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Detroit Red Wings

 
Hoover's Profile: Detroit Red Wings, Inc.
 
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Contact Information
Detroit Red Wings, Inc.
600 Civic Center Dr.
Detroit, MI 48226
MI Tel. 313-396-7544
Fax 313-567-0296

Type: Subsidiary
On the web: http://www.detroitredwings.com

The Detroit Red Wings are flying high in the National Hockey League. Founded in 1926, the team is one of the most successful franchises in NHL history with 11 Stanley Cup championships (the last in 2008). Detroit has been a perennial playoff contender for more than a decade and regularly draws packed houses at Joe Louis Arena. Its roster has boasted such Hall of Fame players as Jack Adams, Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, and "Black" Jack Stewart. Mike and Marian Ilitch bought the team in 1982 and run the franchise through their holding company, Ilitch Holdings. The Ilitch family also owns the Detroit Tigers and pizza chain Little Caesar.

Officers:
Governor: Michael (Mike) Ilitch
Director Hockey Administration: Ryan Martin
VP Finance: Paul MacDonald

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Company History: Detroit Red Wings
 
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Founded: 1926
NAIC: 711211 Sports Teams and Clubs

Winner of ten Stanley Cup championships, the Detroit Red Wings are one of the most successful franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team is backed by a passionate fan base and the deep pockets of its corporate parent, Ilitch Holdings Inc., the holding company for Michael Ilitch, who made his money with the Little Caesars pizza chain and also owns the Detroit Tigers major league baseball team, large portions of Detroit real estate, and other business interests. One of only a handful of NHL teams that had the financial resources to field a contending club every year, the Red Wings now face a different competitive environment after an impasse with players over a new collective bargaining agreement resulted in the cancellation of the 2004-05 season. Eventually a settlement was reached that called for a cap on the amount of money each club could spend on players.

Although the Red Wings are considered one of the NHL's "original six" clubs, the team actually joined the league a decade after it was established. The NHL's roots reach back to the 1910 merger of two so-called amateur Canadian hockey leagues who were weary of raiding one another's players at a bounty and decided to form the National Hockey Association (NHA). Soon, another professional league, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), was raiding NHA players, but the two circuits came to an accommodation and their regular season champions began playing for the Stanley Cup, which was first awarded in 1893 to the winner of a tournament of amateur hockey teams. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 disrupted play in the NHA and the teams' owners took the opportunity to reorganize and rid themselves of the nettlesome owner of the Toronto franchise. In a Montreal hotel on November 22, 1917 the National Hockey League was born, and it now played the PCHA for the Stanley Cup. The PCHA began to experience financial difficulties in the early 1920s and merged with another professional league, the Western Hockey League (WHL), whose franchises were generally located in small markets. Unable to pay the salaries offered by NHL teams, especially after the NHL began to expand to large American cities, WHL players were sold off. By 1926 only the NHL was left standing and the Stanley Cup became its exclusive property.

During the period of American expansion no fewer than five Detroit groups attempted to receive an NHL franchise. The winners were granted a franchise in May 1926 and in September of that year bought the entire roster of players of the WHL's Victoria Cougars at a cost of $100,000. The Cougars had won the Stanley Cup in 1925 and lost in the finals in 1926. In that first season as the Detroit Cougars, the team actually played its home games across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, as it awaited the construction of its own building. Despite the purchase of talent, the Cougars got off to an inauspicious start, posting the worst record in the NHL for the 1926-27 season. Fans were not overly interested in paying to watch a losing club, and as a result the team finished its first year $80,000 in debt.

Prospects for the Detroit franchise began to pick up the next season. It moved into its new home, The Olympia, which at the time of its opening in 1927 housed the largest rink in the United States. That year also brought Jack Adams, who became the coach and general manager and would remain in charge for the next 35 years. Success did not come quickly, however, as the team failed to make the playoffs in three out of the next four years. Even changing the team's name from the Cougars to the Falcons in 1930 did nothing to turn around Detroit's fortunes. With the country mired in the Great Depression, the team was forced into receivership, and to make payroll Adams had to reach into his own pockets. But Adams and his hockey team would soon be rescued from tight-fisted ownership in the form of a wealthy grain merchant, James Norris, who bought the team in the summer of 1932.

