It’s no secret that hockey players like to bet against each other, but very few bets last for decades—unless you are Darren McCarty and his cousin Chad Cowan.
Darren McCarty was drafted 46th overall in the second round by the Detroit Red Wings in 1992. Known for his toughness, McCarty played a huge role on the Red Wings teams that won four Stanley Cups between 1997 and 2008. In fact, he even scored the Cup-clinching goal in 1997 against the Philadelphia Flyers, a series the Red Wings swept 4-0.
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Darren McCarty remembers his best bet
That goal didn’t just secure a long-awaited Cup for the city of Detroit—it also won Darren McCarty $200. Fifteen years before McCarty scored the game-winner, he had made a bet with his cousin Chad Cowan. Chad, a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, had wagered with McCarty on which team would win the Stanley Cup first: the Red Wings or the Maple Leafs.
“Made him pay”
Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Darren McCarty recalled the bet:
“The greatest bet I ever made in my life. I was ten years old, with my cousin—he’s a die-hard Maple Leafs fan. I bet him when I was ten years old on who’d win the Cup first: the Leafs or the Wings. The fact that I scored the Stanley Cup clincher in 1997… I made him pay me $200,” McCarty said on the podcast.
You can watch the video below.
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