DETROIT – The most glorious day the Detroit Red Wings had experienced in more than four decades was followed, less than a week later, by one of the darkest days in franchise history.

It was fifteen years ago on Wednesday that star defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team massage therapist Sergei Mnatsakanov suffered debilitating head injuries in a limousine accident that also injured defenseman Slava Fetisov.

“You're on top of the hockey world, you're Stanley Cup champion, then the accident happened,'' former Red Wings forward Kris Draper said. “It literally rocked our world. As excited as we were to win the Cup, it put everything in perspective, just how valuable life is.

“You're like, 'Why did this have to happen?' ''

Most of the team gathered for a golf outing on June 13, 1997, still celebrating the Stanley Cup championship it won six days earlier, which ended a 42-year title drought.

“Guys were hanging out, we were being responsible, had vehicles to drive us from the golf course,'' Kirk Maltby, a forward on the team, said. “We were 5-10 minutes from getting into our vehicle when Stevie (captain Yzerman) got a phone call. He told us there was an accident, said it's not good.''

The vehicle Konstantinov, Mnatsakanov and Fetisov were riding in crossed three lanes of traffic on Woodward Ave. in Birmingham, jumped the curb and slammed into a tree. The driver, Richard Gnida, whose license had been suspended at the time for drunk driving, told police he had blacked out.

Many players rushed to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Others went to teammate Chris Osgood's house to wait for the news.

“So terrible, so terrible,'' Red Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano said. “We had a good party up until then. That put the kibosh on having a good summer. We pretty much went into mourning.

“It was very, very tragic. At that point you were worried if they would live or not.''

Konstantinov spent several weeks in a coma before pulling through. After initially being confined to a wheelchair he was able to get around with a walker. His movement and speech are limited, but he is said to be aware.

Mnatsakanov, who also spent some time in a coma, had a more difficult recovery. He was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Fetisov escaped with broken ribs and a punctured lung and continued his career the following season.

Robbed of a promising career, a normal life

The Red Wings selected Konstantinov with the 221st pick in the 11th round of their 1989 “Draft for the Ages,'' which also landed them Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov.

Konstantinov arrived from Russia in 1991 and quickly shattered the myth about Europeans being “soft.'' He was fearless despite his modest build (5-foot-11, 180). He soon became one of the most feared hitters in the NHL, widely despised by opponents because of his reckless style.

“He was so much different than all the others,'' former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman said. “So tough, liked to hit guys.''

That mentality endeared him to Red Wings fans. He was tagged with nicknames such as “The Vladinator'' and “Vlad the Impaler.''

“I never seen anybody so tough and competitive,'' ex-teammate Larry Murphy said. “Every shift he put everything out there. You match that with talent – not an end-to-end rushing defenseman, but he played the game so well. When he hit a guy it was with every ounce of his body, and they felt it.''

Even teammates weren't safe from his take-no-prisoners approach.

“In practice he would hit you,'' Draper said. “He only knew one way. If your head was down he would hit you and tell you to keep your head up.

“He was one of the fiercest competitors I ever seen. He didn't care how big you were, or if you were a superstar, if you weren't on his team you were fair game.''

Konstantinov, at age 30, was in the prime of his career in 1996-97, his best season. He collected a career-high 38 points and finished second to Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers in voting for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.

“He got robbed of a great career,'' Draper said. “Who knows how good he could have been. … That's another tragedy in itself.''

"Believe'' was their rallying cry

The Red Wings dedicated the following season to Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov. They wore patches on their jerseys with the word “Believe'' in English and Russian, above the initials VK and SM.

After the Red Wings beat Washington in Game 4 of the 1998 finals at the MCI Center to complete the sweep, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed the Cup to Yzerman. Yzerman immediately handed it to Konstantinov, who was seated in his wheelchair nearby.

The team huddled around its fallen teammate. He was wheeled around the ice with the Cup. It was one of the more poignant scenes in Cup celebration history.

“It's a sad story,'' Murphy said. “The following season that was the rallying cry, a huge part of why we won. Winning back-to-back is so difficult. We rallied around the accident. We were doing it for them.''

After the accident Konstantinov, with much assistance, regularly visited teammates before games. He sometimes sat on the bench during pregame warmups, exchanging high-fives with players as they stepped onto and off the ice. He would sit in his dressing room stall, which remained unoccupied for several years after the accident, while players stopped by to greet him and give him a hug.

“We'd say hi, he'd say hi,'' Maltby said. “Nick (Lidstrom) would give him water. The Russians would speak to him in Russian. He still knew what was going on, even though he was limited in what he could do.''

Said Draper: “He would have a smile on his face, wish us luck. We love seeing him in great spirits, love having him around. But it's sad. You get reminded.''

Konstantinov still attends games, watching from owner Mike Ilitch's suite.

“I'm happy to see him, but it's so sad it happened,'' Murphy said. “A reminder that in one instant, life can change forever. It makes you cry.''

Konstantinov, 45, still lives in metro Detroit. He is keeping active with a growing career as an artist. He had 42 framed and signed pieces on display in November at Gallery U and Boutique in Royal Oak. The collection included paintings, colored drawings and three-dimensional constructions, many featuring animals.

All proceeds from the exhibition were donated to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, a non-profit organization that provides education, advocacy, research opportunities, support and support groups to brain injury victims, their families and the people who serve them.

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