Norris made his fortune trading in grain in Chicago but he grew up in Canada, where he was a star athlete, an accomplished tennis and squash player in addition to an amateur hockey player. He also had been a member of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA), a sporting club that because of its origins as a cycling club sported a logo of winged wheels. Norris had tried to establish a second NHL team in Chicago only to be blocked by the Chicago Blackhawks' owner. Instead Norris bought the struggling Detroit franchise and in October changed the team's name to the Red Wings. For a logo he modified the MAAA graphic, incorporating an automobile wheel and tire that was more appropriate to Detroit, the home of the U.S. auto industry. Free of money worries, Adams was now able to exhibit his talent as a coach and an executive and began assembling a winning team. The Red Wings lost in the Stanley Cup semifinals during their first year under Norris ownership and lost in the finals during the second. After failing to make the playoffs the team then won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1936 and 1937.

Norris had a partner when he acquired the Detroit franchise and The Olympia, Arthur Michael Wirtz, a young Chicago real estate mogul. Together they also would acquire the Blackhawks' home, Chicago Stadium, and eventually the Blackhawks. The two men acquired interests in arenas and convention centers around the country, including Madison Square Garden in New York as well as facilities in St. Louis, Omaha, and Indianapolis. This circuit became the foundation for any number of ventures, including ice shows, the birth of the National Basketball Association, rodeo, college basketball doubleheaders, and professional boxing matches.

Other NHL franchises did not fare as well as the Red Wings during the Depression. Some transferred to other cities while others simply folded. By 1942 the league had just six teams--Boston, Chicago, Montreal, New York, Toronto, and Detroit--which would become known as the "Original Six." No new teams joined the NHL for another 25 years.

During the war years the Red Wings won a third Stanley Cup in 1943 and although a championship would escape the team for the rest of the decade it began to lay the foundation for one of the greatest teams ever to play in the NHL. Players included forward Ted Lindsay, defenseman Red Kelly, goalie Terry Sawchuk, and the legendary forward Gordie Howe, whose arrival in 1946 marked the beginning of a golden era in Red Wings' history. In 1950 Detroit regained the Stanley Cup, and in that year one of the team's most enduring traditions was born when a fan threw an octopus onto the Olympia ice. The eight tentacles represented the eight wins needed in the two best-of-seven series a team had to win in order to take the cup. Every Red Wings playoff run that followed would feature the appearance of numerous octopi hurled onto the ice to the delight of Red Wings' fans.

James Norris died in 1952, several months after the Red Wings won their fifth Stanley Cup, and ownership of the team passed to his children, Bruce Norris and Marguerite Norris. Marguerite was named president, becoming the NHL's first female executive. Growing up in Chicago, she had never seen the Red Wings play in Detroit. She held the position for four years before Bruce Norris took over. While she was president the team won two more Stanley Cup Championships. Although the team remained competitive for the next decade, these would be the last titles the team won for the next 40 years.

By the time the NHL expanded, doubling to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season, the Red Wings had descended into mediocrity. The team finished out of the playoffs 16 out of 18 years during this period, an especially poor showing given that only five of the league's 21 teams failed to qualify. The Red Wings moved to a new home, Joe Louis Arena, in December 1979, but even new accommodations were not enough of an attraction to lure fans to watch a talent-starved team. The season ticket base was reported to be 2,500 but had more likely slipped to just 1,500. It had been a slow, long decline for a proud organization, but by the early 1980s the Red Wings were a team saddled with debt and unable to fund the kind of organization required to field a contending club.

