Mac and Claude on OTR
I know it’ll pain some Red Wings fans to see Claude Lemieux and Darren McCarty shake hands during this interview, but these videos are a must-watch for any hockey fan. Canadians sports talk show Off the Record landed both guys — their first ever meeting off the ice — and didn’t hold back, asking questions about turtling, sticking up for teammates, and even admiration for one kicking the everloving shit out of the other.
It’s in three parts, big time thanks to Daywalk3r and HockeyWebCast for getting the entire segment online for all of us south of the border to enjoy.
They’re both refreshingly blunt and open. Claude Lemieux fully admits to taking cheap shots against the Wings (particularly against Kozlov, which probably started the whole thing for real). Darren McCarty says he absolutely hated Lemieux, but would have stood up for him if they were teammates, too. Mac makes it clear that it was more than hockey — it was personal, since he and Draper are best friends and he was the one carrying Draper’s pliers around to loosen his jaw wires when he’d eat. Incredible insight into the whole thing.
The conversation transcends the rivalry, as they get into respect among hockey players today, and retribution in the form of illegal hits. A valuable conversation with two guys that defined old-time hockey in a transitional period into the present that seems to have lost that on-ice respect and protection which is nearly gone.
They seem to play nice, but I’ve seen McCarty on Versus. He is still a little uneasy around Claude Lemieux, and — while totally honest — seems to be biting his tongue just a little bit.
I got uncomfortable watching this, but seriously, awesome interview! Thanks for the linkage.
I love that the host has apparently not followed hockey closely enough to know "what's up with Detroit this year".
My "favorite" part was when Lemieux said it hurt more to punch Kozlov with his glove on. Yeah, I'm really sorry you hurt your hand sucker punching someone!
Petrella, we've got some mad psycholigical link going on today.
I was HALFWAY through analyzing this clip and writing about it, and then this.
Once again proving that I'm a step behind the phenomenal talent here at TPL.
*sigh*
Vicky, I think Mac is uncomfortable. He's so natural on Versus that I think he's not being entirely honest about the whole "water under the bridge" part of this story… thoughts?
Andre, Rob and I both thought the EXACT same thing. Like, what a fucking dick to just drop that line at that time.
Jenn, when I first watched it, I took that line as it hurts the PUNCHEE more than bare first (which, speaking as someone who's been in more than one hockey fight, is total bullshit, too), but I'll have to watch again and double check now. Did he seriously say it hurts the puncher's hand more? What a cockbag.
ELF, not only that — we posted comments at the same time.
JINX!
DOUBLE JINX!
JAILSEXED JINX!
@jenn: I think he meant that it hurts more for Kozzie to be hit by a glove than by a hand…
I hated to see this. Yes they were talking like mature ppl and CL admitted that he'd have loved to have DMac as teammate (I'd love to have him as just about anything except my dad). But they both seemed uneasy and it was clear that they (and especially big D) were hiding their hatred
Michael/Andy – you may be right. I was finding it hard to listen to him without getting mad so maybe I wasn't thinking clearly…