DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears kicks off the 25th anniversary of the “Hockeytown” moniker with a list of 25 great moments from the “Hockeytown Era”:
1. Oct. 27, 1995: Russian Five line debuts against Calgary
Prior to the 1995-96 season, the Red Wings completed the Russian Five unit by trading for Igor Larionov. And early in the year, head coach Scotty Bowman decided that the five Russians – Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov – would function best as one unit.
It took all of two shifts for them to score, with Kozlov doing the honors and Fedorov and Konstantinov assisting against the Calgary Flames. The Russian Five were involved in another goal that game, which the Red Wings won, 3-0, on their way to a 62-13-7 record.
2. Dec. 2, 1995: Red Wings beat Montreal, 11-1, at the Forum, Patrick Roy demands a trade
Though the Colorado Avalanche weren’t involved in this game, it functions as a prelude to the rivalry. Playing at the famed Montreal Forum, the Red Wings put forth one of the most incredible scoring efforts in history, scoring 11 goals, nine of them on Patrick Roy. It was the worst defeat in franchise history for the Canadiens.
As legend goes, Roy demanded to be traded from the Canadiens mid-game, leading him to be dealt to the Avalanche. From there, the rest is history.