In June 1982 the Detroit Red Wings changed owners, when the club was purchased by Michael Ilitch for a paltry $11 million. A Detroit native, Ilitch, like James Norris, had been an athlete as a youth. He was a minor league baseball player in the Detroit Tigers' system whose career was prematurely ended by injury. Instead of sports, he turned his attention in the late 1950s to pizza, founding Little Caesars, which carved out a niche as a pick-up only operation. By controlling costs he was able to undercut the competition and open more shops. At the time Ilitch bought the Red Wings, Little Caesars was still a regional company, but within four years it would be a national player with about 1,000 units. Ilitch only bought the Red Wings after he failed in his attempt to acquire his beloved Tigers, who were wrested away by cross-town pizza rival, Domino's Tom Monaghan. Ten years later Ilitch would succeed in gaining control of the Tigers, but in the meantime he poured money into the Red Wings, building up every aspect of the team's malnourished organization as well as making improvements to Joe Louis Arena.

Although it took time for the Red Wings to assemble a winning team, Ilitch showed quicker results in restoring attendance through marketing efforts that included giving away free cars during games. The number of season ticket holders soon increased to 16,000 and once the team became contenders, losing in the Stanley Cup semifinals in 1987 and 1988, the Red Wings became one of the NHL's most valuable franchises. But the team took a step back during the 1989-90 season when it once again missed the playoffs.

The team promoted a bevy of young talent in the early 1990s that formed the nucleus of an excellent team, but it took the hiring of the NHL's most successful coach, Scott Bowman, in 1993 to mold that talent and bring in key veterans to forge a champion. A year later the Red Wings returned to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1966. Although it lost four games to none to the New Jersey Devils, Detroit served notice that it was now a serious contender, and with Ilitch's dedication to winning it planned to maintain a place at the top of the league for years to come. After losing in the conference finals in 1996 to the eventual champions, the Colorado Avalanche, the Red Wings won their eighth Stanley Cup, the first since 1955, in the spring of 1997, sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers four games to none. Despite losing one of the league's best defensemen, Vladimir Konstantinov, whose career was ended by injuries suffered in an off-season automobile accident, Detroit defended their title the following year, this time sweeping the Washington Capitals.

Colorado continued to be an arch-nemesis of the Red Wings, defeating them in the second round of the playoffs two years in a row to close the 1990s. Detroit retooled its roster in the 2000s, bringing in a number of veteran players who meshed well with Bowman's system, the likes of older stars such as defenseman Chris Chelios; forwards Pat Verbeek, Luc Robitaille, and Brett Hull; and goalie Dominik Hasek. The additions to the roster resulted in the Red Wings accumulating a league-best 116 points in the regular season of 2001-02 and the team claiming its tenth Stanley Cup when it defeated the Buffalo Sabers. Bowman, who had now won nine Stanley Cups as a coach, stepped down as coach, although he would stay on as a consultant to the team.

Bowman was replaced behind the bench by Dave Lewis. The team remained very much a contender for the Stanley Cup, but failed to reach the finals the next two seasons. But by now the focus was no longer on the ice but in the board rooms where league officials and representatives for the players negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement. Although large market teams like Detroit, Philadelphia, Colorado, Montreal, Toronto, and New York Rangers were doing well, smaller market clubs were losing money and claimed they were unable to compete fairly against the bigger clubs. In truth, unbridled spending was no guarantee of success (witness the difficulty New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto had in winning a championship). But the small-market teams would not be satisfied with anything less than a cap on players' salaries, which they contended was way out of line with the kind of revenues the NHL was able to generate, in order to achieve some kind of fiscal certainty. From the players' perspective, the owners had only themselves to blame for outbidding one another on players. Moreover, the cries of poverty were met with a degree of skepticism. Hockey was merely part of a greater whole, the arena business, as it had been from the days of Norris and Wirtz, who viewed hockey like concerts or conventions, as a way to fill dark nights on the arena calendar. The hockey business might have been struggling, but the arena business was thriving. In addition, the value of hockey franchises increased steadily. A case in point was the Red Wings, which according to Forbes was worth $248 million in 2004, a significant increase over the $11 million Ilitch paid for the club some 20 years earlier.

