Roshan's Blog-O-Matic: Friday, July 08, 2005

Friday, July 08, 2005

After having four days off, you don't feel like going back to work just yet. You have that feeling of laziness & still have a smile on your face which is gonna be wiped off the instant you walk in through that door and see the chaos that awaits you. Besides, what I have been thinking is that my vacation, if you can begrudgingly call it that, was too short to ever affect me in a big way. You just get used to the idea of not going to work and suddenly it is over!

DARREN MCCARTY TEAM » DETROIT REDWINGS POSITION » Right Wing SHOOTS » Right HEIGHT » 6'1" WEIGHT » 215 lbs. BIRTHDATE » April 1, 1972 BIRTHPLACE » Burnaby, British Columbia DRAFTED » 46th Overall, 2nd Round, 1992 (Detroit) 2004-2005 SALARY » $2,250,000.00 USD ACQUIRED » Detroit's 2nd choice, 46th overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Stanley Cup Champ: 1996-97 Stanley Cup (Detroit) 1997-98 Stanley Cup (Detroit) 2001-02 Stanley Cup (Detroit) Played his junior years in the OHL with the Bellville Bulls. Other ventures/enjoys: Darren sings with his band Grinder www.grindertheband.com. He is co-owner with Bob Probert in their restaurants Little Daddy's. Owner of a few racehorses - Township Patriot, Condor Rico and Tuffasnailz. Is a fan of WWE. Facts about Mac: 1991-92 OHL - Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger) 91-92 OHL - First All-Star Team NHL Debut: October 5, 1993 at Dallas First Point: October 8, 1993 at Los Angeles First Goal: October 21, 1993 vs. Winnipeg (Bob Essensa - G)Scored in his playoff debut vs. San Jose on April 18, 1994 Scored game-winning goal :39 into OT vs Colorado March 26, 1997 Scored game-winning and Stanley Cup-clinching goal vs. Philadelphia June 7, 1997 ESPY Award: 1998 NHL Play of the Year First career natural Hat Trick: Game 1 Round 2 May 18, 2002 against the Avalanche 2003 NHL Foundation Player Award

Darren McCarty was born in Burnaby, B.C., and played Junior B in Peterborough before joining the OHL's Belleville Bulls in 1989-90. After leading the league with 55 goals, accumulating 177 minutes in penalties, and earning a spot on the league's First All-Star Team, the Detroit Red Wings selected him in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, 46th overall. The young forward scored 17 goals and showed plenty of spunk in his rookie pro season with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings in 1992-93. McCarty chipped in with a few goals and checked diligently during a solid rookie season with Detroit in 1993-94. McCarty continued to supply hard-nosed play in the lockout-shortened
1994-95 season and helped the Wings reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1966. In 1995-96, McCarty hit double figures in goals while helping Detroit set an NHL record with 62 wins. Although they were knocked out by the Colorado Avalanche in the semi-finals, the experience was invaluable to McCarty. In 1996-97, he scored a personal-high 49 points and was one of the club's best players when they won the Stanley Cup. His goal in the second period of game four stood up as the Cup-clincher which brought Motown its first Stanley Cup in 42 years. The next year, McCarty contributed eleven points as the Wings repeated as Cup winners. McCarty assumed more of a leadership role and battled back from a hernia which plagued his
season in 1999-00. As en entered the 2001-02 campaign, the Wings had all the tools to take another run at the Stanley Cup. With the signings of Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, they were looking as the odds on favorite to capture hockey's Holly Grail. Although with the off-season acquisitions, success was no guarantee. Since the late 1990s, McCarty has teamed with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby forming one of Detroit's most reliable units in the post season. After missing 20 games during the regular season, McCarty and the Wings were looking to avenge their misfortunes of 2001 and avenge they did. Detroit eliminated the defending Cup champions from Colorado in seven games and went on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in five. The 2002-03 season would be a season to forget for McCarty and the Wings. Following a first place finish in the Western Conference during the regular season, McCarty and his teammates were eliminated in four straight games by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the first round of the 2003 playoffs.