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In “The Stanley Cup Celebration That Became a Nightmare,” we tell the story of what should have been one of the greatest moments in Detroit Red Wings history… and how it turned into tragedy just days later. After ending a 42 year Stanley Cup drought in 1997, the city was celebrating, the team was on top of the world, and everything felt perfect. Then, in an instant, it all changed.
A limousine carrying players crashed, leaving Vladimir Konstantinov with life altering injuries and ending a career that had just reached its peak. What was supposed to be a celebration became one of the most heartbreaking moments the sport has ever seen. The Red Wings would rally around him, but the game and the team were never the same.
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32 Comments
Great story yelling as usual
Why show the black kid mugshot when the driver was white?
Do better.
Love Vladdy forever!
Vlad the Impaler was the most feared defenseman in the NHL in the 90’s.
That team was so stacked. Shanny, Stevie, the Russian 5. Mike Vernon the most underrated all time great goalie ever.
This channel should have 1M subs!!! Great stuff as always 🫡
This Detroit team made me forget all about the Leafs.
Thumbnail photo from 08, but video is clearly about 97, hmmmm
This is absolutely a systemic failure no question. I, in no way, want to minimize the suffering that the three men in that limousine endured by saying this, and I'll take any backlash I get. If the passengers noticed that they were unable to properly buckle or locate their seat belts why couldn't they have refused the ride and potentially found another mode of transportation? That said, two people's lives were permanently altered by a system that allowed a man with a revoked licence due to DUI get behind the wheel full-stop.
Wow $ 6.50 I can't believe that . . Hopefully that would never again and if that happen in Canada they get charge with Manslaughter.. So sad but at least Detroit took care of them …
Fantastic video
"Gambino"…thats a trustworthy sounding surname!..
If they had took their own cars, they would have been deemed irresponsible because they were partying at this time. They rent a limousine… and their lives were destroyed by an irresponsible, drunken, partying driver without a licence. What a horrible, pathetic tragedy!
What happened to Vladdy is one of the great tragedies in NHL history. He was a fantastic player.
I don't need a reminder- I am from suburban Detroit, grew up playing hockey in the NW suburbs at Lakeland Ice Arena and on the lake out front of my house, I was 26 in 1997 and living in downtown Pontiac, this was so devastating to the community. I have often wondered how many more Cups they would have won with both Vlady and Jiri Fischer on the back end.
I noticed NHL players are insured for off-ice injuries. It definitely doesn't change the damage done but hopefully they were helped financially in some way to cover those massive financial costs. Very tragic
Great video as usual! I couldn’t watch the last video about the Humbolt Broncos, the incident site is 20 minutes away from where I live and it’s too sad.
They're still the deadwings oh how the mighty have fallen
Konstantinov was about the dirtiest player in hockey during his career. Absolutely hated to see what happened to him. But yeah… f that guy. Just Google “Jocelyn Lemieux 120 stitches from Konstantinov in 1992“
Hi, I'm from the UK, a longtime fan of ice hockey , and absolutely love the content of you channel., thoughtful, and well researched. Honestly, you could make a book- not just a book but quite likely VOLUMES of books- about the stories you tell, if for no other reason than to highlight the problems caused by concussion. As someone who has been concussed three times- two of which made me loose consciousness and none of which I remember, your stories tell a valuable tale, and carry a serious warning. #ConcussionSucks
I was a police officer in Detroit but had to medically retire after I had a malignant brain tumor. I survived and am on the recovery journey and stories like Vladdys give me so much inspiration ❤
This still makes me sad as a Wings fan
Is so crazy that the only thing that can guarantee change is and only will be tragedy. That’s life though. Another great video bud
Just this last Tuesday I saw a video about a bunch of terrifed prom kids whose limo drover was hammered and seemed to otherwise have a general belief that traffic laws are merely suggestions.
0:33 "masseur Sergei". Getting Costanza clenched butt cheeks flashbacks🤣
Some people should be banned from driving seriously!
Car culture is insane. Even today people get away with so much from reckless behavior behind the wheel.
#fuckcars
I’m sorry, the LITCH family?
So the 200 community hours at an area where head contusions occur makes sense. The boozing charge…I don't like; did he show up at court with a liquor bottle in a brown bag? Probably not.
My brother got me into the Red Wings and Federov was my favorite player of course.
After this situation, I got so obsessed with the wings and remember seeing Konstantinov in a Wheelchair coming on the ice.
So much wonder and gasp
I remember watching Game 4 via Hockey Night In Canada on CBC when the Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup since 1955. Until not long after that I heard about the accident, it’s really sad that Konstantinov though he survived, but can no longer play since the accident left him physically disabled, but he’s really important to the team becoming a huge inspiration to them. The Wings won the Cup once again in the 98’ playoffs vs Washington Capitals and Konstantinov joins the team to celebrate another Cup victory.
Konstantinov is a true inspiration to the Detroit Red Wings
Watching this an hour after getting belt to ass on national tv.. man we are right back to the dead wing era
Pick a more accurate splash image. Datsyuk was not on the 97 team.
Steve Yzerman in my opinion, is the player with the most Complete Game. Did whatever he had to do on both sides of the puck to benefit his team. Also cared about every guy on his bench, a true class act.