Red Wings Centennial Legends Fireside Chat – Part II

Red Wings Centennial Legends Fireside Chat – Part II

[Music] You know, speaking of fun, Scott Scotty always said you you had to have the team relaxed. Do you remember before game seven against Colorado in O2 what Scotty said in the room to lighten the mood at his expense? Do you remember the Scotty? I know you do. Game seven and O2. Yeah. Before you whipped Colorado at home at the Joe to move on. Do you remember? I You know what? I I don’t, but I know everyone kind of looked at me and started laughing and I’m glad I didn’t hear what it was. What Scotty said was, and I don’t remember the name, he said, “You know, players can always come up big. I remember when I was playing and before, you know, the injury and his future uh as a player.” And he said, “There’s always somebody you don’t expect to score.” Like we had this guy and he had horrible hands. He didn’t have good hands at all. Just like you, Drapes. Yeah. And that’s when I popped up. Yeah. I heard it. And if he’s talking about me in intermission in a game seven, it’s usually not a good thing. So turned out okay. But he always thought you had to lighten the mood. So to Scotty Bowman stories who was such a big part of uh this organization and you had a favorite Scotty story and telling you in faceoffs. Steve, do you have a favorite Scotty story? funny that you can actually tell. I I I do know that there was a linesman who came over one night and uh Steve Duchain had gone back for the puck and they didn’t call icing and the linesman came over and said to Scotty, he said, “He turned the wrong way.” And Scotty said, “Turn the wrong way. Turn the wrong way. He can only turn one way.” So, and you guys on the bench are like putting your hand in your gloves. How many times did you do that on the bench with Scotty when Scotty was going at somebody? Yeah. Oh, a few times. But you never like with Scotty, you weren’t ever sure if he was serious or joking. So, you didn’t know if you should laugh, so you just kind of held your breath. But he had some memorable um uh you know um speeches or talks or whatnot between periods and whatnot. Um the most memorable for me without going into a lot of detail was before game Colorado game uh when we be in 90 was it 97? I can’t even remember these days. first uh um game seven. We won game five, lost game six. Was that right? No. 96 and seven. Yes. Um 97. He came in before the game and just basically guys, this is your moment. Like and he kept using the phrase, if you guys don’t if you guys don’t show up tonight, if you don’t play your best tonight, you will ru the day. And you will ru the day. And he kept saying that over and over and over. And uh we went out. So uh and we I think we won 3-1. Colorado scored an empty neter. In my opinion, that was the best game we as a team, that whole group of guys we ever played. And Colorado had an awesome team, but we played really well. Won three nothing. But that pregame speech was unreal. Got us fired up. But he always had that whether it was the he knew when to lighten the mood or when when to like really put the the heat on. He really I guess for all his experience from all those years of coaching, he just had a good feel for the pulse of the room and what needed to be said. And you had to be aware on the bench because you never knew you’re about to go over and then all of a sudden you’re not. Well, it was Yeah, it was actually probably Maltz and I were two of the guys that would were pretty vocal on the bench of asking, you know, who’s up, who’s up, you know, like we were all and we were hoping he was going to say us. And usually the more we said it, the less we got to play. So, we kind of learned our lesson, but it was uh, you know, it was like literally sometimes there was just absolute organized chaos on on the bench. It was incredible. No one knew who was going and did you not only not know who you were going but you didn’t know who you were going with, you know. So, it was uh there was some moments where it was uh so, you know, and he wanted to match up and that was the thing like he was always looking and he was always one or two, you know, matchups or plays ahead of the opposition coach. And it was just incredible the way that you know he thought the game and he and in the he wanted to keep us so sharp that it was just very unpredictable who was going and who you were going to play with when you’re not predictable can be key right Steve in a game when you’re not predictable on what’s going to happen or do you need that? Well, I think I think he was I think he was calculated in everything he did and sometimes maybe maybe not, but he wasn’t afraid to Scott he wasn’t afraid to try different things and one thing Chris talk about mention he’d change your lines around you know and you play with different people. I think there was some strategy behind that for him. Uh but we found all of a sudden you get in the playoffs and things weren’t going well you were on you know Shanny might be playing with drapes and malts but it wasn’t unfamiliar to him because he’d played with them during the season. and it wasn’t a big shock. So, I think there was a lot of uh um um uh design behind all the moves that he made