DETROIT — Kris Draper's retirement Tuesday marked the end of an era for the Detroit Red Wings.

The gritty center was the last active member of a line that left an indelible mark in franchise history.

It was a melting pot of sorts. Draper was purchased from the Winnipeg Jets for $1 in 1993. Kirk Maltby was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a seemingly insignificant trade-deadline deal in 1996. And Joe Kocur was plucked out of a local beer league midway through the 1996-97 season for his second stint with the Red Wings.

“In the ’97 playoffs (former trainer John) Wharton said ‘You guys need a name for your line,’ ” Draper said. “We threw out some stuff and ‘The Grind Line’ came up and Joey Kocur stepped up and said ‘That’s it, The Grind Line.’ ”

This fourth line formed by coach Scotty Bowman played a key role in helping the Red Wings end a 42-year Stanley Cup championship drought. The Grind Line even had its own souvenir T-shirts.

Darren McCarty replaced Kocur as the right wing on the line the following season. The unit continued to flourish for several seasons, broken up and reunited many times.

It was the epitome of a checking line — strong defensively, physical, good on the forecheck, hard to play against. Bowman trusted the trio to play against the opposition’s top line or fourth line.

Draper had tremendous speed and was one of the best in the business in the faceoff circle. Maltby was the most agitating player in the league, with an uncanny ability to throw opponents off their game. Kocur was one of the NHL’s all-time heavyweights. McCarty was an anxious scrapper who had some skills.

Their job was to wear down opponents, but they did more than grind. They also scored huge playoff goals.

“There was something special with that group, the personalities, the character,” Draper said. “Scotty Bowman trusted us in a lot of different situations. When you have the confidence of your coach, you want to do well — for your coach, your linemates, your teammates.”

They formed a strong bond that extended beyond hockey. So it was no surprise that Maltby, McCarty and Kocur were among many former and current Red Wings who came to Draper’s news conference at Joe Louis Arena.

“The camaraderie and chemistry was there from Day 1, we were all really tight,” McCarty said. “We’re all great friends to this day, and it was so natural.”

Coach Mike Babcock briefly reunited the line during McCarty’s second stint in Detroit, late in the 2007-08 season and early in 2008-09.

“Everyone brought a little something different to the table,” Maltby said. “Somehow, when we laced them up we gelled.

“Kris and I got into some predicaments at times, and Joey or Mac were always there. Didn’t matter who it was against, we always had each other’s backs.”

McCarty recalled numerous fires that had to be extinguished due to Draper and Maltby.

“You’d hop into a pile and there’d be pushing and shoving. I’d come in and grab somebody or step in the way and the guy would say, ‘I’m going to (bleeping) kill Draper, Maltby is such a (expletive),’ ” McCarty said. “I’d say, ‘I can’t agree with you more, but you’re not going to touch them now. You got to deal with me.’

“Joey was always the best because he’d come in and grab three at the same time like little kids and say, ‘What are you guys doing?’

“It made us that much tougher to play against.”

Said Red Wings general manager Ken Holland: “There wasn’t a line in the league they couldn’t match up against and play head to head. They’re blue collar, they got it done because of hard work, passion, sacrifice, blocking shots. They did lots of the dirty work that is part of the recipe to win.”

Nobody will ever confuse The Grind Line with Detroit’s most famous combination of forwards, the storied Production Line of Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel, all Hall of Famers.

But this unique group of grinders formed an ideal complement to the team’s highly skilled players, resulting in more success than any NHL team experienced during their time together.

“It was special playing with those guys,” Draper said. “A lot of people still talk about The Grind Line, and it’s pretty cool, something the four of us are proud of.”