1996-1997 Stanley Cup Run

1996-97 Stanley Cup Championship

Let's Go Red Wings!!!
1997 Stanley Cup Champions!!!!
How SWEEP It Is!!!!!!!
Wings Pep Cheer
Wings Victory Song
Jokes
Vladdie's Poem
If Only We Had Known

Red Wings goalie Mike Vernon makes a great Game 4 save
against Flyers forward Trent Klatt during the Stanley Cup series.

Wings Pep Cheer

by Sharon Pelletier
June 4, 1997

The Detroit Red Wings used to be the hockey power. They won 7 Stanley Cups in 1936, 1937, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955, before experiencing the just concluded 42-year drought. After falling short with excellent teams in recent years, they finally brought the Cup home to Detroit in June 1997 for their 8th National Hockey League Championship. Here is a cheer I wrote to spur us on and bring us to our feet during the playoffs.

I don't know but Albom said
Flyers are as good as dead
Wings in 4; we can't be beat
Come on Hockeytown: ON YOUR FEET!!
Sound-off: Yzerman Sound-off: Shanahan
R-E-D-W-I-N-G
RED WINGS!!

I don't know, but Ken Kal said
Through Blues, Ducks, Avalanche Vernon led
Now we're playing the final game
CHAMPIONS is our new name!!
Sound-off: Kozlov Sound-off: Larionov
R-E-D-W-I-N-G
RED WINGS!!

I don't know but Rachel said
From Detroit Philadelphia fled
Red Wings swept away Stanley
Brought the Flyers to their knees
Sound-off: Federov Sound-off: Fetisov
R-E-D-W-I-N-G
RED WINGS!!

I don't know but Ken Brown said
Stevie raised it above his head
Skated round in victory
The Stanley Cup is our trophy!!
Sound-off: We Got Sound-off: Stanley
R-E-D-W-I-N-G
RED WINGS!!

(I sent this cheer to Detroit Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom. Ken Kal is the WJR radio announcer for Wings games. Rachel Nevada and Ken Brown are Albom's co-hosts on his WJR radio show "Albom in the Afternoon.")

Red Wings Captain Steve Yzerman holds the Stanley Cup over his head
on his victory lap after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers

Wings Victory Song

(To the tune of "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, The Boys Are Marching" )
by Sharon Pelletier
June 8, 1997

Red Wings are the hockey champions
Winners of the Stanley Cup
Russian Five and Yzerman,
Vernon, Grind Line, Shanahan
Red Wings are the hockey champions of the world!!

Red Wings beat the Flyers so bad:
Swept them in just 4 games
Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith
John Wharton, Mike Illitch
Red Wings are the hockey champions of the world!!

Finally the drought is over,
First Cup since '55
Fans are crazy, wild with glee
Unbelievable joy, Yippee!
Red Wings are the hockey champions of the world!!

Red Wings rock and roll and rule
Soar above all other teams
Brown and Murphy, and Lidstrom,
Eriksson, Osgood, and Holmstrom
Red Wings are the hockey champions of the world!!

Steve Yzerman celebrates the Cup in the Wings 1997 victory parade

JOKES

This guy and his dog went to a sports bar to watch a Wings-Stars playoff game. In the middle of the first period, Mike Modano stripped the puck from Sergei Fedorov, dashed down the ice, and slipped it in between the legs of Wings goalie Chris Osgood. The dog leaped up on the table and ran around in circles, barking loudly. In the second period, Modano jumped out of the penalty box just as his time expired, grabbed the puck off a long and optimistic pass from Ed Belfour, and one-timed it over Osgood's right shoulder. The dog jumped up, elated at 2 goals by Modano, and ran down the table, hitting high-fives with everyone! At the end of the table he leaped into the air and did cartwheels all the way back. The bartender was astounded. "Wow!!!" he said "That's amazing!! What does he do when Modano scores a hat trick?" "I don't know," the dog's owner said. "I've only had him 3 years!"

Sharon: Did you hear about the fire in the Avalanche team library?
Kami: No, what happened?
Sharon: Both books burned! And one of them hadn't even been coloured in yet!!

Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, and Brett Hull missed their team planes back to Detroit during a Wings-Stars playoffs series, so they each hired this guy to fly them there in his little Piper Saratoga. Shanny and Stevie were horrified to find out who they had to ride with, but it was too late to do anything about it, so they huddled together and played guessing games to take thier minds off it. After the plane had been airborne for about an hour, it began making weird sounds, and then the engine failed (probably because Brett Hull had been fiddling with controls). So the pilot gave them each a parachute, and told them to grab something useful as they jumped, in case they landed in a desolate place. So they each grabbed something and leaped out. Sure enough, they landed in the middle of the desert. So they set out walking, and they came upon this little hut where a wise man had retired to escape the world and ponder it's problems. They went to the door to see if he had a phone. Unfortunately, he didn't, but they explained what happened, and he invited them in to cool off. Then he asked them what they had brought along and why they thought it would be useful. Stevie replied, "I grabbed this bag of Doritos, because I thought we might get hungry." And the wise man nodded his head. "Yes, that was very wise of you. Clearly you are a intelligent being." Then Shanny explained that he had brought a bottle of water, in case they got thirsty. "Yes, yes, you have shown wisdom. You are a credit to your parents." Then the wise man turned to Brett Hull, who was absolutely exhausted. "And what did you bring to make your journey easier?" Brett was gasping for breath. "Well, I'll show you." He got up and disappeared outside. After a few minutes, he appeared in the doorway, panting and dragging something very large. Soon they could see what it was. It was a large airplane door. "Good heavens! Whatever is that, and why did you bring it?" "I brought along the plane door, because I thought if it got hot, we could roll down the window!"