The players were adamantly opposed to the idea of a salary cap. After negotiations broke down between the players and league in 2004, the owners locked out the players, resulting in the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, the first time that a professional sports league had been forced to cancel an entire season because of a labor impasse. Both sides, realizing the tremendous harm being done to the sport, returned to the bargaining table and in the summer of 2005 finally hammered out an agreement that included a salary cap and an automatic cut in player salaries. The deal was in fact less favorable to the players than the final offer on the table before the season was canceled. Every club was now limited in the amount of money it could spend on players, who now changed teams at a dizzying clip. Many of the headlines in the summer of 2005 related to the player signings of small-market clubs. Whether the competitive balance in the NHL would be significantly altered remained to be seen. It was just as likely, however, that strong organizations like Detroit would continue to find a way to stand above the rest. Whether spectators would return to the arenas to watch hockey after a year's absence was also an open question. In Detroit, known for decades as Hockeytown, it was likely that the Red Wings would be welcomed back by its fans with open arms.

Principal Competitors

St. Louis Blues Hockey Club L.L.C.; Nashville Hockey Club LP; The Columbus Blue Jackets; Chicago Blackhawks (Wirtz Corporation).

Further Reading

Diamond, Dan, et al., Total Hockey, Kingston, N.Y.: Total Sports, 1998.

Greenland, Paul R., Wings of Fire: The History of the Detroit Red Wings, Rockford, Ill.: Turning Leaf Publications, 1997.

Henderson, Tom, "Profile: Mike Ilitch, Owner, Little Caesars, Detroit Red Wings," Detroit Free Press, August 9, 1982.

McGraw, Bill, "Ilitch's Local Success Is Legendary," Detroit Free Press, June 20, 2000.

Stein, Gil, Power Plays: An Inside Look at the Big Business of the National Hockey League, Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1997.

— Ed Dinger


 
Wikipedia: Detroit Red Wings
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
Conference Western
Division Central
Founded 1926
History Detroit Cougars
1926–30
Detroit Falcons
1930–32
Detroit Red Wings
1932–present
Home arena Joe Louis Arena
City Detroit, Michigan
Colors Red, white

         
Media Fox Sports Detroit
WXYT (1270 AM, 97.1 FM)
Owner(s) Flag of the United States Mike Ilitch
General manager Flag of Canada Ken Holland
Head coach Flag of Canada Mike Babcock
Captain Flag of Sweden Nicklas Lidstrom
Minor league affiliates Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)
Toledo Walleye (ECHL)
Stanley Cups 1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08
Conference championships 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2008–09
Division championships 1933–34, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

The Detroit Red Wings is a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The club is one of the Original Six teams of the NHL. The Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (11)[1] of any NHL franchise based in the United States, and are third overall in total NHL championships, behind the Montreal Canadiens (24) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13). They currently play home games in the 20,066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium.

Between the 1933–34 and 1965–66 seasons, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times. After almost two decades as an also-ran, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 23 of the last 25 seasons, including the last 18 in a row. This is the longest current streak of post-season appearances in all of American professional sports.

Contents

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Detroit Red Wings

1926–49: Early years

When the Western Canada Hockey League folded after the 1925–26 WHL season,[2] a deal was made, so that a new NHL expansion franchise in Detroit bought the rights to the players of one of the most successful of the teams in that league, the 1925 Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars. However, the NHL does not consider the Red Wings to be a continuation of the Victoria team.

Since no arena in Detroit was ready at the time, the new Detroit Cougars (named in Victoria's honor) played their first season in Windsor, Ontario at the Border Cities Arena.[3] For the 1927–28 season, the Cougars moved into the new Detroit Olympia, which would be their home rink until December 15, 1979. This was also the first season behind the bench for Jack Adams, who would be the face of the franchise for the next 36 years as either coach or general manager.

