I wasn't prepared for that game," ucapnya.

Rekan setim Draper, Darren McCarty, mengungkapkan bahwa aksi balasan yang dilakukannya terhadap Lemieux dalam perkelahian massal tersebut didasari solidaritas personal.

"The trajectory of the Red Wings organization changed that day," tutur McCarty.

McCarty menegaskan bahwa tindakan tersebut melampaui urusan taktik pertandingan. "That's the ultimate sticking up for your teammate, your best friend.

I was best man in (Draper's) wedding. It was deeper.

It was personal," jelasnya.

Pertandingan tersebut berakhir dengan kemenangan Red Wings melalui gol penentu McCarty di babak perpanjangan waktu. Hasil itu dinilai mengembalikan kepercayaan diri tim untuk menjuarai kompetisi.

Kris Draper menuliskan refleksi pribadinya beberapa tahun kemudian mengenai dampak besar malam perkelahian tersebut. "The brawl was one thing.

But us winning that night changed everything. It gave us the belief that we could beat them in the playoffs.

We knew we'd see them again in the Western Conference finals. We just knew," ungkap Draper.

"Do we still win the Stanley Cup without that brawl? Maybe.

But I know that it certainly didn't hurt," tambahnya.

Sisi Humanis di Luar Arena

Mantan pemain Red Wings Brendan Shanahan, yang pernah menjadi rekan setim Lemieux di New Jersey Devils, memberikan perspektif berbeda.

"For people that played with him, you definitely saw a different side to him when he wasn't on the ice," ujar Shanahan.

Shanahan mengaku sangat menghormati keputusan Lemieux untuk membangun kembali hubungan baik dan menjalin persahabatan yang kuat bersama McCarty setelah pensiun.

"Probably what I appreciate the most, and it doesn't surprise me one bit, was that he was a really good friend to Darren McCarty when their careers were over and wanted to make sure that that relationship was a good one and a strong one.

It's weird to say my fondest memory is him befriending (an opponent) but it just says so much about Claude," pungkas Shanahan.

Setelah pensiun sepenuhnya dari NHL pada 2009 bersama San Jose Sharks di usia 43 tahun, Lemieux beralih profesi menjadi agen pemain hoki profesional.

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Melalui agensinya, ia mengelola karier beberapa talenta muda dan bintang NHL saat ini, termasuk bek Detroit Red Wings Moritz Seider serta penjaga gawang Carolina Hurricanes Frederik Andersen.