Vladimir Konstantinov to return to the ice with sled hockey team
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — This month, a Detroit hockey legend will return to the ice for the first time in decades.
According to News 8 affiliate WDIV-TV, Vladimir Konstantinov, the Red Wings’ enforcer and member of “The Russian Five,” is set to take part in a charity sled hockey game.
The 57-year-old Konstantinov will play with the Belle Tire Sled Hockey team as part of the Original Six Alumni Matchup on April 27 at Big Boy Arena in Fraser.
Vladimir Konstantinov played six seasons with the Red Wings after defecting from the Soviet Union’s Red Army team. (AP file) The wreckage of the limousine that crashed on June 13, 1997, in Birmingham, Michigan. Vladimir Konstantinov, along with teammate Slava Koslov and team staff member Sergei Mnatsakanov, were hospitalized in the crash. (AP file) Health aide Angela Martin helps former Detroit Red Wings star Vladimir Konstantinov into his wheelchair on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich. (AP file) Former Detroit Red Wings star Vladimir Konstantinov plays Uno with health care provider Angela Martin on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich. (AP file)
Belle Tire Coach Derek Donet pushed Konstantinov around the ice at a recent practice and told WDIV-TV how you could see his instincts take over.
“It was absolutely incredible,” Donet told WDIV-TV. “You could tell he didn’t forget how to play hockey. As soon as he got out there, as soon as he saw the puck, he smashed it away. He’s shooting backhand and forehand; he’s out there stick handling through people. He’s still got it, for sure.”
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Konstantinov was a key member of the Red Wings for years, including their run through the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997.
But the celebration was cut short. Just six days after the Wings clinched their title, Konstantinov was involved in a limousine crash that left him with critical injuries. He suffered brain damage, temporary paralysis and spent several weeks in a coma. He has continued to recover through the years but still has trouble speaking and walking.
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The Belle Tire Sled Hockey team will play in the first part of the double-header, followed by a game between a team of Red Wings alumni and former New York Rangers. Red Berenson, Mickey Redmond, Danny DeKeyser, Darren Helm and Drew Miller are all expected to take part, along with Konstantinov’s former teammates Darren McCarty, Mathieu Dandenault and Dino Ciccarelli.
Denet expects it will be an emotional afternoon for Red Wing hockey fans, at the rink and even at home.
“I think the standing ovation is going to rival the noise at (Little Caesars Arena),” Denet said.
Tickets start at $12. They are available for purchase through Ticketor.
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