A look back at the intense rivalry and infamous clashes between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
There are storied rivalries in hockey like the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Lightning, or even the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings. But in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was one that defined the league as a whole and took many by surpise as it came out nowhere.
It was a violent war on ice whenever the Red Wings would clash against the Colorado Avalanche as cheapshots and dirty plays would ignite grusome saga. The 1996 Western Conference Finals had left a bitter taste in Detroit’s mouth as the newly competitive Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Red Wings in six games.
The most notable part of the series is a hit that many Red Wings fans remember as the final game of the series saw forward Kris Draper of the Red Wings get blindsided by a vicious check from Colorado’s Claude Lemieux. Draper’s face required reconstructive surgery and when Lemieux didn't apologize and was suspended for only two games. Detroit knew they were going to have to take things into their own hands when they faced off again.
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On March 26, 1997, it was clear the Red Wings had a score to settle as the brawls ensued halfway through the first period with Red Wings forward Darren McCarty finding Lemieux and pummeling him near the boards while Lemieux turtled, unable to respond.
The brawls extended to the goalies as Detroit's Chris Osgood and Colorado's Patrick Roy fought center ice. Brendan Shanahan laid out Roy with a flying check. Igor Larionov and Peter Forsberg got into it. It was pure chaos as the crowd in the Joe Louis Arena erupted.
More than 18 fighting majors were handed out with the Red Wings happy that they got to exact their revenge. Detroit would go on to win the game 6-5 with McCarty scoring the game winner in dramatic fashion. From there, the rivalry only escalated.
The two teams met in the playoffs five times between 1996 and 2002, including the 2002 Western Conference Final, where Detroit obliterated Colorado in a 7–0 drubbing during Game 7 in which Roy was embarrassed by a glove save where he got up and celebrated thinking he had the puck, only to realize it was in the back of the net.
During their years of hatred from 1996 and 2002, either the Red Wings or Avalanche won the Cup five times with both side elevating their play solely to beat the other. With loaded rosters including several hall-of-fame players, the rivalry was one of the greatest in hockey history and will always be remembered when the Red Wings and Avalanche face off again.
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