It was announced this morning by the man himself. Kris Draper has retired from hockey. Just a week after his good pal, Chris Osgood, Drapes too has decided to hang up the skates. The 4 time Stanley Cup champion was traded from Winnipeg to Detroit for just 1 dollar back in 1993. Since then, he matured and became one of the hardest working players to step foot in the Red Wing locker room.
Draper was a member of the beloved Grind Line which also featured Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby, and Joey Kocur. With Draper's retirement comes the official end of the Grind Line. It is a sad, sad day for Hockeytown.
Along with his 4 Stanley Cups, Drapes also won the Selke trophy in 2004. He is also one of the five players on the Red Wings to win 4 Stanley Cups wearing the Winged-wheel since the 96-97 season. (The other 3 being Lidstrom, Holmstrom, Maltby, and McCarty)
His work-ethic and passion for the game is sure to be missed in the locker room. Draper has often been named as one of the 'voices' in the locker room and he has also been a mentor to Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm. Many have referred to Helm as "the Draper of the future" ... which is probably one of the best titles a Wing could be given.
Not only will his teammates miss him, but the fans will too. Draper is known around these parts for making sure to communicate with fans and sign every last autograph. He has a lot of pride in the city of Detroit and gave back to the community every chance he got.
It's actually kind of sad to think about. Most, if not all of us, have grown up watching Draper out on the ice. The Grind Line was always great to watch, they worked hard and they played hard. He will easily be the best dollar the Wings have ever spent.
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