’m an Avs fan from the jump, and I’ve grown to love The Red Wings. These were great times, with legendary players, and fantastic hockey.

[@nohbuddy1]

>Rockie Mountain Extreme God damn 90s

[@mandalorian_guy]

Should be spelled X-treme to be truly 90's

[@clamstain]

dang this was pretty much going to be my comment. to the max.

[@moegerms]

Go back to /sp/

[@DavidWsTrainVideos]

That was cringeworthy ....Good thing someone in Denver thought that name was a bad idea. Lol

[@bakedalaskax]

It sounds like the name of a soccer team, tbh. In addition to being 90s af...

[@93avsfan]

One of the best rivalries of all time. Super underrated and we will never see another one like it!

[@vashstarwind36]

Mickayeen Farner , I'm an instant Mega Fan of SBNATION. This video was so awesome.

[@MaryandMocha]

The most important thing about the games these two played between '96 and '02 was the level of hockey they provided the fans. It was just flat out damn good. Watching every playoff series between the two and regular season games. Also, the real reason there was ever a rivalry is because the Wings totally humiliated Roy in Montreal that night. He demanded that trade and the rivalry was set to happy. How fitting it was that it all came to an end in the same way, of game 7 in 2002.

[@jefrossman7546]

Good morning Mary, how are you?

[@Biswalt]

I will NEVER forget this hit. I was a huge Red Wings fan back then and my brother was pulling for the Avs. Lemieux smashed Draper and within seconds we were fighting hard and about 2 minutes later my dad was pulling us off each other. I literally remembered about 3 seconds after the hit and then it was just chaos in our house for a solid 2-3 minutes, and then we got banned from watching the game the rest of the night.

[@csnide6702]

.... couldn't watch the game..... that's hilarious...... He actually thought that would stop it...?

[@miracleonmainstreet]

​@@csnide6702pisses me right off

[@Blatty26]

When hockey was at its zenith. As a bias wings fan, this was the finest rivalry in hockey history. Trading cups back and forth for almost 10 years! My favorite time as a fan

[@brettallgood6541]

As a bias Avs fan, working for Mr. Illitch in his Little Caesars resturants, it was so much fun to straight up hate the Red Wings. The 1st time i met Mr. I, i showed up to a LC corporate shindig in my Patrick Roy sweater. Lots of intereresting looks from the airport to the facility in Detroit but the only person to say anything directly was Mr. Illitch. As we shook hands, Mr. I whispered into my ear, "Well. You certainly have some balls, don`t you". We both laughed and later had an interesting hockey conversation over cocktails. Great man, TRUCKLOADS of respect for Mr. I, RIP

[@jamesrippy1161]

As a biased Avalanche fan I couldn’t agree more

[@ZombieLincoln666]

@@brettallgood6541 That's awesome

[@travelbyfire8474]

I think the 70s Bruins/Canadiens could give you a serious run for your money. Those teams were stacked, real hatred, and were total opposites stylistically.

[@Kravis63]

@@brettallgood6541 beautiful story

[@teddyjun1]

The best rivalry of the 90s. No doubt about it.

[@jrburkh]

The estates of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace would like a word.

[@teddyjun1]

I meant it as sports sorry!

[@jrburkh]

teddyjun1 it's okay, I was just being a smartass!

[@RobbyAlsey]

@Jake Shattuck Habs vs Bruins is the best NHL rivalry, not to say that Wings vs Avs wasn't a good one, but the Habs and Bruins have much more history..So does the Habs vs Leafs..Of course I'm a little biased. =)

[@RobbyAlsey]

@Jake Shattuck You make so good points Jake..It was a one sided rivalry for many years..Your Bruins had a 45 year losing streak in the playoffs to my Habs, but whenever these two teams meet it makes for some exciting hockey..That 2011 season was crazy..The game with almost 200 penalty minutes, that dirty ass hit Chara threw on Pacioretty that actually broke bones in his neck and that crazy first round meeting where it went to game 7 and had to be decided in OT.

