Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry peaked in all-out brawl at Joe Louis Arena

Few rivalries in NHL history have ever matched the intensity, violence, and raw emotion of the Red Wings–Avalanche feud in the late 1990s. And no moment captured it better than the infamous all-out brawl on March 26, 1997, at Joe Louis Arena—a night that turned hockey into high-stakes theater.

The tension had been simmering for nearly a year. In 1996, Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux delivered a brutal hit that sent Detroit’s Kris Draper into the boards, breaking his jaw and shattering his face. The Red Wings never forgot—and they definitely never forgave.

When the two teams clashed again at Joe Louis Arena, revenge was on the menu. Midway through the first period, it erupted. Darren McCarty hunted down Lemieux and delivered a series of blows that would go down in NHL lore. What followed was total chaos—goalies Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon dropped the gloves, teammates paired off, and the arena became a battlefield.

This wasn’t just a fight. It was a declaration. Detroit, fueled by loyalty, pride, and the desire for payback, showed the hockey world that some rivalries go deeper than standings or trophies. They’re about honor.

That night reignited the Red Wings’ fire. They would go on to win the Stanley Cup that year, and many still believe the brawl was the turning point—the moment the team became more than skilled, more than hungry. They became united.

To this day, fans from both sides recall it with chills. It was brutal. It was unforgettable. And it was hockey history.