The Detroit Lions are preparing to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2024. Training camp began earlier this month, and the Lions played their first preseason game on Thursday. On Sunday, though, Jared Goff and the Lions received a visit from the Detroit Red Wings and captain Dylan Larkin. Larkin spoke about NHL Free Agency while there, but he also gave Goff a heartfelt gift.
The Red Wings gave each player and coach Dan Campbell jerseys on Sunday. However, Goff received two jerseys. One has the Lions quarterback's name and number 16 on it. The other also has the number 16 on it while bearing the name of former Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov.
“We got him both because we know how special that number is,” Larkin said of his gesture at Lions training camp, via WXYZ reporter Jeanna Trotman. “We got to share a little bit of the history of number 16 for the Red Wings. And we all know Vladdy is a special sports figure in our city and with our team. I think giving him both was the right thing to do.”
The history behind Red Wings' Jared Goff gesture
The story behind this gesture for Lions quarterback Jared Goff goes back decades. In 1989, the Red Wings drafted a Soviet defenseman by the name of Vladimir Konstantinov. He made his debut in the NHL in 1992 and quickly established himself as a rising star. His bruising and imposing style made him one of the toughest blueliners in the league to play against.
In 1996, Konstantinov reached new heights. The Red Wings defender scored a career-high 14 goals while making the All-Star Game for the second time. Additionally, he finished top-five in Norris Trophy voting as the league's best defenseman.
1997 saw him reach the ultimate highs, and unfortunately, suffer a horrific tragedy. On the ice, Konstantinov recorded a career-high 38 points from the blueline during the regular season. He then helped Detroit win their first Stanley Cup since 1955 that postseason.
Six days after winning the Stanley Cup, though, his career was cut short. The Russian defender was involved in a limousine accident along with teammate Slava Feitsov and trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov. Konstantinov suffered severe head injuries and was left paralyzed by the accident.
Following the accident, the Red Wings wore a patch on their jersey to honor him. They went on to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 1998. In the ensuing celebration, Detroit players brought Konstantinov onto the ice and presented him with the Cup.
No player in Red Wings history has worn 16 since Konstantiov's playing days. It's unlikely that another player will ever wear that number for the team again. It's certainly quite a gesture made from Dylan Larkin to Jared Goff at Lions training camp on Sunday. And it's certainly a gesture that will make Lions and Red Wings fans emotional just watching it unfold.
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