[@nickgangone9541]

This rivalry was a great when it's broken down. Both teams had an awesome mix of grit, toughness, and world class talent at pretty much every level of the roster and coaching staff.

[@SenorHomeslice]

I moved to Denver the same year the Nordiques moved and became the Avalanche. This… this whole story was my introduction to hockey. This is what hockey was for me. In some corner of my heart, this rivalry will always be what hockey is.

[@HarrimanExit]

Probably the greatest rivalry in sports during the 90's. Absolutely stunning to witness it as it happened. I remember them calling an Avs_Wings game a "BloodBath."

[@heydannypark]

I always remember, at least for 90's rivalry hockey for the far North-East US, and SW Canada: Bruins vs. Habs.

[@tmoore4075]

"Once everyone remembered there was a game going on.." lol

[@micomiranda9548]

At 7:44 the ref was like "Ok, get it all out of your system."🤣

[@michaelwood7169]

Outstanding!! Thank you for posting this! Have been a Detroit fan since age 8 (I'm 57 now) after seeing that awesome winged wheel logo!! That's all it took, I suffered through the 70's & 80's but I never lost hope in the organization and was rewarded for my loyalty in the 90's into the new millenia and still to this day and even unto death!! A Detroit Red Wings fan for life 🏒

[@adampincente209]

I feel sorry for the American sports fan who doesn't watch Hockey because they will never know what a true rivalry looks like. This was like the Steelers vs the Ravens on steroids.

[@thegamingpigeon8709]

adampincente209 nah the steelers and ravens are tame compared to Steelers/Bengals, both are nothing compared to this though

[@rvbagentky6532]

adampincente209 especially the 80s with Calgary and Edmonton going at it

[@adampincente209]

You're correct. I cringed at the Shazier hit, should never have attempted the tackle that way, he let the rivalry get the best of him. Glad to see him walking, hope he can live a some what normal life.

[@nathanrobinson1099]

Yankees-Red Sox?

[@hpforever9]

Steelers Ravens? That's the rivalry you go with? Soooo many better ones across 4 major sports haha

[@spleenx1236]

One of the best hockey rivalries. I remeber it well. Still to this day, everytime they play one another, I can't help to get a little giddy for a split second. Then it's like, oh yeah, that was back in the 90's.

[@cmcwar]

As a Red Wings fan, our rivalry with the Avalanche shall stay in our hearts throughout both of our histories. Thanks for the amazing memories and fights, even if you did push Kris Draper into the wall

[@matturner6890]

Avalanche*

[@spikenn616]

The late 80's through the early 2000's will always be the best/golden era of hockey. I'm a Detroit Red Wings fan from the west side of Michigan so that rivalry was simply amazing.

[@TravelinDevil76]

100% correct, this timeline was and always will be the best Era of the NHL Every game could of started a storyline for months due to the physicality of the game. I used to watch the double headers on ESPN Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, then the next day, read the newspaper and check the scores and penalties from other games. It was awesome.

[@LiamHerbst]

4:50 Only a double minor for McCartney!!! My goodness the game has changed hahah

[@michaeljoseph8674]

old school son lol not like todays game ha lmfao

[@dustyb58]

so has his name apparently lol

[@robertmiddel1028]

It's because even the refs knew that Lemieux deserved what he got!!!

[@daviddechamplain5718]

Robert Middel Exactly

[@roguishpaladin]

Even then, that probably should've been 5 or 10. The refs are known to do make-up calls sometimes, and this is a good example. But never knee a guy in the head in a game. This is, like, the only time it was ever called for.

[@calvinvreman]

Is it just me or is this the greatest rivalry in all of sports history?

[@ayo_ocho8861]

Calvin Vreman no not even for hockey bruins and Canadians have the best in hockey history

[@lelouchvibritannia4028]

@@ayo_ocho8861 Nah.

