argument to be made that no one did ‘this’ harder.
As the Detroit Red Wings celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1997 and 1998 back-to-back Stanley Cup Championship earlier this week, among those honored was Joe Kocur. Kocur was originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Red Wings in 1983 (the same year Detroit selected future Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman in Round 1).
Kocur was known for his physical style of play as well as his devastating right hand which was known break helmets (and teeth and jaws and orbital bones). He was out of the NHL following the 1996 season and was playing with the San Antonio Dragons of the International Hockey League when Yzerman recommended bringing him back to Coach Scotty Bowman. Kocur appeared in just 34 regular-season games but dressed for 19 of the 20 playoff contests that season including all four in the Finals’ sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. He finished with a goal and an assist during the Finals.
Kocur returned for two more seasons and was once again a playoff workhorse in 1998, playing in 18 of 22 post-season games. He scored a single goal during the Wings’ repeat Stanley Cup Championship, a sweep of the Washington Capitals.
