Detroit Red Wings: Top 10 toughest players of all-time
By Tyler Samson
9. Kris Draper
As a member of the Grind Line, it is hard not to name Kris Draper as one of the top 10 toughest Detroit Red Wings of all time. At 5’10” and 188 pounds, he was not the biggest guy in the NHL. In fact he was very undersized. Regardless of his size, Draper did not shy away from playing chippy and getting involved in the dirty areas.
Originally, Draper was taken 62nd overall in the 1989 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. After four seasons with the Jets playing in the NHL, AHL, and OHL, Draper was traded to Detroit for $1. When Draper arrived in Detroit he was sent to their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings. In his one and only season (1993-94) with Adirondack, Kris had 20 goals, 23 assists and 49 penalty minutes in just 46 games played. Draper’s astounding season with Adirondack led him to be called up to the Detroit Red Wings.
When he joined the Detroit Red Wings, fans immediately adored him. Draper embodied everything about the city of Detroit. He was hard-working, the odds were stacked against him and, most of all, he was determined. With all of these components working together, Draper had a very successful career in Detroit, as shown through his four Stanley Cup wins.
In Detroit, he found himself as a resident on the infamous Grind Line. The Grind Line was a line composed of the tough guys on the team which happened to be Kirk Maltby, Joey Kocur (who was proceeded by Darren McCarty) and Kris Draper.
Their role was to wear out opponents top scoring line by pressuring them with a physical attack. Draper served as a vital piece to the line’s success because he possessed speed and a crash and bang checking style that drained the energy of opponents.
There is no question that he paved the way for undersized players to play a physical role in the NHL. With over 1,000 games with the Red Wings as well as serving as assistant captain for many years, Draper proved that he was a vital factor and leader for the franchise. He brought a unique physical style to the Wings that had never been seen in the organization before, making him one of the franchise greats and toughest.