[@bobbyscarfo2544]

Depends on what sport you're talking about...MLB... Yankees/RedSox.....NFL...Redskins/Cowboys....NBA...Lakers/Celtics.... think it out next time bruh.... those I just mentioned have been around since before you were born.

[@jameslowell9656]

Oilers Flames , Bruins Habs are much bigger not to mention other sports like baseball where this isnt even in the same league as Yankees Red Sox for example.

[@psykkomancz]

Real - Barcelona anyone?

[@jeffa8217]

I was a teenager living in Detroit then.., what a time! Always looked forward to hockey season 💪🏻👍🏼

[@bz3105]

I have always believed that the rivalry more or less ended in '03 when Roy retired and there really hasn't been a rivalry quite like this in the NHL ever since. So much talent on both sides, so much bitterness, Stanley Cup implications every year...this one's gonna' be tough to top.

[@RoseCityRebel]

Hockey is the best sport in the world. I said it. Also love that shirt.

[@TheArcticAttack]

Much respect for that Humboldt shirt

[@SecretBaseSBN]

Thanks! Got it over at violentgentlemen.com and all the proceeds went to the families of the club. Great shirt, better cause.

[@cornellgreen3692]

SB Nation Violent Gentlemen, indeed! Red Wings vs. Avalanche was hockey at its roughest and toughest, with two teams out to win it all at the other's expense. Wasn't it great?

[@clairewyndham1971]

I got "Blood Feud" for my 65th Birthday. Best read in a long time!

[@ProjectZepdos42]

It's weird looking back on this. I grew up as a kid in a family of Red Wings fans in Colorado in the early 2000s and I never knew the context of the rivalry until 20 years later. Love it.

[@SteveAlbertTV]

God, I had the best childhood being a wings fan!

[@GreenGo731]

Avalanche rules

[@pbery22]

Yeah it was great!!!

[@stevencooke6451]

I have a sense of that feeling. I was a Habs fan, and a child of the 1970s. Always felt my innocence ended in 1980 when they lost to the North Stars. We both supported teams coached by Scotty Bowman.

[@reaverofsouls]

Man, I miss these days of hockey, in way. Nothing will ever top Fight Night at the Joe.

[@skyguy1230]

7:45 😂😂😂😂 the ref just standing there with his arms crossed is gold

[@GAPSYO3O1]

Such an underrated rivalry, love my avalanche and love hearing stories from my family watching those games in person!

[@avoin4366]

A rivalry that's still regularly talked about in detroit, was an amazing thing.

[@Thumper17]

The next one should be the NFL VS Fun.

[@shredtheknarknar2013]

0ff topic guy calm down edge lord

[@evanschmitt2830]

NFL vs rules that make sense

[@donaldcornchowder9112]

Lmao

[@HAA0603]

No Fun League

[@thisspacenotforrent]

I remember this feud, you covered it well, brought back great memories of watching those games, thank you!

[@Loki19810310]

Its been 20+ years since 97-98.... I still get an adrenaline rush whenever I hear the crowd when McCarty pumps Lemieux. That roar.... hot damn

[@TheZombiejohn75]

terrific video! I've been getting my 18 year old son into hockey and the history of the best rivalries and this one...this one I remember watching as it happened back then. A video cannot relay the pure, visceral hatred that existed between the Red Wings/Avalanche, and the hatred hockey fans had and continue to have towards Lemieux to this day. Thanks for the upload, subbed.

[@brettallgood6541]

As a bias Avs fan, Lemieux's hit on Draper is inexcusable. A cheap shot with intent to injure. It was the lit fuse in the rivalry but Kris didn't deserve a broken face. There's agitators in the league now that wouldn't have survived the 90's (Marchand comes to mind...).

[@solsticelacer]

As an interested party in said beef I'll say this was a well done episode

[@MystiqWisdom]

Whose jock straps did you handle during that era?

[@snizzake]

I will never forget these games; as a fan who rarely watches hockey, there is simply nothing that compares in any sport, to what this rivalry offered.

