The 2014 NHL Draft could be filled with surprises and intrigue, but it could also be filled with coincidences that make history seem funny.
One such possibility could revolve around Barrie Colts forward Brendan Lemieux. Brendan is the son of former Colorado Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux. We’ve talked about him here before.
During the NHL Scouting Combine, Lemieux interviewed with 28 out of 30 NHL teams and one of those was the Detroit Red Wings. The guy doing the talking for Detroit was none other than Kris Draper, now a special assistant to GM Ken Holland. Draper and Claude Lemieux have a notorious history dating back to 1996.
As Mike Morreale of NHL.com shared, the interview went without any fireworks.“We had a great conversation,” Brendan said. “He’s a really nice guy. I did not think I was going to get interviewed by them, let alone have it be serious. I thought they were going to walk in, make a few jokes and I was going to leave, but I have nothing but good things to say about their organization. They were extremely professional and they barely brought it up. I tried to joke about it and they weren’t even budging.
“I have no problem playing in Detroit after that interview, for sure.”
Imagine the reaction of Red Wings fans who still see red when they see video of Brendan’s father Claude hitting Draper from behind during the 1996 Western Conference Final.
Somewhere, Dino Ciccarelli is really getting fired up about the possibility of the Wings taking the son of a franchise villain.