Colorado Avalanche–Detroit Red Wings brawl
A defining on-ice melee between NHL rivals.
The rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings exploded into a massive on-ice brawl on March 26, 1997, at Joe Louis Arena. Known as Bloody Wednesday, Fight Night at the Joe, and the Brawl in Hockeytown, the melee was rooted in a clash from the 1996 Western Conference Finals. That night, 18 fighting majors were handed out, totaling 144 penalty minutes, and the game is widely seen as a landmark moment in modern hockey.
The bad blood began during Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals. Avalanche right winger Claude Lemieux checked Red Wings center Kris Draper from behind, driving Draper's face into the boards. Earlier in that series, in Game 3, Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote was hit from behind into the glass by Red Wings winger Vyacheslav Kozlov, leaving Foote with a gash on his forehead. Colorado was furious that Kozlov wasn't penalized. Lemieux later sucker-punched Kozlov, earning a fine and a one-game suspension. Lemieux’s hit on Draper in Game 6 sent Draper to the hospital with a concussion, broken nose, broken jaw, shattered cheek, and orbital bone damage, requiring reconstructive surgery that left his jaw wired shut. The Avalanche upset the Red Wings in six games and went on to win the Stanley Cup. After the traditional playoff handshake, former Red Wings winger Dino Ciccarelli said of Lemieux, "I can't believe I shook this guy's friggin' hand after the game, that pisses me right off." Lemieux was fined and suspended for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The teams met three times in the next regular season without serious incident, but the fourth meeting on March 26 was different. Before the game, Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman used Lemieux’s hit on Draper and his lack of remorse as a rallying cry to add a physical edge. That day, *The Detroit News* printed a "wanted" poster of Lemieux with a prison number under the headline "A Time for Revenge," comparing him to a carjacker.
Tensions rose early in the first period. At 4:45, defensemen and enforcers Brent Severyn (Avalanche) and Jamie Pushor (Red Wings) fought. At 10:14, forwards Kirk Maltby (Red Wings) and Rene Corbet (Avalanche) fought, with Maltby dropping Corbet. The major melee erupted at 18:22.
- Date
- March 26, 1997
- Location
- Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
- Teams
- Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings
- Total penalty minutes
- 144
- Fighting major penalties
- 18
- Final score
- 6–5 (overtime, Detroit)
- Nicknames
- Bloody Wednesday, Fight Night at the Joe, Brawl in Hockeytown
Lore & Background
In the aftermath, Vernon believed the game 'brought the Red Wings together' for the playoffs. Avalanche head coach Marc Crawford questioned why McCarty did not receive a game misconduct. A similar free-for-all occurred on May 22 during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, and the next season on November 11, 1997, McCarty and Lemieux fought seconds after the opening faceoff. On April 1, 1998, another brawl saw Roy fight Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan. On March 26, 2022, 25 years after the brawl, McCarty and Lemieux met at a local bar in Michigan to rewatch the game.
Reader's Guide
The Colorado Avalanche–Detroit Red Wings brawl is significant as a defining moment in modern hockey history, encapsulating the intense rivalry between two elite NHL teams. The brawl stemmed from a controversial hit in the 1996 Western Conference Finals and escalated into a game with 18 fighting major penalties and 144 penalty minutes. It featured multiple fights, including goaltenders Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon squaring off, and resulted in a 6–5 overtime win for the Red Wings. The event is credited with galvanizing the Red Wings, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that season. The rivalry continued with subsequent brawls in 1997, 1998, and 2002, and the game remains a touchstone for discussions of NHL violence, team loyalty, and the emotional stakes of playoff hockey. Its legacy is preserved in documentaries such as ESPN's E:60 'Unrivaled' and in the enduring memory of fans and players.
Did You Know?
- Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy skated out of his net to defend Claude Lemieux and was body-checked by Brendan Shanahan.
- Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon was so convinced he was ejected that he went to his locker stall, but a team official told him to return to net.
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