If time doesn’t heal all wounds, we’ll soon have a case study to look back on if that’s the case. One thing we mentioned back when Detroit signed defenseman Ruslan Salei was how back in 1999, he and Mike Modano had a bit of a run in. It was opening night for the Stars and Ducks and the Stars just raised their Stanley Cup championship banner. Salei celebrated with Modano during the game by crunching him from behind into the boards injuring him.
While fans generally have a longer memory about such events than many players might, it turns out that Ruslan Salei will make sure to clear the air before this season with the Red Wings when he and Mike Modano are teammates.
Ruslan Salei told reporters in Europe he will make a point to talk with Mike Modano and address the 1999 hit Salei laid on Modano that gave Modano a concussion, neck sprain. It was a scary play, and it’s a good idea for Salei to talk to Modano.
I doubt Modano is thinking about that incident much anymore. But it’s not a bad idea by Salei to clear the air, knowing both are now teammates on the Wings.