10 Years Later: 03/26/97: Wings 6, Avs 5 (OT)

[Flip-check 6]

Mac's quote from here is sick:

'The stage for the brawl was set in the 1996 Western Conference playoffs when Lemieux hit Kris Draper into the boards; Draper incurred massive facial injuries and had to have his jaw wired shut. Ten months later, the mood was ripe for vengeance.

“It had a lot of build-up,†McCarty told the Calgary Herald, “and it exceeded the build-up. If there were taking odds in Vegas, it was probably a million to one the game could supersede the hype. But it did. It annihilated the hype. It dropped an atomic bomb on it. It just nuked it. You can't argue that. The icing on the cake, what made it so special, is that I scored the overtime goal. That's what ties everything in all together.†'

[Dano33 41]

i was on my way home from my own hockey game listening to it on the radio. we didnt have pass at home so we went to my grandparents house to watch it. unfortunately, since they were in Florida for the month they had turned off their cable to save.... $2 maybe. man was i angry.

[puckbags 863]

I just finished watching the first period of the game and there were a few things I noticed:

1. Every time Lemieux got the puck passed to him he was hearing footsteps bigtime!!

2. Holy crap was the clutching and grabbing bad 10 years ago

3. They bring up the fact that Feds is playing d alot in the first period..its ironic how Columbus has put him on d present time.

4. There is a shift with about 5 and a half to 6 minutes left in the period when Shanny and Mac are out there and hammering every Av's player they can hit!!

5. If Shanny could have put the puck in the net we would've been up about 4 after the 1st.

6. There a wee bit of a scrap at the end of the period

[Schneids_is_awesome 0]

I was 10 when this happened, so I don't really remember much of the fight. I do remember seeing pictures of Kris Draper a week or so after the hit that Lemieux did, so I can understand why tempers were flying. I love Shanny jumping (literally) to stop Roy from going in on Mac. I love it. BTW, i just decided to pop in my "a celebration of champions" dvds so I can watch this game. That way it will be over by the tie the game tonight starts.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Schneids_is_awesome

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Watching Darren pound Lemiueix made my day. It was even better to see Shanny kicking Corbets ass , and Vernie beating Wahhh

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Wow...it's been ten years people....seems like yesterday, yet so long ago at the same time.

[rwfan007 18]

It is funny how Igor and Foppa started the whole fight, Mac just took advantage of the refs being occupied elsewhere and popped the turtle a good one... i never get tired of watching that game

[Viperar 16]

i can watch that game and all reruns over and over and over again

[Lou_Siffer 1]

The biggest injustice in that game was that Dave Strader wasn't calling the game and Mickey was heading down to the tunnel for the 1st intermission interview. Mike Goldberg was HORRIBLE. He repeatedly made my ears bleed. His UFC play-by-play isn't any better today, either.

Agreed, Mike Goldberg was horrendous. I watch the UFC all the time so i still cant rid myself of the guy....although i'd say he's a little better with the UFC than hockey, but not by much. "SO YOU WANNA BE AN ULTIMATE FIGHTER?!!" Ugh...

My dad was to cheap to pay for PASS, so i was stuck listening to it on the radio. To me, there is nothing worse than listening to a fight on the radio....it killed me to miss it. I remember after each fight i kept running out of my room telling my dad "Another fight dad!" "Another fight!!" "Theyre going at it again dad!" Of course being the smartass i am this was all said in a sarcastic tone to make my dad feel guilty for not giving his son PASS. Anyways...couldnt wait for Sportscenter that night, and if memory serves me correct it was their top story. Imagine that!

So will people in Colorado celebrate the anniversary of Roy beating up Osgood next year?

Edited March 26, 2007 by Lou_Siffer

[Guest redwing826]

I was at that game ten years ago. There is no other game that rivals 3/26/97 for me. I was there by accident. I've been a season ticket holder for almost 20 years. My buddy had our tickets for that game but decided to go up north the day before and passed them back to me. I've never let him forget it.

