105 replies to this topic

[Barrie]

From watching it I don't think LaPhew thinks he did anything wrong when he hit Draper. Just hockey.

That's what bothers me the most, he doesn't think he did anything wrong.

Edit: Lemieux says he didn't mean to hurt Draper, but what did he expect would happen by driving (someone smaller than him, and with his back to him) his face into the boards? DMac was right there and said he heard a pop sound. Sick! Gutless!.. Then there's all that B.S. Claude said about Draper the next season.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop at 4 replies

Edited by Barrie, 18 March 2010 - 10:19 PM.

[Original-Six]

Its kinda weird watching this all these years later

[MCleveland89]

I love the part that goes something like this: "Darren, would you liked to have Claude as a team mate in 98?" "D-Mac: Absolutely Not".

"Claude, would you like Darren on your team?" Claude-"Absolutely." Hilarious.

[55fan]

That was awesome. Turtle had quite a few things to say that I was glad to hear him say, but I still wish he would have said that he felt bad that Drapes was hurt. He's not sorry that he hit him and he never intended to hurt him- I can respect that. But I'd still like to hear him say that he wishes that the outcome had been different.

As much as it pains me, I do have respect for the work Claude has done off the ice with kids with disabilities. His brother was raised in an institution, and Claude never forgot that. I have to respect that even if I hate all of the other stuff.


Question for that gals: I don't remember Claude being good-looking at all. Is this old hate or is he getting better with age?


Mac rules. Still and always.

Edited by 55fan, 19 March 2010 - 01:50 AM.

[shaeb30]

coolest part of this to me was the handshake. never thought we would see the day! i really think its cool to see these guys together and talking about what happened. as much as it sucks though, i believe everything claude said. he was just playing the game, and everything that happened was wrong place wrong time.

[titanium2]

http://twitpic.com/19dtfx

[bdavis]

At least Lemieux accepts the fact that he deserved to be retaliated against for the Draper hit. He accepted the fact that he was going to get a beat down, and respected that Dmac stood up for his teammate. I think it is possible that he didn't have the intent to injure. It's good to see that they left the rivalry on the ice, but it's kinda like an end to the rivalry actually.

[SouthernWingsFan]

At least Lemieux accepts the fact that he deserved to be retaliated against for the Draper hit. He accepted the fact that he was going to get a beat down, and respected that Dmac stood up for his teammate. I think it is possible that he didn't have the intent to injure. It's good to see that they left the rivalry on the ice, but it's kinda like an end to the rivalry actually.

Ah. I haven't looked for anything on it from YouTube, and skimming NHL Network on TV early this morning at the gym I didn't see anything on it, so I don't know what was said or not during the interview. If this is the case, I'll take that as some form of an apology towards Draper, albeit indirectly.

[55fan]

Ah. I haven't looked for anything on it from YouTube, and skimming NHL Network on TV early this morning at the gym I didn't see anything on it, so I don't know what was said or not during the interview. If this is the case, I'll take that as some form of an apology towards Draper, albeit indirectly.

Go to the last page (post #29) and click the "direct link" in one of the posts. It will take you to part one of the interview. Then parts 2 and 3 will load automatically if you wait for them.

Lemieux said that he had been hit in a hit similar to Drapes, and broke the same bones, and he did not get an apology, nor did he expect one. He accepted that it was a part of the game. At least he is consistent. I'll give him that.

He said he wasn't going to apologize for the hit. He said once a hit has been laid that it is too late and an apology doesn't do any good. The hit is part of the game. You wait for the retaliation and take it.

I disagree with that. I think if someone gets injured, you at least check to see if they are ok. Yeah, it's part of the game, and they know that, but you at least extend the courtesy- the human element- even if you would make the same hit again. It's not apologizing for playing the game; it's saying "sorry it turned out bad". Then you wait for the retaliation and take it.

There was one time that we were playing St. Louis and Lebda got rocked. I believe it was Drake that hit him, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the one who hit him went to the hospital and sat with Lebda since he wasn't going to be returning to Detroit with the rest of the team. I thought that was classy. That to me is about respecting the game and the other players. Play hard, but remember that they are people too.

Edited by 55fan, 19 March 2010 - 07:03 AM.

[SouthernWingsFan]

Go to the last page (post #29) and click the "direct link" in one of the posts. It will take you to part one of the interview. Then parts 2 and 3 will load automatically if you wait for them.

Lemieux said that he had been hit in a hit similar to Drapes, and broke the same bones, and he did not get an apology, nor did he expect one. He accepted that it was a part of the game. At least he is consistent. I'll give him that.

He said he wasn't going to apologize for the hit. He said once a hit has been laid that it is too late and an apology doesn't do any good. The hit is part of the game. You wait for the retaliation and take it.

I disagree with that. I think if someone gets injured, you at least check to see if they are ok. Yeah, it's part of the game, and they know that, but you at least extend the courtesy- the human element- even if you would make the same hit again. It's not apologizing for playing the game; it's saying "sorry it turned out bad". Then you wait for the retaliation and take it.

