'It was a bunch of guys who just wanted to work hard'

DETROIT -- Larry Murphy and Chris Osgood both look back on their tenure in Hockeytown as some of the best times of their lives, particularly when they helped the Detroit Red Wings end a 42-year Stanley Cup drought by winning back-to-back championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98.

And all those special memories, in addition to more than 30 players, coaches and staff from those two historic teams, will be celebrated as part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration this weekend at Little Caesars Arena
The Red Wings will salute the 1997 championship team on Thursday night against the Washington Capitals, then honor the 1998 champions on Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders.
Ticketed fans are encouraged to arrive and be in their seats early for both games. The Meijer Entry SW will open at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday for photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Campbell Bowl. Pregame ceremonies will begin at approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday and at Noon on Saturday.
Ahead of what figures to be a nostalgic weekend at Little Caesars Arena, Murphy said hockey helps define the people and city of Detroit.
"Detroit is a city that is deep with hockey tradition, one that is patiently waiting for another Stanley Cup," Murphy recently told
DetroitRedWings.com.
"When we won that Stanley Cup after 42 years of waiting, there was so much built-up excitement. It just confirmed how important the sport is to the city."

Murphy, who played for six NHL teams in his 21-year career as a defenseman and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, said hoisting the Cup at Joe Louis Arena is among his top hockey memories.
"Winning a Stanley Cup for an Original Six team was really special (in 1997) because of the history of the Red Wings and the length of time that had passed," Murphy said. "It was an honor to play for the Red Wings and a great experience. When I got to raise the Cup at Joe Louis Arena, you could feel the excitement not only from the people in the building, but from the entire city."
And Murphy, who won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Red Wings, believes he will forever share a unique bond with his Detroit teammates and is excited to rekindle that connection this weekend.
"It's always special to meet up with people who you might have played with," Murphy said. "But when it's someone you won a Stanley Cup with, you kind of look at each other and think, 'Hey, we did it.'
"You get that feeling every time you run into someone who was on those Stanley Cup teams. You can just see it in their eyes, what you accomplished together."
Former goalie Chris Osgood played with Murphy from 1997-2001 and is currently colleagues with Murphy as analysts for Bally Sports Detroit. And like Murphy, Osgood said the 1997 and 1998 teams brought the community together.
"The Red Wings are part of the identity of the city," said Osgood, who spent 14 of his 17 NHL seasons and won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. "It helps people feel like they're part of something."

When asked to describe what that back-to-back championship run was like, Osgood said it was special, emphasizing that anyone will be "hard-pressed to put a team like that together again."
"It was a bunch of guys who just wanted to work hard," Osgood said. "I don't wanna say we changed the way the Red Wings did things after that, but we had a good team and had to learn how to play the right way."
As the reunion weekend draws closer, Osgood said he's excited to catch up with old friends.
"When you play with these guys, you also stay in touch with some of them after," Osgood said. "We had a lot of good guys on those teams. It will be good to see everybody from both years again."
Fans can still be part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration live at Little Caesars Arena, as limited tickets for both games remain available at
DetroitRedWings.com/Anniversary.