that become very unpredictable. But just being on the bench or behind the bench like looking back on it, how we would match lines and how he would change things up. I think he, you know, he was obviously very experienced, but played coached all those great players in Montreal and whatnot and knew how to uh knew how to about matchups and who did well against who and whatnot. And you know, you think of 97 finals when how we were going to match up against the Flyers. They had the Legion of Doom, these big giants. What were they going to do with the D pairs? Thought they would go Vlatty and uh Slava Slava, you know, and he went the exact opposite. Went with Murf and and Nick and they did were able to do a real good job and play against them. Speaking of 97, 95 was the Devils in the finals that pretty much embarrassed us with they checked us into the ground. um 9394 disappointing Leafs in San Jose 96 conference finals against Colorado. So 14 years later you do win the cup. Do you ever think you weren’t going to get there after all that stuff? Well, a little bit after 96, you know, we again we gotten uh you know, we’re getting close getting close there in 93 94 95 get all the way to the finals. 96 take a step back loing the semi-finals and in game six you know you’re not sure if you’re kind of peaked you missed your window 130 some points yeah yeah um 62 wins that year anyway yeah just driving home after that one it was like gez you know not sure this is going to happen and even in in 96 97 you know we slipped I think we finished third in the division in 96 97 and um you know going into the playoffs and maybe that was a good thing nobody really you know we weren’t probably weren’t the favorites. I would assume Colorado was that year and every opponent we played in each round where after a couple of games I think we’d all collectively say it’s like I think we’re better than them. I think we’re, you know, we just needed through those years, you know, uh, between Scotty, Jimmy D, Kenny, and Jimmy, all the staff, they tweak things and, you know, we learned that through 93, 94, getting all the way to the finals against New Jersey, we get swept, but we can say we were embarrassed or whatnot, but one, we had a lot of injuries, but two, that was that was a pretty that was that lockout or the the lockout year. We played 48 game season, had a great regular season, played really well to the final. We were we had a lot of injuries actually, but it was that one little bit of hey, we’re not quite there yet. And again, they tweaked our lineup, made some changes to it, and you know, we just kept hanging around there and eventually won. But yeah, there was a moment there after 96 is like this might not happen. And the Rangers went a long time obviously in 1940 and the chance of 1940 and then it’s a a long time and in Detroit too. Um, was there how much of a relief was it when you were able to to lift that that Stanley Cup? Not for you personally, but for the city and were you feeling the pressure at all at that moment in in that time? Uh, not at that moment cuz we’re, you know, um, but, uh, certainly going through the, you know, the the 93, 94, even in ’95, it was, you know, tough. We’re getting, we’re building, we’re getting there. But uh we’ve been kind of improving for a while. The organization’s been getting better, but we couldn’t quite get there. So yeah, there was a lot of a lot of pressure. Um but I think like for you know Chris and these guys roll in and we had good teams and uh they didn’t care about what happened 8 10 years ago and whatnot. So um it was it was a little bit of relief I guess but more you know at that point you’re winning Stanley Cup you’re raising it on home ice that was elation joy raising on home ice and going over to Mr. Illich thoughts on Mike Mary and the family. Yeah, a lot of the Illich family were there on the bench at that time and uh I was you know um Jimmy D was there as well. It was uh you know very um I was I don’t know what the right word would be rewarding, grateful um you know they stuck with us through us all and the Illich family Mr. and Mrs. I at the time were really really supportive every you know we’re disappointing in these playoff runs as we all were and they were just nothing but supportive every year. So I mean they were really uh I know Mr. I was they were all thrilled but you know Mr. I liked winning you know and uh it was nice to be able to finally do that the grind line. Yeah. Your thoughts on the grind line? I could ask you about it, but you know, you you first when you when you watch the grind line and we’ll we’ll put Joey in there too along with Moltz and Mack and and Chris. Mick, your your thoughts on the grind line. Well, to Steve’s point, they added these guys along the way, which I think completed the puzzle. I’ve used to this day where you watch teams that that can’t defend like you need to defend to win a Stanley Cup. And we couldn’t at that certain point in time. We could score goals, but we couldn’t just lock it down like we needed to. And when they you added guys like like Shanahan and Le Point, you had Mccardi, you had a lot of physical guys. And these guys could check anybody into the ground. uh they became as important to the team as