Former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty shares further insight on the passing of former Detroit rival Claude Lemieux at the age of 60 on Thursday.
They may have been fierce rivals on the ice during the legendary heyday of the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, but there was a deep mutual respect between them away from the rink — especially in recent years.
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty was one of several former players who reacted with sadness to the tragic passing of Claude Lemieux on Thursday at the age of 60.
Both McCarty and Lemieux were central figures in the heated rivalry between Detroit and Colorado, which began after Lemieux’s hit from behind on Kris Draper in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final. The animosity ultimately came to a head on March 26, 1997, at Joe Louis Arena in a game that has since become known as “Fight Night at the Joe.”
During a segment on Woodward Sports, McCarty expanded on his thoughts regarding Lemieux’s passing, noting — as he had in his social media message on Thursday — that Lemieux was far different off the ice than he was on it.
"I'm a guy who has asked for redemption in a lot of ways in my life, and trying to prove that some of the things I've done in the past aren't who I am today," McCarty said. "Claude Lemieux is the one person in life who has proven to me that the guy on the ice wasn't the guy off the ice. He was loved very much."
"The best way for me to describe my feelings and whatever else, is that it's very sad. I'm very sad."
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McCarty and Lemieux had done multiple joint autograph sessions with one another in recent years. He also revealed that he and Lemieux had been planning to golf together later in the summer, which now, sadly, won't happen.
"We were supposed to go golf later in the summer and do all this stuff that will never be done," McCarty said. "Just, any compassion at all, say a prayer for his family and his kids and wife."
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