Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reminds us that the Grind Line–Joe Kocur, Darren McCarty, Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby–will be honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame tonight:
The Grind Line won over Detroit Red Wings fans with a blue collar work ethic and a feisty playing style. When you competed against the Grind Line , you knew were in for a long night. When you talked about lines that were hard to play against, this was the one by which all others were judged.
The line’s accomplishment and popularity will both be recognized tonight when The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame honors it with the Detroit Red Wings’ Grind Line tonight with the Treasure Award.
The original Grind Line was Joe Kocur, Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, and then Darren McCarty replaced Kocur. All four players will be honored. Draper, McCarty and Maltby won four Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, while Kocur won two. He has previously won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers.
McCarty scored the 1997 Stanley Cup-clinching goal against the Philadelphia Flyers. But he is more well-known for taking down Claude Lemieux in a famous fight as retribution for the nasty hit he previously had laid on Draper.