Steve and Hull and all these other guys, the Russian five, the guys that were scoring goals and doing the other things and different things. So that uh that chemistry I think put us over the top and uh coming after the loss to Colorado in 96 um we needed and after the Devils checked and checked and checked in 95 it was like okay finish the the deal. They did. I don’t know who we added in 97 that would have been to that group if anybody, but you guys at least were together. Joey came in that year, right? Joey came in right out of the beer league. Thomas Sandstöm came in at the trade deadline. Another 6’3, 220 pounder, you know. Um, got Murf. Uh, Murf came Murf, you know, not known as a big physical defender, but he was big, heavy guy that could defend and lean on you and and whatnot. So, some really good acquisitions throughout the course of that year, but I would uh agree like the, you know, the grind line, Drapes’ line. Actually, the original grind line for the record, I think, was Drapes, Maltz, and uh and Joey. I think it was Max slid in there somehow on there. The only line in history with four guys on it. Um, but they were every bit as important to the team. A different element. Um, drapes and malts, great skaters, great penalty killers. Uh and Joey not only the like a big strong tough guy but great hands. Joey could score a goal as you saw that his goal and was it game one in Philly in the finals deep to the backand under the bar. Um but just it changed the makeup of our team a little bit. Um and they scored big goals. They were hard to pay against uh play against uh provided a lot of energy to our team on the bench in the locker room in games and and look back through the course of the all those years the key goals that they scored. Drapes is over the overtime winner against Washington. You know you go through those playoff series Kenny and would always talk about it the best player the best lines they all match them up. you’re matching up your top guys and they cancel each other out and you’re grinding it out and you need somebody’s got to score a big goal to to take the heat off the the the guys and allow them to play. So everybody like a great line, great guys had a lot of fun, create a lot of uh energy in practice, never shut up all of them chirping away and it was just a a fantastic line. Have you ever danced like you did after that goal? I’ll never forget that game you guys were down what four to one or four to two. Yeah, it chipped away and chipped away and then uh game two. Yeah, in 98 and Esset and had Aussie deed right out and remember it rolled off a stick that I think that would have put him up four late and then uh we ended I think Marty Le Point scored, Douggee Brown scored uh late to tie it up. Yeah. And then on the Yeah. in overtime. I you know I uh Igor, Shanny, and Marty were on the ice and Eigor changed. Obviously, we had the the short change cuz the uh we switched ends and and I kind kind of came off and I did a little little flyby on the forche and the puck came up the wall and I I I button hooked and Marty just zipped one kind of back door and uh and I was I was fortunate uh little crossbody one-time. Another uh little Scotty story there. At that point, I had yet to score a goal and Scotty had let me known that u when at the end of the game like going into overtime kind of said to Barry and he always made sure he would tell Barry but to make sure that I could hear and he’s like Barry Barry you know uh Draper is the only forward that hasn’t scored this year. Only only one that hasn’t scored in the playoffs. And I just kind of put my head down just kind of like, you know, typical Scotty. Here we go. And sure enough, so I scored. So if you if you watch the clip when uh I was one of the last guys off the ice and and Scotty legit asked who scored the goal, he asked me who scored the goal and obviously had a big smile on his face knowing all the way. 100% he knew. Yeah. So it was uh Yeah, it was uh so I mean that was you know uh you know to to be able to do that. That’s, you know, what you dream about as uh, you know, as kids. And, you know, for our line, we just, you know, Stevie touched on it. Uh, we always felt we could score. We always felt we could chip in and we kind of, you know, had that confidence. And Scotty put us in some, you know, some pretty good situations, too. And we always felt, you know, the superstars, you know, Stevie and Shanny and Sergey, those guys were going to do their thing, you know, over the two months. and if we could just kind of chip in, you know, on some in some big games and score some goals, we were going to be, you know, a tough out. And that was a mindset that, you know, we always k around. The four of us had with obviously Joey and both Mack playing on the right side and um, you know, fortunate to be able to chip in with some big goals for our team. And you talk about big goals, Steve, yours at the the time, obviously maybe bigger after, but against John Casey, facing Wayne Gretzky, St. Louis, overtime. Relive that for us. Well, um, you know, that time of year, I don’t even know if we’re in June at that point. Probably not May at that point. Um, and Joe Lewis on those hot humid days, it would be really steamy in there