[@dgreen002]

One of the best times in hockey history, loved every minute of it as a child.

[@boone6751]

Don’t F with the Grind line! Those where great years in Hockeytown. I live in CO nowadays and ski in my Draper jersey every now and again, people still curse at me from the lift for wearing it all these years later.

[@Funktaro5]

Ha! I'm also a Michigan native that was a fan of the Wings during this period that now lives in Colorado. Seeing people wearing Avalanche jerseys unironically was the weirdest thing about adjusting to living here for me.

[@austinryan9382]

The wings ended the rivalry with that game seven win 7-0 win in 2002.. Colorado 2 cups , Detroit 3 cups . I believe we met once more after that with us winning a non competitive series but the 7-0 wings win was the climax to this storied rivalry ! Fun fact I believe a rookie pavel datsyuk scored the 7th and final goal in that game.

[@theodorebelmont7922]

2008 u played them.too Zetterberg scored a beauty in that game. That was his prime

[@stevenburkhardt1963]

I’m a Wingnut living in Colorado , loving every minute of the rivalry

[@gnastyg7798]

Good Video man! I will never forgot this rival and I watched it first hand!!! Good memories!!

[@seancolorado]

This was the greatest rivalry in North American sports. Made other rivalries in the big four sports look like tea time

[@hugh2hoob668]

Please pens flyers is #1 in the nhl

[@ayo_ocho8861]

Hugh Tahoob plz your high

[@stevencooke6451]

@@hugh2hoob668 They needto meet in the Eastern final at least once for that to be true.

[@hugh2hoob668]

@@ayo_ocho8861 nah fan since 1988 best series

[@hugh2hoob668]

@@stevencooke6451 thats not even a rule lol

[@jaczekdertuerke]

Buikema's best contribution so far. Really enjoyed it!

[@IlovetheTruth]

Oh my goodness, all the memories came flooding back. Great video, thank you

[@jtconley7647]

Very well done! Enjoyed the flashbacks and history of the rivalry

[@m1w3m]

Great episode man! I was just thinking how I'd love to see a Beef History on the Bruins and Habs, but this is such a great rivalry as well!

[@f50marco]

These videos are amazing! Don't stop doing them please!

[@ManuelFlores-oe2wf]

Best hockey rivalry I’ve witnessed. Both had a ridiculous amount of great players, hated each others guts, and each got good victories against the other. Hard to see a rivalry that will top these. I didnt have a hockey team back then, and was a casual fan but these games were must see TV

[@avsfan3724]

Such a great rivalry. Watching them play in the alumni game in 16 really felt like we finally put all the bad blood to rest. So much fun and so much nostalgia. Go Avs

[@JP_Vang]

God I miss those days. Hard core Wings fan myself, but I have mad respect for Colorado. The Wings needed them to strive to be a better team. Days like this will never come again.

[@NerfKnuckles]

Just seeing those Nordiques jerseys even for a quick few seconds got me thinking about players like Bryan Fogarty's drinking, Ron Hextall's anger & Eric Lindros refusing to play for the team. There's probably a video about that team in Quebec to be made yet.

[@Knightmessenger]

Lindros refusing to play for the Canadian team that drafted him (Quebec) was another key piece. So he demanded to be traded and Philly offered a bunch of the good players like Forsberg and Sakic who helped make the Avalanche so good. Interestingly, the Wings did defeat Lindros and Hextall in the finals in 97.

[@roguishpaladin]

Biggest reason I despise Lindros (and Eli Manning) as players. No one is too good to be drafted by the team who's at your slot. As a pro athlete, you have an obligation to the fans of all the teams to do your best for them. The draft is a competitive balance mechanism so that teams that are bad can become good again. Fortunately, it did work out alright for the Nordalanche and the Chargers, but those players are trash.

[@kllbll85]

Absolutely some of the best well timed sarcastic sound drops ever! Well done! Great footage to boot. Nicely done.

