It’s safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues didn’t care much for each other, and equally safe to assume that most of the animosity was coming from the St. Louis side of things.
After all, the Red Wings had beaten the Blues in the playoffs four straight times (1996, 1997, 1998, and 2002) – the last of which featured former St. Louis sniper Brett Hull wearing the Winged Wheel.
Frustrations definitely boiled over during yet another blowout Red Wings victory over the Blues on March 29, 2003, as several St. Louis players tried taking liberties against Detroit near the end of regulation. So incensed was assistant coach Joey Kocur that he was seen shouting at the Blues bench, and even threw a folding chair onto the ice:
Kocur was suspended for two games by the NHL and fined $5,000.
Of course, Kocur was one of the most feared fighters with over 2,500 PIM during his playing career. You definitely wouldn’t like him when he was angry, as many players found out.