and the ice was ice was slow. Um, uh, but it was we’re now we’re in double overtime and different game back then. They didn’t call many penalties in OT and there’s a lot of, you know, uh, it was just grinded out and they’re just tired. I just finally got into overtime. I was I’m going to shoot anytime I get the puck I’m shooting it and just picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and all I was trying to do is get it by Murray Baron was a Dman I think and just trying to get it by his ankles. Don’t get the thing blocked because they’re going to go the other way and uh had a clear view of it. Went right by his leg and went in. I you know how many goals did I score? I don’t have a shot like Mickey. I didn’t score many goals from out there but I was just thinking shoot the puck and it went in and it was pretty exciting corner. Yeah. Yeah. It was pretty exciting. Now, having said that, it’s like it’s a distant memory cuz, you know, we we end up I think we had to play like a day and a half later against Colorado in an afternoon game and before we know it, we’re down 02. So, I didn’t really enjoy that one much. And as exciting as it was at the time, it wasn’t I didn’t get to enjoy it very long. Which which I guess should bring us to the the fans in this city. Uh hockey town for a reason. Yeah, for sure. Um, how great was the support and and still to this day that you guys received? Um, I mean, incredible. I mean, I just remember and it’s it’s actually pretty special to be able to especially, you know, at this time of year when they start, you know, re repeating and rerunning the clips of, you know, our our playoffs runs and and you could just, you know, it was loud, it was passionate. Uh everyone seemed like they were wearing a jersey which was obviously you know very special. um you know and they were you know it was uh you know they were very passionate towards obviously the you know the years you know we touched on the years you know for me it was 94 95 and 96 that you know we had good teams and weren’t able to get over the top and um you know it it they were disappointed and frustrated and so were we and uh obviously with the drought and then the opportunity uh coming into 9697 and you know like Stevie said we started the playoffs and started playing some really good hockey and and and really probably the first time playing the right way. Um, you know, we were able to lock it down. We had, you know, the, you know, from top to bottom and and timely scoring and getting the goalending. And, you know, here we are, you know, with an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup at home. And, you know, to to this day, it’s, you know, one of those vivid memories when, you know, all of a sudden Stevie grabs a p the Stanley Cup and, you know, hoist it over his head and now all of a sudden you’re, you know, we we did it. you know, we’re Stanley Cup champions and it’s something that uh meant a lot to be able to do it at home with everything that we have been through and obviously the fans being a huge part of it and uh you know the can talk about you know the the celebration afterwards you know right at the Joe and certainly the parade was something that I don’t think anyone saw coming with the amount of people that were there and I think over a million people wheeling you know Woodward and into Hart Plaza was you know you could just tell the passion that they have uh you know for for not only winning but for the Detroit Red Wings winning and you know it’s something that was obviously very special. So Steve, first of all thought on that on the fans here first. Well um you know we got a taste for of the passion like uh way back in ‘ 87 88 maybe we 86 87 even got to the semi-finals win the division get into the semi-finals. We played a game seven I think in one of those years against Toronto at home and uh you just started to see the the momentum and hockey was uh kind of back in Detroit after not making the playoffs for a few years and you know um couple years and then we you know we took a step backwards get back into the playoffs in ‘ 92 get to the you know have good regular seasons in 93 and 94 and lose but the the fan base was always there everybody leave at the end of the season disappointed September rolls around the buildings pack, the enthusiasm, the support for the team was phenomenal and uh eventually we were it was uh um we were able to reward the fan base with a Stanley Cup again. But it’s a great city to play and it was great for any of the m the the the athletes here in this city cuz the big as we know it’s a big sports town and they love the teams and uh even when they’re down but even more so when they win. So uh we’re lucky to play. I say that to any of the athletes and our players here today understand it and recognize what a great city it is to play in with a fantastic fan base that uh is one not only intelligent but uh uh very supportive but also in a good way very demanding. [Music]

Ken Daniels, Mickey Redmond, Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper share their memories around Detroit Red Wings Centennial.

Catch more stories at A Night at the Fox Theatre, hosted by Ken & Mickey, November 8th. Tickets at detroitredwings.com/foxevent.