[@cooper508]

Lived through this amazing era, loved every damn minute of it. The feud only made the victories sweeter and the losses more sour. Either way, it was entertainment at its finest.

[@smokeyrobinson3199]

This was truly the golden age in hockey, espn... an amazing class of talent. big name corner store teams who absolutely dominated every year true rivalry’s... anyways I’m a wings fan but it was such a blessing growing up with this legit I’m a 90s baby so basically my first memories were in 96-97 and that was at the very start of the greatest hockey rivals of all time & some of the Greatest hockey teams all time. Also as a wings fan he brought a point up , growing up I hated the avs & everything about them but as I got older I came to appreciate the rivalry for what it was and gained a a lot of respect for avs fans

[@clutchcity25]

7:45 "Aight bruh, tell me when y'all done."

[@JW_Cricbuzz]

I lived in both Ann Arbor as well as Denver. This video is as spectacular and as real as it gets.

[@miketaylor2012]

I’m super late posting this but this was such a well put together video, dude. Great work. You captured this one so well.

[@heyandy889]

Thank you for illustrating the bovine nature of this relationship.

[@JoeBushOnline]

Fantastic video!!

[@cps7962]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. AMAZING.

[@snizzake]

Every game between these two teams over almost a decade felt like Stanley Cup game 7. I’ll never forget the sustained intensity. These games are some of my favorite childhood memories.

[@enope5674]

Being from Detroit I lived through that whole thing. Watched almost all of it live on TV including Lemieuxs hit on Drapes and the two goal fights. The memory of Lemieux doing the turtle while McCarty pounded on him still gives me chills.That rivalry defined the heyday of not only hockey, but Detroit at that time.

[@1QKGLH]

Amen brother. Born and raised on the west side, this was pride for a detroiter! To this day when I see a turtle we call it a Lemieux.

[@nancetardiff339]

@@1QKGLH That turtle won 4 cups

[@1QKGLH]

@@nancetardiff339 He's still a gutless turtle that hid as soon as his crap was called out. That whole team was shameful. They didn't know how to fight one-on-one and still lost lol.

[@veldrensavoth7119]

I just love how the ref was just standing there with his arms folded 😂🤣

[@trl2828]

The Ref will do that, the linesman breaks up fights.

[@damonm3]

I saw it all live!! Was amazing! I became a huge fan of the avs during this time and was in FL to watch them win the cup and remember a crazy 0-0 3OT game. Good old Times 🥇🏆🏆🍻

[@davew5724]

Thank you for this and all the other hockey vids. Grade A content, can't believe I'm just discovering your channel now!

[@frequentsee3815]

1:30 Ronald said something to him first before he came & said "I'm never playing for you again."

[@chad_b]

Great video man. It's funny seeing Shanahan back in these days compared to now with his former player safety job and now president of the Leafs lol. It is nice to see old hated rivals able to shake hands and laugh about it after they retire. That's pretty good class

[@SecretBaseSBN]

One crazy thing I wanted to include but didn't was the fact that Claude Lemieux named his son Brendan after Shanahan, but still would talk trash to him during games

[@firehorse_44alpha-omega]

Fantastic review, loved those back to back cups.... Wings were on fire ! Awesome memories.....

[@alexflores7652]

That was really good I remember seeing some of those fights. I was in Air Force basic training when Detroit won the cup in '97. It made my day when I saw the paper of their win.

[@cameronm2877]

Yo they actually listened to my comment. Y’all are the real ones

[@tonythepenguin8752]

You know you did something right when you need a police escort to get to an arena because of actual death threats

[@pchurch4973]

Tony Thepenguin Only in Detroit

[@Dhurklyfignnij]

My friend, any big soccer rivalry in Europe or South America has that all the time

[@youngearthorganicskombucha1976]

Old time hockey

[@JustAFan444]

Thank you for reminding me why I was so obsessed with the Avs growing up! I loved that team!