There was one time that we were playing St. Louis and Lebda got rocked. I believe it was Drake that hit him, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the one who hit him went to the hospital and sat with Lebda since he wasn't going to be returning to Detroit with the rest of the team. I thought that was classy. That to me is about respecting the game and the other players. Play hard, but remember that they are people too.

Will have to listen to it later as I'm pressed for time. There are certain things that are "a part of the game", and unfortuatnely perhaps even Lemieux's hit on Draper to a degree, I'll give him that, but you're spot on pretty much. Even if you didn't mean to hurt somebody, if you really did mess them up, check on them, give them a phone call saying you are sorry for things getting this bad, visit, etc.

[mad dingo]

http://twitpic.com/19dtfx

Is it just me or does Lemieux have a massive melon?

[egroen]

I actually think Lemieux is a psychopath (not all of them are serial killers) - he really seems incapable of seeing anything wrong in his actions.
I have seen interviews where he goes on to state that *he* was the one everyone should feel sorry for, because the hit gave him an unwarranted reputation, and that he ultimately did Draper a favor, leading to more money and fan appreciation. He's also expressed how proud he is that his son is also a cheap-shotting bastard (ok, maybe that is not a direct quote), despite being more of a skill player.

[mmamolo]

It was pretty surreal rehashing that old rivalry. I think what still bugs everyone and what Claude Lemieux still doesn't understand is that an apology does mean something after the fact. No one is saying you apologize for the hit or for playing hockey or for whatever happened on the ice. All you're offering is one of those simple, for the sake of it, apologies for the simple fact that someone got hurt and realistically no one should want to see anyone ever get hurt.

It's like if you're at work or school or whatever and a friend of a friend of a friend's dog just died you say, 'I'm sorry to hear that'. It's obviously a different situation but the point is that the principle is that it's common courtesy. There are a simple set of rules that we as humans expect each other to follow in terms of how we treat each other. Whether the intent was there or not when something bad happens, like it did to Draper, you apologize whether you want to you or not. If you want to go the extra mile after that then that's up to you. But you sure as hell at least apologize. That's the absolute minimum.

[cusimano_brothers]

Great to watch. McCarty was Draper's "Official Keeper of the Pliers"? I did not know that.

[VM1138]

Man...if McCarty agreed to bury the hatchet, this really is the resolution of the rivalry after many years. If the hate is gone between those two of all players I guess that's that. Weird.

[F.Michael]

It feels good to be vindicated - I said all along that 1) Mac suckered Claude, and 2) that Claude didn't turtle, his bell was rung and he went down from the suckerpunch. Both of those things were talked about tonight, Mac had no problem with it - he even said that the suckerpunch he landed to the side of Claude's head was among the hardest punches he ever threw.

It was a great interview, I really enjoyed the insight that both guys offered. They seemed to agree, that men who land that kind of shot should expect to have to answer to the other team's toughguy. Both guys were known as being pricks on the ice but they seem like class acts here.

Agreed.

I actually gained some respect for Lemieux for his brutal honesty.

[drwscc]

Is it just me or does Lemieux have a massive melon?

I was thinking the same thing. Either Mac has a pin head, or Lemieux has a pumpkin sitting on his shoulders

[hockeygods]

ill never get enough of watching that video!!!!!! to bad if that happend now the wings would probably do nothing about it

[NeverForgetMac25]

Great interview!

My jaw dropped when Lemieux said he held no ill-will toward Draper. What a ******-bag comment to make. Oh, I'm so thrilled for you Claude that you hold no ill-will toward a guy you f*cking cheapshotted! [/sarcasm]

I was shocked at first when Mac agreed to shake Lemieux's hand in this interview, but what Claude said to Mac in the Dallas game probably mended a big bridge. Not only that, with him being a recovered alcoholic and the steps those individuals make, that was probably important for him to let go of some of that anger.

Lemieux is still a jackass in my book!

[SouthernWingsFan]

Wow, there were 4 available clips to watch on TSN so I'm not sure if I missed anything. Was able to tune in at work.

I still wish Lemieux would've apologized to Draper with a call or whatever for the big hit, but I understand his reasoning in terms of when somebody gets injured and the like. I still think there's a fine line in a game to where you have to let up to not injure somebody, whether you mean to or not. That'll probably be something from this interview that Lemieux and myself won't ever see eye-to-eye on.

He's certainly got a lot of cojones, and from this you understand he'll probably always man up to get things resolved if people have a problem with him.

I think also many people forget that while Draper-Lemieux was probably the most dramatic incident, Kozlov-Foote got it all started earlier that series, so I understand the angle Lemieux took to seek "revenge" on him and the like. Not sure if that could've been taken care of better/differently, but whatever.

An absolutely great segment by both McCarty and Lemieux about all the incidents and how some rules today really need to be changed up.