The Brawl in Hockeytown was a massive melee that occurred March 26, 1997, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, between two National Hockey League rivals, the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche. The brawl stemmed from a previous on-ice incident between the two teams during the 1996 Western Conference Finals, perceived by the Red Wings to be a dirty hit. March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed Hockeytown, The Joe, and JLA, is the home of the National Hockey League franchise the Detroit Red Wings. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Motor City, Motown Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Michigan Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 370. ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. ... The 1995-96 NHL season was the 79th regular season of the National Hockey League. ...

Previous incident

In the 1996 Western Conference Finals, Avalanche right wing Claude Lemieux had cross-checked Red Wings center Kris Draper from behind, sending him out of the game and into the hospital with a broken jaw, which required surgery and numerous stitches. The Avalanche would go on to defeat the Red Wings in 6 games, eventually winning the Stanley Cup. Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. ... Claude Lemieux (born July 16, 1965 in Buckingham, Quebec) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger. ... A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. ... Centre or Center in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. ... Kris Draper is a Canadian-born hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings. ... Stanley Cup on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame The Stanley Cup, originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, is awarded each year by the National Hockey League to the champion of its playoff tournament. ...

The brawl

In the next NHL regular season, although the two teams had played each other three times without incident, a melee ensued during the teams' fourth and last regular season meeting. On the night of March 26, shortly after a collision between Red Wings center Igor Larionov and Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg, Wings enforcer Darren McCarty seized the chance to avenge his Grind Line teammate. McCarty laid many blows on Lemieux, who cowered and sheepishly fell to the ice, turtling. The classic NHL shield logo The 1996-97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. ... Igor Nikolayevich Larionov (Russian: Игорь Николаевич Ларионов; born December 3, 1960 in Voskresensk, Soviet Union) is a Russian hockey player. ... Forward is a hockey player position on the ice whose responsibility is primarily offense. ... (born July 20, 1973 in Örnsköldsvik, Västernorrlands län, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. ... Rather than an official position, an enforcer is a role in ice hockey. ... Darren McCarty is a Canadian-born ice hockey player for the NHLs Calgary Flames. ... The Grind Line is a NHL line for the Detroit Red Wings that often featured Kris Draper, Darren McCarty and Kirk Maltby. ...

It was then that the brawl began near center ice. Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy skated out of his net to defend his teammate, but was instead intercepted by the Brendan Shanahan skating at full speed with an open ice body check. While Shanahan and Colorado defenceman Adam Foote fought, Wings goalie Mike Vernon went out to meet Roy. The decision went to Vernon, who left Roy bleeding and bruised while Vernon was relatively uninjured, though admittedly worn out. Patrick Roy, a retired ice hockey goaltender The goaltender (also known colloquially as goalie or netminder) in ice hockey is the player who defends his teams goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his teams net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. ... Patrick Roy playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 1999 Patrick Roy (pronounced Rwah, IPA: [ɹwɑ]) (born October 5, 1965, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) is a retired ice hockey goaltender and current co-owner, general manager, and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. ... Brendan Shanahan at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Checking in ice hockey is the act of physically keeping an opposing player in check. ... Defenceman (defenseman in U.S.) is a hockey player position on the ice whose responsibility is primarily defence. ... Adam Foote, cross-checking American John LeClair at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Michael Mike Vernon (born 24 February 1963 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey player. ...

After several more fights with according penalties, the game continued. When the third period ended, the score was tied 5-5. Ironically, McCarty scored the winner against Roy in overtime, on an assist from Shanahan. Overtime is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport in order to bring the game to a decision and avoid declaring the contest a tie or draw. ... In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to the two previous players of the scoring team who touched or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, meaning that they were assisting in the goal. ...

Aftermath

Mike Vernon, who won his 300th career game, believed the brawl-filled game "brought the Red Wings together" in time for the playoffs. [1] Colorado head coach Marc Crawford, meanwhile, wondered why McCarty did not receive a game misconduct for his largely one-sided instigation and subsequent fight with Lemieux, while Avs right winger Mike Keane criticized Draper for having McCarty fight on his behalf. [2] The head coach in sports coaching is the coach who is in charge of the other coaches. ... Marc Crawford (b. ... Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. ... Michael Mike Keane (born on the 29th of May, 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) He is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL). ...

The Red Wings went on to win the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.

Box score

• Avalanche-Red Wings brawl box score at USA Today.

See also

• Pacers-Pistons brawl
• National Hockey League rivalries
• Sports rivalry
• Fighting in hockey

The Pacers-Pistons brawl was an on-court altercation at a National Basketball Association game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, which quickly spread into the stands. ... Rivalries in the National Hockey League (NHL) have occurred between many teams and cities, but none more famous and storied than that of the Boston Bruins vs. ... A sports rivalry is intense competition between two athletic teams. ... A large fight in a hockey game Fighting in ice hockey is an extremely controversial aspect of ice hockey. ...

External links

• Mike Vernon vs. Patrick Roy
• Darren McCarty beats up Claude Lemiuex while Shanahan hits Roy