Detroit Red Wings
Remembering Red Wings vs North Stars Valentine’s Day Massacre
Teams brawled in Detroit bench
The hockey world is abuzz today and not about the fact that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was the game-winning goal hero as the USA beat Canada 3-1 at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Three fights in the first nine seconds of the game. That’s what everyone was talking about.
True, it was a level of mayhem not often seen in today’s NHL. Then, in the midst of all the videos and memes about the bouts populating social media, this popped into my feed. A clip from a Red Wings vs Minnesota North Stars game played on February 14, 1985.
That’s right. Valentines Day.
Fight Night At The Joe
It was a stark reminder of how true mayhem often ruled the game in the wild west days of the 1980s NHL.
If you’ve never seen the game, or don’t recall it vividly, take a gander at the clip below.
Danny Gare and Dino Ciccarelli duke it out in the players bench in last night's Red Wings North Stars game, but that's just the Norris Division being the Norris Division. Minnesota coach Glen Sonmor injured his hand in the scuffle: pic.twitter.com/npWx0Nhtzk
— 1985 Oilers Day by Day (@OilersDayByDay) February 15, 2025
It’s hard to settle on which moment is the most impressive, or more astonishing for that matter.
There’s the vision of Red Wings captain Danny Gare and future Detroit star Dino Ciccarelli enthusiastically trading punches while situated inside the empty Detroit bench. Then there’s North Stars coach Glen Sonmor going after injured Detroit goalie Greg Stefan. Injured and in street clothes by the bench, Stefan had sought to infiltrate into the Ciccarelli-Gare bout.
As well, you’ve got Detroit forward Tiger Williams (Tiger Williams?) attempting to serve as a peacemaker, restraining Red Wings coach Nick Polano from getting into it with Sonmor. Even pretty boy Ron Duguay gets in on the action.
Referee Ron Wicks wound up issuing eight fighting majors and six game misconducts.
You at this clip in comparison to Saturday’s tilts and you’re reminded of another iconic 1980s moment, this famous Paul Hogan line from Crocodile Dundee:
Crocodile Dundee; That’s not a knife pic.twitter.com/EPCFc3MA2u
— ClassicMovieClips (@clips_classic) March 23, 2024
Saturday’s scraps? That’s not a fight.
Red Wings-North Stars, circa 1985. That’s a fight.
Red Wings Were Charter Members Of Chuck Norris Division
To be fair, the hockey realm was in a different place in that era in terms of what was acceptable and accepted behavior. The Red Wings were charter members of what was known as the (Chuck) Norris Division. In those days, everyone was expected to answer the bell.
Allow former Red Wings enforcer Joe Kocur to explain how the NHL fighting hierarchy worked in the 1980s.
“Everybody came to battle,” Kocur explained in our book The Bruise Brothers. “You look at those old fight tapes. How many fighters did we have on those teams beyond myself and Bob Probert? There was Steve Chiasson, Rick Zombo, Gerard Gallant and Jimmy Nill. You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he was a sneaky lefty.
“We had guys on our team, they weren’t heavyweights, but they fought. Dave Barr was always a willing combatant. Gerry Gallant had the biggest heart of anyone I ever played with. He fought no matter what. Even Greg Stefan, our goalie, was a willing combatant.”
