He was one of the most punishing and devastatingly effective defenseman in the National Hockey League, and was truly coming into his own at the time of the historic 1997 Stanley Cup victory. He was also an astounding plus-60 during Detroit's record-setting 1995-96 season, and his massive body checks put fear into the hearts of opponents.
But his career ended and his life was changed forever less than a week after the ultimate triumph when he was critically injured along with team trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov in a limousine accident. Konstantinov suffered serious head injuries and paralysis. The good news is that while he's never going to be the same as he was before the accident, he's still with us and has been able to be around the team in various capacities; he's also a regular at Little Caesars Arena, drawing massive cheers from the crowd when he's shown on the scoreboard taking in a game.
He celebrated his 56th birthday in style during the recent Red Wings alumni game at the sold out Howell Ice Den, which included the crowd singing Happy Birthday to him:
According to WXYZ, the beneficiaries included Livingston County Habitat for Humanity, Livingston County Shop With a Cop, North Star Reach and the Vladimir Konstantinov Special Needs Trust.
