Blood on the Ice: Red Wing’s Greatest “Hits”
March 26, 1997. A day that will live in infamy. The Detroit Red Wings met the Colorado Avalanche on the ice at Joe Lewis Arena. The audience of close to…
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MARCH 02: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche battles for the puck against Patrik Nemeth #22 of the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at Little Caesars Arena on March 02, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Colorado won the game 2-1. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
March 26, 1997. A day that will live in infamy. The Detroit Red Wings met the Colorado Avalanche on the ice at Joe Lewis Arena. The audience of close to 20,000 and possibly even the Avalanche assumed it would be a regular game against their Detroit rivals. Well, the Red Wings had been holding a grudge since the prior season. In game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals Avalanche right winger Claude Lemieux checked Red Wings Center Kris Draper from behind. Draper suffered serious injuries after Lemieux drove his face into the boards. The Avalanche would win the Stanley Cup that year.
Fast forward to March 26, 1997. The Red Wings had not forgotten about the incident, and they were ready to settle up. Nine fights happened on the ice that night at the Joe. When all the blood, teeth, and equipment were cleared from the ice the Red Wings were victorious. They won against the Avalanche 6 to 5. Fight Night at the Joe was without a doubt the biggest fight of the Red Wings' history, but there are some equally memorable Red Wing fights besides that one! Here's just a few of some of the biggest fights in Red Wing's history.
