From left, Colorado Rockies co-owner Dick Monfort, joins Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, of Sweden, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Avalanche President Josh Kroenke for a photograph after a news conference Monday, September 21, 2015, in Denver to announce that Coors Field will host the 2016 NHL Stadium Series hockey game.
As the Avalanche celebrate their 20th Anniversary season they continue to pay homage the history of hockey in Colorado with a new third jersey that emulates the original Rockies franchise and now a Stadium Series jersey which bears a C like that on the Colorado flag.
“What we went through in 1996 to 2002, I guess it’s going to be interesting to see how that game plays out”, Draper said, according to a Denver Post story. “Every time the Detroit Red Wings get mentioned up here, everyone kind of smiles and laughs”.
“It was some of the greatest players that played in our game, and I think that’s what took the rivalry to the next level”.
The Avalanche will be represented by Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy – who now serve as Colorado’s general manager and coach, respectively – as well as Peter Forsberg and Rob Blake. He had words for Draper before the event began.
“I was just inside talking to Joe (Sakic)”, Draper said today.
The Red Wings have yet to unveil the jerseys they will wear for the game, but some websites have pictures of what the jerseys could look like.
Colorado and Detroit will play at Coors Field – home of the Colorado Rockies – on February 27.
Though the full rosters are still to be determined, Draper said the Wings will have Steve Yzerman, Paul Coffey, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood and Vernon. Or Claude Lemieux’s vicious hit along the boards on Draper, who’s now the special assistant to the general manager for Detroit. Draper hopes to also recruit Hall of Fame goalie Dominic Hasek.
“We have some outstanding names that were a part of, to me, probably the most heated rivalry in professional sports from 1996 to 2002”, Draper said. “But the bottom line is there was unbelievable hockey that was being played”.