Connect with us

Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings Daily: DMac Remembers Painful Cup Winner; Remains Staunchly Anti-Visor

Former Detroit Red Wings tough guy Darren McCarty recollects two serious head shots he took, one which happened while he was scoring the 1997 Stanley Cup-winning goal

Published

on

Darren McCarty, former Detroit Red Wings player
Darren McCarty scored the Cup winner for the Red WIngs in 1997.

Tuesday was the 25th anniversary of the end of what was a 42-year Stanley Cup drought for the Detroit Red Wings. It was also the night that Red Wings tough guy Darren McCarty would be scoring his most memorable goal.

McCarty’s second-period breakaway tally against Philadelphia Flyers goalie and current Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall proved to be the Cup winner. Detroit edged Philly 2-1 to sweep to the first Red Wings Stanley Cup win since the spring of 1955.

While ending a long headache for the franchise, the tally also would be leading to a headache for McCarty. He took a high stick to the side of his head from Flyers defenseman Janne Niinimaa. Such was the adrenaline flowing for McCarty at the time of his goal, he wouldn’t be noticing the damage done until much later.

“I had no clue I took the two hander to the side of the head until the shiner after the game,” read a McCarty post on his Twitter feed. “Honestly about an inch more and I would have lost my eye.

“And 💯 before you ask. TOTALLY WORTH IT.”

McCarty also addressed a popular meme that refers to a 1999 game in which a skate cut to his face resulting in 40 stitches also necessitated McCarty finishing the game wearing a visor.

This was something the tough guy simply wasn’t taking well then. He’s not changing his opinion of faceshields today, either.

“Visors still suck,” McCarty tweeted.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

  • NHL on TNT broadcasters Wayne Gretzky and Paul Bissonnette combining for an epic intro of Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa before Game 2 of the WHL final
  • Detroit Hockey Now assesses the top 10 Red Wings prospects

Hockey Now Network

Vancouver: The Vancouver Canucks have signed Swedish free agent forward Nils Aman from Leksand.

Montreal: Could the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens make trading partners in a deal for Habs defenseman Jeff Petry?

Vegas: Alex Pietrangelo ejoyed a quietly solid season on the Vegas Golden Knights defense.

Colorado: The five survivors from the 48-point season posted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17 are savoring their berth in the Stanley Cup final.

Washington: Andre Burakovsky, a member of the 2017-18 Washington Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team, is heading back to the final with the Colorado Avalanche.

BetRivers

States: Mi

GET THE APP
SIGNUP BONUSUP TO $250
BONUS MONEY
BET NOW

Islanders: Forward Casey Cizikas will need to be improving his discipline for the New York Islanders next season.

Philadelphia: Might one of these six prospects fall to the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL entry draft?

Boston: Forget those rumors you’ve been hearing. The Boston Bruins are insisting that they aren’t trading David Pastrnak.

Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting trade calls regarding defenseman P.O. Joseph.