The Detroit Red Wings - Colorado Avalanche rivalry is known almost universally as the best rivalry in NHL history. For however short-lived it was, it brought out the greatest brawl in hockey history and a rival so iconic that the Red Wings honored him in his passing.
This time around, John Wharton, former Strength and Conditioning coach for the Red Wings, had a story to share around Avalanche player Marc Crawford. A Red Wings fan posted this photo on Twitter and, in a reply, Wharton shared another angle on the Wings - Avs rivalry.
"First of all, I couldn't stand Marc Crawford," Wharton began. "Obviously both of those teams hated each others guts. I still hate them. Always will."
Wharton, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, played a pivotal role in ensuring the Red Wings were at their best come playoff time. Thanks to his efforts, the Wings remained a consistent threat through nearly all of his career.
"That day, Crawford was more annoying than usual. Besides his incessant whining to the refs about literally every call or non-call...that day, he crossed an invisible line and was chirping our players, Brendan Shanahan in particular."
Why Crawford insulted Shanahan
Wharton provides some additional context: Shanahan, a former forward of the St. Louis Blues, married the former wife of his old teammate Craig Janney. Wharton, like most people, believes personal lives are personal and should be kept off the ice.
"On this day, Marc Crawford thought it was his job to give Shanahan some unwanted marriage counseling, if you will. Literally every time 14 came to our bench on a line change, Crawford chirped him."
Wharton, getting fed up with the situation, decided to take matters into his own hands.
"So, as Crawford would walk down his bench, insulting Shanahan, I began trying to whip his perfectly quaffed hair with my towel," Wharton continues. "There was a small opening in the glass behind the small photographers space...I would reach through and flick the towel in his direction with my wrist...trying to distract him from distracting our players."
Some coaches insult the players of opposing teams. Others, like Wharton, take a more creative approach.
Scotty Bowman gets involved
It's one thing for a strength and conditioning coach to mess around. It's another thing entirely for the head coach to throw himself into the mix. Scotty Bowman's name carries a lot of weight in the NHL -- even back in the 90s, Bowman was regarded as one of the best coaches in NHL history. After Wharton successfully hit Crawford in the forehead with his towel, the Avs head coach went on an expletive-filled rant about the Red Wings and Shanahan.
"He was losing it and Scotty had no idea why," Wharton continued. "[Bowman] shrugged at first...until Crawford just kept going, screaming like a maniac...Finally Scotty asked him what his problem was but by now, Crawford was on a full anti-Bowman, anti Red Wings tirade."
To say the Red Wings and Avalanche had a heated rivalry was an understatement.
But nothing could have prepared the Avs coach for what Bowman had to say.
"That's when Scotty told him 'I knew your father. Your father would be embarrassed by you'... or something to that effect which only added jet fuel to Crawford's tantrum."
Wharton ended the story by sharing that Crawford stopped trying to chirp Shanahan - or any Red Wings player, for that matter - for the rest of the night.
When the going gets tough in Detroit, it's important to remember the good times. While the Red Wings rivalry doesn't really exist anymore, the spark that started that fire remains. One day, it'll ignite another rivalry with another franchise.
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