The Cougars made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 1929 with Carson Cooper leading the team in scoring. The Cougars were outscored 7–2 in the two-game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 1930, the Cougars were renamed the Falcons,[4] but their woes continued, as they usually finished near the bottom of the standings, even though they made the playoffs again in 1932.

NHL president Frank Calder sought a way to extinguish this league, and convinced the other owners of the NHL to let grain merchant James E. Norris buy the Falcons. Norris had made two previous unsuccessful bids to buy an NHL team. Norris' first act was to choose a new name—the Red Wings. Earlier in the century, Norris had played on one of hockey's early powers, the Montreal HC, nicknamed the "Winged Wheelers." Because of the team’s location in Detroit, the Motor City, Norris transformed the club's logo into the first version of the Red Wings logo as it is known today. He also gave Adams a year on his job on probation. The renamed franchise won its first playoff series in the NHL, over the now-defunct Montreal Maroons. They lost in the semi-finals against the New York Rangers.

In 1934 the Wings made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, with John Sorrell scoring 21 goals over 47 games and Larry Aurie leading the team in scoring. However, the Chicago Black Hawks had an easy time with Detroit in the finals, winning the best-of-five series in four games and winning their own first title.

The Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup[5] in 1936, defeating Toronto in four games. Detroit repeated its championship season in 1937, winning over the Rangers in the full five games.

They made the Stanley Cup Finals in three consecutive years during the early 1940s. In 1941 they were swept by the Boston Bruins, in 1942 they lost a seven-game series against Toronto in the finals after winning the first three games, but in 1943, with Syd Howe and Mud Bruneteau scoring 20 goals apiece, Detroit won their third Cup by sweeping the Bruins. They remained a solid team through the rest of the decade, making the playoffs every year, and reaching the finals three more times.

In 1946, one of the greatest players in hockey history came into the NHL with the Red Wings. Gordie Howe, a right-winger from Floral, Saskatchewan, only scored seven goals and 15 assists in his first season and would not reach his prime for a few more years. It was also the last season as head coach for Adams, who stepped down after the season to concentrate on his duties as general manager. He was succeeded by minor league coach Tommy Ivan.

By his second season, Howe was paired with Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay to form what would become one of the great lines in NHL history — the "Production Line". Lindsay's 33 goals propelled the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were swept by the Maple Leafs. Detroit reached the Finals again the following season, only to be swept again by Toronto.

1950–66: The Gordie Howe Era

The Wings returned to the top in 1950, with Pete Babando scoring the game winner in double overtime of game 7 to beat the Rangers in the Finals. After the game, Lindsay skated around the Olympia ice with the Cup, beginning a tradition that continues today.

After being upset by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1951 semifinals, Detroit won its fifth Cup in 1952, sweeping both the Leafs and the Canadiens, with the Production Line of Howe, Abel and Lindsay joined by second-year goalie Terry Sawchuk. Detroit would become the first team in 17 years to go undefeated in the playoffs. They also scored an amazing 24 playoff goals, compared to Toronto and Montreal's combined total of 5. Abel left the Wings for Chicago following the season, and his spot on the roster was replaced by Alex Delvecchio.

James E. Norris died in December 1952. He was succeeded as team president by his daughter, Marguerite—the first (and as of the 2006–07 season, only) woman to head an NHL franchise.[6] She made no secret of her dislike for Adams. While she could have summarily fired him, since he was still without a contract, she chose not to do so.

Following another playoff upset in 1953 at the hands of the Bruins, the Red Wings won back to back Stanley Cups in 1954; over Montreal, when Habs defenseman Doug Harvey redirected a Tony Leswick shot into his own net; and 1955 (also over Montreal in the full seven games). The 1954–55 season ended a run of eight straight regular season titles, an NHL record.[7]

Also during the 1955 off-season, Marguerite Norris lost an intrafamily power struggle, and was forced to turn over the Wings to younger brother Bruce, who had inherited his father's grain business. Detroit and Montreal once again met in the 1956 finals, but this time the Canadiens won the Cup, their first of five in a row.

