So, with apologies to Kevin Bacon, we proudly present Six Degrees of Stanley: The Red Wings Way.
With their record of sustained excellence over the past 16 years, the Detroit Red Wings definitely qualify as hockey royalty.
And since Detroit Rock City appears to be rolling to another Stanley Cup, it's time to connect the red and white dots.
So, with apologies to Kevin Bacon, we proudly present Six Degrees of Stanley: The Red Wings Way.
In 1997, long before Mike Babcock (One Degree) became the coach in Detroit, he led Canada to a gold medal at the world junior tournament. However, he did it without the services of a player considered at the time to be one of the most talented youngsters in the game.
That year was the third in a row that Dan Cleary (Two Degrees) was cut by Team Canada and like previous coaches Babcock was concerned about the Newfoundlander's penchant for partying. Those worries, unfortunately, proved justified when a 19-year-old Cleary was arrested for impaired driving while playing for the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls.
Ten years later, Cleary has found a home with the Red Wings as an excellent two-way forward and is such a changed man Babcock now would never think of chopping him.
It's a comeback story with which one of Cleary's teammates can certainly relate.
Darren McCarty (Three Degrees) had to stare down his own demons, battling addictions that cost him not only money, but nearly his career. Like Cleary, McCarty played junior in Belleville where he pulled off a Johan Franzen impression, appearing out of nowhere to score 55 goals in 1992.
How powerful was McCarty's shot?
When the Bulls needed an extra goalie for practice, they would sometimes call on a member of the rink crew who fancied himself to be a pretty fair puckstopper. One day, McCarty's shot grabbed a little too much air and nailed the replacement netminder in the noggin. In fact, the puck hit him so hard that the rivets from his mask drilled a pair of holes in his forehead. Fortunately, the human target survived. Of course, boys being boys, the Bulls dubbed the poor guy "Rivet Head" although in truth, he didn't seem to mind and proudly modeled his battle scars for years afterward.
Fun and games aside, McCarty was in need of a boost after a couple of rough years with the Calgary Flames. First, he got himself in shape and then received a helping hand from one of his best buddies.
Along with McCarty and Kirk Maltby (Four Degrees), Kris Draper (Five Degrees) was part of the famous "Grind Line" that played a huge role in the Red Wings' incredible success. So, when the 36-year-old McCarty made up his mind to try to return to Detroit this year, Draper was one of the first people he called. Draper owns a piece of the minor-league Flint Generals and offered McCarty a roster spot to kick-start his comeback. McCarty passed with flying colours and after rejoining the Red Wings to help them finish first overall, he has suited up for 16 of their 18 playoff games.
Draper has always been one of hockey's good guys. For instance, when Detroit captured their first Cup in 1997, he brought the trophy home to Toronto and paid a surprise visit to one of the Red Wings' biggest fans - Chris Anteras of The Detroit Eatery (Six Degrees).
In a city that bleeds the blue and white of the Maple Leafs, The Detroit Eatery stands out like Tomas Holmstrom's butt. Anteras has always been crazy about the Red Wings and he convinced his Dad, with whom he runs the restaurant, to pay homage to his heroes. So in addition to burgers that hit your taste buds the way Niklas Kronwall pops the Penguins and milkshakes as smooth as Nicklas Lidstrom, diners can also feast their eyes on some impressive Motown hockey memorabilia, including a vintage photo of Chris Chelios before he qualified for the Senior Citizen Early Bird Special.
And another great thing about The Detroit Eatery? Unlike a certain columnist, the folks there don't have to worry about getting too wordy.
As long as you dive into your food like Chris Osgood, feel free to drop by and play Six Degrees of Stanley all day long.