ESPN's E60 documentary revisits iconic Red Wings and Avalanche rivalry

DETROIT -- Excitement and nostalgia swept through Hockeytown on Saturday night.

Detroit Red Wings faithful relived the fierce rivalry between Detroit and the Colorado Avalanche with an exclusive viewing party of ESPN's E60 documentary, Unrivaled: Red Wings v. Avalanche, at Little Caesars Arena. Fans in attendance were also treated to a live panel discussion featuring Red Wings alumni and ESPN producers.
ESPN Storytelling & Original Content feature producer John Minton said shining a light on one of the NHL's fiercest all-time rivalries was "a no-brainer."
"It's just clearly one of the best rivalries in sports, period," Minton said on Saturday. "It's Shakespearian."
Broadcasted on the video board inside the arena bowl, the documentary chronicled the iconic rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s.

"It transcends sports in ways that other rivalries don't," Minton said. "We just felt that it was time to do it, and with the NHL coming back on ESPN, the opportunity presented itself to us."
Beginning with the Quebec Nordiques' relocation to Colorado following the 1994-95 NHL season, the documentary gave a brief history lesson of both teams before diving into the 1996 Western Conference Finals.
In Game 6 of that physical postseason series, Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux checked Kris Draper from behind into the boards. The hit was so severe that Draper suffered a broken orbital bone, broken jaw, broken cheekbone, broken nose and a concussion.
Lemieux's hit and the frustration several former Red Wings players felt after watching Colorado win the Stanley Cup that season ignited the bitter rivalry.
"At ESPN and E60, we say that stories are about change," said Mike Farrell, ESPN Storytelling & Original Content feature producer. "This story certainly has that."
Tensions between the Wings and Avalanche reached a new high in a regular-season game on March 26, 1997, later dubbed Fight Night at The Joe. Nine different fights broke out, including the iconic clash between Darren McCarty and Lemieux.
"Colorado was essentially Goliath in the 1996 era, but that March 26 game changed everything," Farrell said. "It allowed the Red Wings to slay the dragon."
Games between the Red Wings and Avalanche became must-watch hockey, as the teams combined to win five titles and met in the playoffs five times from 1996-2002.
According to McCarty, the feud has a lasting legacy on and off the ice.
"It's sort of sticking up for what you believe in," McCarty said in a June 25 interview with Jordan Oesterle and Red Wings TV's Daniella Bruce. "It also let a lot of us know that there are roles to be played in life. For as great and talented as the team was, there was also a spot for guys like me, and what made us so successful was that everybody embraced their role."

Several former Red Wings players from that era were interviewed for the documentary, including McCarty, Draper, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Mike Knuble, Mickey Redmond and Vladimir Konstantinov.
"What made it more awesome was they were all so enthusiastic sitting down and talking about it," Farrell said. "They all wanted to relive these memories. I think they really enjoyed their time talking about it."
Former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, former trainer John Wharton, former team photographer Mark Hicks, current Bally Sports Detroit broadcaster Ken Daniels and Konstantinov's daughter, Anastasia, were also featured in the documentary.
"Every day that we finished filming, Mike and I couldn't stop talking about whoever it was we talked to that day," Minton said. "We really tried to find little pockets here and there where we could just go a little bit beneath the surface and find stories that everyone here hasn't heard before."
While many former players still have strong feelings about the rivalry, Farrell said speaking with both sides was rewarding.
"It was really a joy that all the guys were willing and able to be candid about it," Farrell said. "And have a good time doing it because that was a pleasure."
The program also details the limousine accident that paralyzed Konstantinov and injured fellow Detroit defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov just six days after Detroit won the 1997 Stanley Cup championship.

According to Finton, Konstantinov's journey is an important part of the story.
"It humanized everything that was happening in that moment," Finton said. "It really put a perspective on things. Even to this day, everyone is continuing to wish well to Vladdy and his continued recovery."
The documentary debuted to the public on ESPN last Sunday, and fans
can now stream the extended version of Unrivaled on ESPN+.
The TV version is set to re-air this Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN and on Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.