Ed Belfour: Hey Coach! How long can a person live without a brain?
Coach: Well let's see... How old are you?

What the Avalanche Did Last Summer

When I was vacationing in Colorado last summer, I was amazed when I saw five Colorado Avalanche players walk into the ice cream parlor where I was enjoying a snack. Naturally, my first thought was to get out fast while my face was still intact. However, their behavior was so bizarre, I decided to stay and try to figure out what was happening. They ordered 15 giant sodas, and carried them to the largest table in the corner. Beaming and laughing, they chanted exuberantly, "17 days! 17 days!" Immediately, the door opened, and nine more players streamed in. As they joined the group in the corner, their mood was increasingly jubilant. Big grins marked every face, and high-fives and back-slapping went on constantly, along with unceasing cheers, "17 days! 17 days!" This was the off-season, and I couldn't imagine what occasion they could be celebrating. My curiosity began to overcome my natural revulsion, but as I rose to inquire, coach Marc Crawford burst into the room with a small flat box under his arm. At this the group broke into true frenzy, pounding the table and stomping on the floor, as their booming "17 days! 17 days!" shook the entire shop. Coach Crawford grandly held the box above his head and called for attention. "I just want to say one thing," he announced. "For too many seasons we've put up with the jeers of other teams, and the insinuations that our players are somehow inferior to other franchises. So we determined to prove them wrong We took this on as a team project," he said, waving the colorful box from which leered the large purple grin of Barney the Dinosaur. "This puzzle box said 2-4 years, but we, the incomparable Colorado Avalanche, were able through a tremendous team effort, to successfully complete it in just 17 days!!"

Vladdie's Poem
After being so excited and exhilarated after our Stanley Cup victory on June 7, I was brought crashing back to earth by the June 13 limousine wreck which badly injured Red Wings players Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov, team masseur Sergei Mnatsakonov, and the limo driver. I have been praying daily for Vladimir and Sergei ever since the tragedy. I also clipped every photo and article from the papers relating to this and put them in my Wings scrapbook. I wrote the following poem Sunday, June 15 after visiting the crash site.

Vladdie's Poem
Sharon Pelletier
June 15, 1997

One short week ago
We were flying high
For a few short days
We had touched the sky.

Our Wings had won the Stanley
First time in 42 years
As Stevie raised the Cup
We were moved to tears.

United first in victory
Now together plunged in gloom
Our tears flow more freely
As he lies in that still room.

Leaving our flowers and gifts
To show how much we care
All that we can do
Is join our hands in prayer.

We all love you, Vladdie
You and your teammates, too
We lift our prayers to Jesus
As we wait for news.

Hang in there, Vladinator
We need you in Hockeytown
Don't let Lemieux and Lindros crow
Now that you are down.

We don't care if you never again play
Never put on 16 to start
No matter what happens, Vladdie,
You will always play in our hearts.

Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov skating in the Stanley Cup

If Only We Had Known
Sharon Pelletier
January 8, 1998

We thought the Cup was the ultimate prize
It was the most important thing in our eyes
If only we had known

We thought we had realized all of our dreams
This was a summer to party, it seemed
If only we had known

When they climbed in the limo, their hearts were light
They had no idea what would happen that night
If only we had known

As the ride finally crashed to its devastating end
The victims inside were our heroes, our friends
If only we had known

As they lay in a coma, we joined hands to pray
With our gifts lay the hope they would all be okay
If only we had known

And as we left flowers, we also left tears
Our hearts were all heavy with unspoken fears
If only we had known

As we tried to be cheerful, to have faith, to believe
Inside we were sobbing, the pain would not leave
If only we had known

Though we were hurting, we drew close to each other
We had to be strong so they would recover
If only we had known

All through the summer, the vacations, the fun
Our hearts were back home, and we were missing someone
If only we had known

As we raised our banner of victory
It wasn't as great as we thought it would be
If only we had known

If only we could have looked forward, to the tragedy lying ahead
If only we could read the future, they wouldn't now be stuck in bed
If only we had known

The trophy was not worth the sacrifice
Much more important are people's lives
If only we had known

It wasn't worth the price we had to pay
If only they could be with us today
If only we had known

A title is temporary, but friends are forever
We would rather lose, if we could lose together
If only we had known

You might think it important to win the Stanley Cup
But it is more to be able to pick your child up.
If only we had known

If only we could make a change in history
If only we could have our summer of victory
If only we had known

If only we were able to give back Lord Stanley
In exchange for the good health of Sergei and Vladdie
If only we had known

We'd do it in a heartbeat, to heal our broken Wings
Then once again we could fly high, soar on to mighty things
If only we had known

If only we could make a trade
If only we could relive days
If only we had known

But though our hearts are breaking
It doesn't help the aching
to say,"If only we had known"

We must accept there is no way to go back and make it right
And though it's hard to understand, after darkness follows light

So we must take the pain, and let it make us strong
And keep smiling for their sake, though it hurts so long

Times of trial will improve us, make us brave and humble too
If we let them teach us courage, if we stay loyal and true

We can rise above despair and mourning, we can rise up to new heights
And the dreams we thought were dying soon will be once more in sight

Though the tears will always be there, though the pain will never leave
They have our prayers, our boys will send us to the stars--and WE BELIEVE!

Vladdie outside his South Florida rehab center in January of 1998 with
(clockwise) Doug Brown, John Wharton, and Dave Lewis

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Remembering the Magic: Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov

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