I remember hearing an interview with Paul Devorski, who was the referee that night. He was asked about the penalty calls on the main event. I seem to remember Devo saying that he didn't give McCarty a game misconduct because he didn't see it. Now when I go back and watch the game as many of us do, I always laugh when I see Devorski practically standing over D-Mac and the Turtle while Mac is pounding him. I guess Devorski wasn't a Lemiuex fan either.

[chelios4eva 0]

hmm.... ten years ago I was 5 living in California.

EDIT: redwing826, LUCKY!!!!

Edited March 26, 2007 by chelios4eva

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Oh, to be a lad again... To jump and scream and spill juice on the carpet (sorry mom!) and watch the game with my dad again... It's been a looong time.

I was a little young, any memories I did have were probably supplanted by the DVD, but it's a timeless classic besides. Thanks, Wings!

[elriqo28 2]

It blows my mind that this happened 10 years ago today. I was only 14 and the younger Wings seemed like giants... they were back then my age now! Not only does it remind me how far I've come, but how far those guys have come too....

We didn't have cable at the time, so my mom, her boyfriend and I went to their friends' place in Plymouth. It seemed like EVERYONE in the city was watching that game! I remember eating jalepeno poppers and burning my tounge when the Wings tied it up in the 3rd. I also remember there being a lunar eclipse that night, and before OT I wished on the eclipse, "Please god, let them win this one!".

Nothing else to me tops the excitement of that game, that season. Nothing. That moment was truly magical. I'd never experienced anything like that and haven't since...

e: For the sake of nostalgia....

the image of Shanny throwing Roy to the ground is an image I will always remember and I love to see it over and over!

[Guest LivingtheDream]

God, what a game. I have the DVD set and I will never tire of watching that one either. If I am home sick, it is the first thing I think of doing (I know I should rest). Man, it is the stuff of legends. Practically a Greek or Roman myth. How can this ever be topped? How can anyone watch this game and watch us play Nashville today and say we have a new "rivarly"? This was the big one. This was D-Day, the Battle of the Buldge, Iwo Jima all rolled into one.

[wingslogo19 281]

What a great topic.. I was 11 and loved the fact that there was a huge brawl and the wings won

[Viperar 16]

the image of Shanny throwing Roy to the ground is an image I will always remember and I love to see it over and over!

yup one of my fav images....love shanny...hes awesome

[superstarsingh 23]

Frankly, it was the most pleasing/memorable game I ever watched. I was 8 years old...goodness. And I still remember it vividly.

VERNON AND ROY! VERNON AND ROY! VERNON AND ROY!

[dream1010 0]

Best regular season game in NHL history! I still don't know to this day, though, why Bowman would throw Mike Knuble into 1st NHL game here, and scratch Joey Kocur.

Those of us not in the Detroit area got to see the game on ESPN2, with Gary Thorne (and his dull and stoic "this...had...to...happen") and Brian Engblom.

[Happy Pancake 6]

Thanks for the memories guys. Win it again this year.

[scsgoal31 0]

I was 12 and laying on my bed listening to the game on the AM. We definitely didn't have PASS...and that was when every other game rotated between PASS and TV50. How frustrating.

Somebody mentioned Ray Lane...what in the world happened to him?

Edited March 27, 2007 by scsgoal31

[redwingschick33 0]

I showed that game two years ago at Christmas with my dad. After the first fight, our basement was packed with my cousins and uncles as we cheered at a game that we already knew the outcome of. Best hockey game I've ever seen.

I collected some quotes, photos, and video clips at my blog: http://www.behindthejersey.com/2007/03/26/happy-anniversary/

[Vladiator 116]

I was in California on spring break visting my brother.. My brother's roomate and I went to Big Bear that day and went snowboarding. I convinced him to leave early (he was from Michigan and was a RW fan) so that we could get back to watch the game because I knew it was going be a huge game. Needless to say, he thanked me for getting us back early to catch the entire game.

[DRW Dominance 255]

Funny thing I found out last night about this game. After the brawl Ray Scapinello advised Devorski that McCarty should be thrown out of the game. Devorski obviously said no, I'm not throwing him out. McCarty comes back huge in that game and Devorski gets scolded after the game by the director of officiating for now throwing him out. Imagine the outcome had McCarty not been there.