Red Wings legend Darren McCarty revealed how Brett Hull taught Sean Avery a valuable lesson during his rookie season. McCarty praised Hull for his veteran leadership and wisdom in ensuring that his teammate did not cross a line.
Avery’s rookie season came during the 2001-02 NHL season. He was part of a star-studded Red Wings roster that featured several eventual Hall of Famers. Among those players were Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, and captain Steve Yzerman.
McCarty recalled one game in particular between Detroit and its rivals the Colorado Avalanche. Despite the bitter rivalry between the two teams, captains Yzerman and Joe Sakic were highly respected.
That respect for Sakic led Hull to stand up for him rather than support his own teammate.
“Sean Avery, and we all know and love [Avery], but he can push the line. And I’m sitting beside [Hull] and [Shanahan], and Sean Avery just comes off and Joe Sakic gets kicked out of the draw, so he’s in front of our bench. Avery’s standing up going, ‘[Expletive] you, Sakic. I’m gonna come get you,'” McCarty said during his Gloves Off: The Enforcer Code podcast.
“Hully grabs him and pulls him down and goes, ‘We do not talk to Mr. Sakic that way.'” McCarty recalled. “When I say the rivalry between Colorado and Detroit, and the hatred and whatever. You know what the best part was? Their king, Sakic, our king, Yzerman, were always on the thrones and the rest of us peons [against each other].”
Ex-NHL Enforcer Reveals Red Wings Legend Brett Hull Honored Hockey Code
Former NHL enforcer Tony Twist praised Brett Hull for honoring the hockey code when dealing with his young Red Wings teammate. Twist, who played with Hull on the St. Louis Blues, confirmed Darren McCarty‘s story.
“That’s the code, man. That’s where we policed ourselves. Where opportunity would have knocked, where chaos could have ensued, where the code was, ‘Well, chaos is not going to ensue because if you touch him, somebody else is going down somewhere else,'” Twist said during the same episode of Gloves Off: The Enforcer Code.
“Better yet, it came from the same team, ‘You don’t disrespect Mr. Sakic because that’s not how the game is played. He is the king. Leave him alone.'”
Hull Explains the Different Levels of Leadership
Hull also explained the importance of leadership on a team and its different levels. During his appearance on the previous episode of Darren McCarty’s Gloves Off: The Enforcer Code, Hull praised the players who took on multiple roles.
Hull noted that it is difficult to lead in just one area. However, there were players who would score, defend, and even fight for their team.
“There’s levels of leadership, right? I’m a kind of [player] like, I’m gonna do my job, not gonna rah-rah you ever. I’m just like, here I am, I’m supposed to score goals and get points, and I’m gonna do it,” Hull said.
Red Wings Legend Reveals How Brett Hull Taught a Rookie a Valuable Lesson