The McCarty Metro - Did You Know?

DARREN McCARTY

Darren McCarty is a retired hockey forward, best known for his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. McCarty has been known more for his fists than his scoring ability, taking on the role of the Red Wings enforcer most of his career, a role in which he won four Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008, the last of which after resurrecting his career in the Red Wings minor league system.

McCarty spent much of his childhood growing up in the small town of Leamington, Ontario playing minor hockey for the Southpoint Capitals (OMHA) minor teams.

Drafted in the 2nd round, 49th overall, by the Red Wings in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, McCarty scored 26 points in his rookie season as the Wings won the Central Division title. In the 1996–97 NHL season, McCarty scored a career best 19 goals and 42 points as the Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. McCarty scored the Cup-clinching goal in Game 4. This goal, scored on an inside-outside move around a Flyers' defenseman (Janne Niinimaa), and goalie (Ron Hextall), was honored as one of the best goals of the year.

From the 1997–98 season until his departure from the team, McCarty was part of Detroit's famous Grind Line with center Kris Draper and winger Kirk Maltby, which was often matched up against the opponent's top offensive line.

One of McCarty's most infamous moments was in the famous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997, where a massive brawl broke out between the Colorado Avalanche and Red Wings. McCarty fought Avalanche right winger Claude Lemieux with a blistering punch, and continued punching Lemieux while Lemieux "turtled" his body to avoid damage. The fight was also considered what had broken the curse over the Red Wings, as they went on to win their first Stanley cup in over 40 years. McCarty also scored the overtime winning goal to make it 6-5.

In the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, McCarty registered his first hat-trick in Game One of the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche's Patrick Roy. McCarty scored four goals in the series, a career best. Detroit won the series and eventually a third Stanley Cup in six years. In Game 4 of the Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, McCarty would score the highlight reel 1997 Cup winning goal by deking Flyers defenseman Janne Niinimaa and goalie Ron Hextall with an outside-inside move.

After 11 seasons with the Red Wings, McCarty and the team parted ways as the lockout canceled the 2004–05 NHL season. McCarty's contract was bought out by the Red Wings as a result of the newly implemented salary cap. He then signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames on August 2, 2005. He scored seven goals for the Flames during the regular season. He scored the overtime winning goal in Game 1 of the Flames first round series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a series Calgary would eventually lose in 7 games. In the 2006–07 season, McCarty appeared in only 32 games and for the first time in his career, failed to score a point.

On December 31, 2007, the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League announced that McCarty had signed with the team. The Generals are co-owned by McCarty's former Grind Liner, Kris Draper, who encouraged McCarty to make a comeback to professional hockey. McCarty made his home debut for the Generals on January 12, 2008 and recorded one assist in the 4–3 victory. In ten games with the Generals, McCarty had three goals, two assists, and thirty penalty minutes.

On January 30, 2008, The Grand Rapids Press reported that McCarty would sign a professional tryout contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins. On February 4, 2008, this was made official. On his Griffins debut at Van Andel Arena, he tallied a hat trick and added an assist to power Grand Rapids to a 6–3 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.

On February 20, media outlets began to report on Detroit Red Wings manager Ken Holland's speculation that McCarty would likely be offered a contract by the organization. On February 25, the Red Wings signed McCarty to a one year contract. On March 7, 2008, McCarty was called up by the Red Wings. Facing Nashville in the opening round of the 2008 playoffs, McCarty scored the opening goal in Game Two, a 4-2 Detroit win. The Red Wings eventually won the Stanley Cup in June 2008, McCarty's fourth championship with the team. McCarty signed a one-year contract with the Wings in the offseason. On November 18, 2008, the Red Wings placed McCarty on waivers, knowing he would not be claimed. McCarty cleared waivers and remained with the team. After being sent to Grand Rapids for one game, McCarty was soon recalled. He played 13 games in the 2008-2009 season amassing 1 goal and 25 penalty minutes (all of which came from fighting majors). In late-November McCarty suffered a groin strain which landed him on Injury Reserve. On February 24, 2009 the Detroit Red Wings reassigned McCarty to the Grand Rapids Griffins, following his activation from injured reserve and recovery of his sports hernia surgery in January. He played in 19 games for the Griffins in the 2008-2009 season scoring 5 goals and getting 6 assists for a total of 11 points. He was in one fight; it was against Alex Henry of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the last game of the season and it added five minutes to his final regular season total of 21 penalty minutes. During the Griffins playoff run McCarty played all 10 games and posted 3 goals, 1 assist and 8 penalty minutes. On May 10, just days after the Griffins were eliminated in the playoffs by the Manitoba Moose, McCarty was recalled by the Red Wings along with several other Griffins players. McCarty became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009. In an article that ran in the Windsor Star on July 7, 2009 Wings GM Ken Holland stated that the team would likely cut ties with the 37 year old who was a part of all four of the Red Wings teams that have won the Stanley Cup in recent years. Holland said that the youth in the Red Wings system will be taking his spot. This comes in the same month that McCarty, along with Jiří Fischer, donated his free time to run the Red Wings 2009 Youth Hockey Camp, where youngsters paid the Red Wings organization $299 to be on the ice with McCarty, Fischer and a couple of Red Wings coaches.

On December 7, 2009 McCarty officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. This came as no surprise as the Red Wings chose not to renew his contract and McCarty remained an unrestricted free agent, and had already accepted a job as color analyst for Versus. A fifteen season veteran and fan favorite in Detroit, McCarty thanked the Red Wings and Flames organizations as well as the fans for helping him to realize his dreams.

On November 23, 2009 McCarty made his debut as an NHL Analyst for Versus. McCarty makes occasional appearances on the Versus post game show, Hockey Central. McCarty currently serves as a fill-in co-host on Sports Radio 97.1 The Ticket, in Detroit.

Darren's father, Craig was diagnosed with the multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow and blood, in 1995 at age 46. In 1997, Darren McCarty established the McCarty Cancer Foundation as a Father's Day gift to Craig. The foundation's goal is to raise funds to finance research which offers significant promise in the search for a cure of this terminal cancer. It is headed by Craig’s wife Roberta McCarty, who serves as president. Sadly, Craig lost his battle on November 24, 1999.

McCarty has been to rehab four times, for undisclosed substance-abuse issues. He is also divorced and is the father of four children: Griffin, Emerson, Avery, and Gracyn. During the offseason, he is the lead singer for hard rock band "Grinder". He is left-handed. McCarty currently resides in Clawson, MI.