NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: RED WINGS v FLYERS

June 7, 1997

Darren McCarty

Mike Vernon

Steve Yzerman

STEVE YZERMAN: I didn't really see him. I just turned to go back to the players and Shanahan was kind of looking at me and said just go. I kind of looked back. He said go, so I went. I kind of wanted to do it as a team, but it was kind of neat to do it alone as well.

STEVE YZERMAN: I don't know how to describe how I feel. I wish -- I am glad the game is over, but I wish it never would have ended. You know, since I was -- as long as I can remember four, five years old I have watched the Stanley Cup. I have stayed up, made a point of watching it, presented the celebration in the locker room and always dreamed of the day that maybe I would get there and I never kind of the dream is way out there and you never -- sometimes you wonder if you will ever get there and so, I guess as the game was going on and when we finally won, is it is almost like I wanted to it is back and watch the whole thing and not miss a minute of it and not forget a minute of it. I don't know if it could ever be as good as the dream, but like I said, I would rather watch it is back and watch the whole thing. I don't want to miss any of it. I wish it would have never ended. As far as giving it to Slava, the last couple of days, try not to think about anything but the game, but got a million things running through your mind. One thing I thought was who should I hand the Cup off to and I thought of a few different players. But Slava jumped to my mind because of what he has done, him and Igor, what kind of guys they are, really respect what they have done and how they have handled themselves and they have set an example in their work ethic and their attitude for the young Russian players and they have been real leaders on our team. I don't know if Slava is coming back or not next year the way he played certainly made me believe that it is possible. But after the great career he has had I want him to get the trophy. He has done everything in the world of hockey and this is the most important thing so wanted to give it to him.

MIKE VERNON: I really wasn't too concerned about that. I just wanted to win. That is the bottom line. We are all consumate winners in my mind and the team in front of me just played a great round of hockey all season and the commitment that they have made and playing in both ends of the ice, I mean, it really never entered my mind. Just winning it was the most important thing.

STEVE YZERMAN: No, nothing -- as I got halfway around I was thinking this thing is getting pretty heavy. (Audience Laughter). I was having a tough time holding it up. Again, all I wanted to do carry it on the ice first of all, I didn't want to fall down. And, there was a lot of stuff all over the ice and other thing that my parents were sitting behind the Flyers end of the ice. I wanted to see then. My wife was in the corner of that end and a good friend of mine was in the far corner. I wanted to make sure he got a chance to look at them -- I got a chance to look at them. As I carried it around the rink and just kind of look up in the crowd, whatever we got 20,000 people, celebrating, just --

MIKE VERNON: I saw the sign and I kind of chuckled. I mean, it was -- I think we all had in the back of our minds two years ago how devastating it was to lose to Jersey. I was just I was just glad that I had the opportunity to prove myself again and I think we all had that in mind. I think that was the most important thing. We just wanted to taste victory and the guys just went out and did the job and that was the most important thing and I don't know who the guy was that did the apologizing, but I accept it.

DARREN McCARTY: You guys all thought I was Steve or Sergei, didn't you? I don't know, to be honest with you I just had a one on one and I think I moved to the right and lost the puck, so I had to go back to the left and had my head down before I knew it I was on top of Hextall and my first reaction was just to make a move to the right and. Don't expect that all the time. (audience laughter). Every blind squirrel finds a nut, I guess I found mine at the right time.

DARREN McCARTY: No, I know where our bench stops. It stops quicker than you think. I was excited definitely. It was flies to score but it was nice to make it 2-nothing add give ourselves a little breathing room and we needed it.

STEVE YZERMAN: You know, I have watched him, I can remember is seeing highlights of him in Montreal when they won the Stanley Cup a couple of times and he was pretty reserved and kind of sat back and let the players go and I think he has loosened up particularly in the last couple of seasons and this year and to see him out there amongst guys, he keeps his distance in the players and seeing him in there amongst guys smiling and sort saying you don't see that emotion in him a whole lot and it was again another moment. It was wonderful to see and I think I know we all enjoyed it and loved to see him out there smiling.