In 1957 Ted Lindsay, who scored 30 goals and led the league in assists with 55, teamed up with Harvey to help start the NHL Players' Association and, along with outspoken young netminder Glenn Hall, was promptly traded to Chicago (which was owned by James D. Norris, Bruce's elder brother) after his most productive year.

This was one of several questionable trades made by Adams in the late 1950s. For example, a year earlier, he had traded Sawchuk to Boston; while he managed to get Sawchuk back two years later, he had to trade up-and-coming John Bucyk to do it. It was one of the most one-sided trades in hockey history; Bucyk went on to play 21 more years with the Bruins. The Wings lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Bruins. In 1959 the Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in 21 years.

Within a couple of years, Detroit was rejuvenated and made the Finals for four of the next six years between 1961 and 1966. However, despite having Delvecchio, Norm Ullman, Howe and Parker MacDonald as consistent goal-scorers, Lindsay's sudden one-year comeback in 1964–65, and Sawchuk and later Roger Crozier between the pipes, the Wings came away empty-handed. Adams was fired as general manager in 1963. He had coached for 15 years and served as general manager for 31 years on a handshake, and his 36–year tenure as general manager is still the longest for any general manager in NHL history.

1967–82: The "Dead Wings" Era

Only a year after making the Finals, the Red Wings finished a distant fifth, 24 points out of the playoffs. It was the beginning of a slump from which they would not emerge for almost 20 years. Between 1967 and 1983, Detroit only made the playoffs twice, winning one series. From 1968 to 1982, the Wings had 14 head coaches (not counting interim coaches), with none lasting more than three seasons. In contrast, their first six full-time coaches – Art Duncan, Adams, Ivan, Jimmy Skinner and Abel – covered a 42–year period. During this dark era in franchise history, the team was derisively known as the "Dead Wings"[8] or "Dead Things".

One factor was the end of the old "development" system, which allowed Adams to get young prospects to commit to playing for Detroit as early as their 16th birthday. Another factor was Ned Harkness, who was hired as coach in 1970 and was promoted to general manager midway through the season. A successful college hockey coach, Harkness tried to force his two-way style of play on a veteran Red Wings team resistant to change. The Wings chafed under his rule in which he demanded short hair, no smoking, and put other rules in place regarding drinking and phone calls.[9] Harkness was forced to resign in 1973, and to this day Red Wings fans consider his tenure (known as the "Darkness of Harkness"[10]) to be the lowest point in team history.

In the "expansion season" of 1967–68, the Red Wings also acquired longtime star left-winger Frank Mahovlich from the defending Cup champs in Toronto. Mahovlich would go on a line with Howe and Delvecchio, and in 1968–69, he scored a career-high 49 goals and had two All-Star seasons in Detroit.

But this could not last. Mahovlich was traded to Montreal in 1970, and Howe retired after the 1970–71 season. Howe returned to pro hockey shortly after to play with his two sons Mark and Marty Howe (Mark would later join the Red Wings at the end of his career) in the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972. Through the decade, with Mickey Redmond having two 50–goal seasons and Marcel Dionne starting to reach his prime (which he did not attain until he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings), a lack of defensive and goaltending ability continually hampered the Wings.

Interior of the Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings have played at home since 1979, when they left the Detroit Olympia.

During 1979–80, the Wings left the Olympia for Joe Louis Arena. In 1982, after 50 years of family ownership, Bruce Norris sold the Red Wings to Mike Ilitch, founder of Little Caesars Pizza.[11]

1983–2003: The Yzerman Era

In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman, a center from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. He led the team in scoring in his rookie year, and started the Wings' climb back to the top. That season, with John Ogrodnick scoring 42 times and Ivan Boldirev and Ron Duguay also with 30–goal seasons, Detroit made the playoffs for the first time in six years. Defenseman Brad Park, acquired from the Boston Bruins in the 1983 free-agent market, also helped the Wings reach the postseason and ended up winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy the same season.

