The Red Wings-Avalanche feud has produced plenty of unforgettable moments, but John Wharton just added a new one to the pile.
Wharton, who served as the Detroit Red Wings’ strength and conditioning coach, jumped into the rivalry conversation after a fan posted a photo on Twitter. His reply turned into a wild behind-the-scenes story about former Avalanche coach Marc Crawford, Brendan Shanahan, and even Scotty Bowman.
“First of all, I couldn’t stand Marc Crawford,” Wharton began. “Obviously both of those teams hated each others guts.
I still hate them. Always will.”
Wharton, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, said Crawford was especially irritating that day. The issue wasn’t just the usual complaints to officials.
“That day, Crawford was more annoying than usual. Besides his incessant whining to the refs about literally every call or non-call...that day, he crossed an invisible line and was chirping our players, Brendan Shanahan in particular.”
Wharton then explained why Shanahan became the target. Shanahan, a former forward of the St.
Louis Blues, had married the former wife of his old teammate Craig Janney. Wharton made it clear he thought that kind of personal matter should stay out of hockey talk.
“On this day, Marc Crawford thought it was his job to give Shanahan some unwanted marriage counseling, if you will. Literally every time 14 came to our bench on a line change, Crawford chirped him.”
Wharton’s answer was equal parts petty and brilliant.
“So, as Crawford would walk down his bench, insulting Shanahan, I began trying to whip his perfectly quaffed hair with my towel,” Wharton continues. “There was a small opening in the glass behind the small photographers space...I would reach through and flick the towel in his direction with my wrist...trying to distract him from distracting our players.”
The story didn’t stop there. Scotty Bowman eventually got pulled into the exchange, and once the Red Wings head coach entered the picture, the whole thing escalated fast.
After Wharton managed to hit Crawford in the forehead with the towel, the Avalanche coach launched into an expletive-filled rant about Detroit and Shanahan. Bowman initially didn’t know what set him off, but Crawford kept unloading until he was screaming at full volume.
“[Bowman] shrugged at first...until Crawford just kept going, screaming like a maniac...Finally Scotty asked him what his problem was but by now, Crawford was on a full anti-Bowman, anti Red Wings tirade.”
Then came Bowman’s response, the kind of line that can shut a bench down in a hurry.
“That’s when Scotty told him ‘I knew your father. Your father would be embarrassed by you’... or something to that effect which only added jet fuel to Crawford’s tantrum.”
Wharton said Crawford never tried chirping Shanahan, or any other Red Wings player, again that night.
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