DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 01: View of the Detroit Red Wings center ice logo during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena on February 01, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Former Detroit Red Wings General Manager Jimmy Devellano was desperate to make the franchise into a Stanley Cup contender. Owner Mike Ilitch demanded it.
Veteran locker-room presence was the missing element, Devellano decided. So, he targeted two aging stars from the St. Louis Blues, Bernie Federko and Tony McKegney.
Devellano finalized one of Detroit’s most dubious deals on June 15, 1989, jettisoning emerging playmaker Adam Oates and Paul MacLean.