On Saturday, ESPN debuted their latest E60 documentary, featuring the fierce rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalance during the late 1990/early 2000s. The headline story from the documentary, of course, focused on “the Brawl in Hockeytown” when Darren McCarty exacted his revenge on Claude Lemieux for a brutal hit on Chris Draper (resulting in facial reconstruction surgery) the season prior.
That moment burned March 26, 1997, into Detroit sports fans' memories, not only for the satisfaction of leaving a bloodied Lemieux sulking to the locker room, but it was also considered a turning point for the team, who went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years that season.