Former Detroit Red Wings forward Joey Kocur shared a hilarious Scotty Bowman story involving former NHL enforcer Kelly Chase. Kocur recalled Chase’s quick wit putting him in a predicament with his head coach.
Kocur played under Bowman during his second stint with the Red Wings. After retiring, Kocur stayed with the organization as a video coach under Bowman before becoming an associate coach under Dave Lewis.
Bowman, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NHL history. He operated with a strong attention to detail. However, he would rarely get involved with players, which caught the team off guard.
During a Red Wings vs. Blues game, Bowman decided to point out a discovery to Chase. The Blues enforcer played along, but detailed what he did the night before, leading to a hilarious reaction from all involved.
Ex-Red Wings Forward Shares Hilarious Scotty Bowman Story Involving an NHL Enforcer
Former Red Wings forward Joey Kocur recalled a game against the St. Louis Blues. During the game, Kocur revealed that Scotty Bowman questioning why Kelly Chase was on the ice.
Chase responded by agreeing with Bowman. However, the Blues enforcer revealed that he had been enjoying a night with several of Bowman’s players the night before.
Kocur, who appeared on Chase’s Ice Guardians Podcast, along with Darren McCarty, recalled his own immediate reaction as he tried to avoid embarrassment.
“We’re playing in St. Louis. Faceoff’s right by the blue line. Me and [Shanahan] are sitting on the bench. [Chase is] out there. Scotty [Bowman] never says anything, but for some reason, he looked at Chaser, ‘Chaser, why are you out there?’ Chaser looks at Scotty and goes, ‘[Expletive], I shouldn’t be out there. I’m so hungover from hanging out with Kocur and Shanahan last night. I should be in bed right now, I gotta make a living today,’ Kocur said during his appearance on Ice Guardians Podcast, sparking laughter.
Kocur’s reaction is understandable as he did not want to get into trouble with his head coach. Chase, meanwhile, showed how quick-witted he was.
Chase Describes Kocur’s Reaction After Hearing His Response to Bowman
Chase chimed in to confirm the validity of the story and described Kocur and Brendan Shanahan‘s reaction.
The former Blues enforcer noted that he did not mention which Red Wings players he had been out with. However, both Kocur and Shanahan made it obvious they were among the players Chase was referring to.
“I didn’t use your names. I said, ‘I was out with half your team last night.’ These two guys [Kocur and Shanahan] are just like [shocked and putting their head down to avoid Bowman],” Chase said during the same episode of his Ice Guardians Podcast with co-host Brett Hull.
Ex-Red Wings Forward Shares Hilarious Scotty Bowman Story Involving an NHL Enforcer