Later Park was asked to coach the Wings, but was sacked after 45 games in 1985–86. He admitted, “I took over a last-place team, and I kept them there.” They did indeed end up in the basement with a 17–57–6 record for only 40 points. This was the same year that the Wings added enforcer Bob Probert, one of the most familiar faces of the Wings in the 1980s and 1990s.

By 1987, with Yzerman joined by Petr Klima, Adam Oates, Gerard Gallant, defenceman Darren Veitch and new head coach Jacques Demers, the Wings won a playoff series for only the second time in the modern era. They made it all the way to the conference finals against the powerful Edmonton Oilers, but lost in five games. In 1988 they won their first division title in 23 years (since 1964–65, when they finished first in a one-division league). They did so, however, in a relatively weak division; no other team in the Norris finished above .500. As was the case in the previous season, they made it to the conference finals only to lose to the Oilers in five games.

In 1989, Yzerman scored a career-best 65 goals,[12] but Detroit was upset in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season Yzerman scored 62 goals, but the team missed the playoffs for what turned out to be the last time to date. Rumors spread that maybe "Stevie Wonder" should be traded.

But it was Demers, not Yzerman, who got the pink slip. New coach Bryan Murray was unable to get them back over .500, but they returned to the playoffs. Yzerman was joined by Sergei Fedorov (who defected from the USSR), who would be an award-winner and frequent all-star for the team in the 1990s. In 1992, the team acquired Ray Sheppard, who had a career-best 52 goals two years later; and in '93, top defenseman Paul Coffey. Also joining the Red Wings around this time were draft picks like Slava Kozlov, Darren McCarty, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Nicklas Lidstrom.

1994–2004: The Russian Five and return to glory

The Yzerman trade rumors ended very soon after Scotty Bowman got behind the Motown bench in 1993. In his second season, the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season, he guided Detroit to its first Finals appearance in 29 years, only to be promptly swept by the New Jersey Devils, who won the Stanley Cup for the first time, as they brought it from "the Garden to the Garden State," as the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup the year before.

The Wings kept adding more star power, picking up Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, and goaltender Mike Vernon in trades and winning an NHL record 62 games in 1996. After defeating the St. Louis Blues (with a Game 7, double-overtime goal by Yzerman), the Wings would fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques).

Throughout the 1997–98 season the Red Wings wore a patch with the initials of former defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov featured prominently, with the word "Believe" written in both English and Russian. Both were severely injured in an automobile accident after celebrating their Stanley Cup win the previous year.

The following year, Detroit, joined by Brendan Shanahan and Larry Murphy during the season, once again reached the Finals in 1997. After defeating the St. Louis Blues in six games, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Colorado Avalanche in the first three rounds, the Wings went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games in the Stanley Cup Finals. It was the Wings' first Stanley Cup since 1955, breaking the longest drought (42 years long) in the league at that time. Mike Vernon accepted the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 1997 playoffs.

Tragedy struck the Wings six days after their championship; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, one of the "Russian Five", suffered a brain injury[13] in a limousine accident, and his career came to an abrupt end. Wings trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov suffered similar injuries. Red Wings defenseman Slava Fetisov was also injured in the accident, but was released from the hospital the next day. The Red Wings dedicated the 1997–98 season, which also ended in a Stanley Cup victory (another sweep, this time over the Washington Capitals), to Konstantinov, who came out onto the ice in his wheelchair on victory night to touch the Cup. Yzerman, who had won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason Most Valuable Player that year, immediately gave the Cup to Konstantinov after he hoisted it. He later reported that he had intended to pass it to goalie Chris Osgood for his stellar surprise performance. "Not very often does a moment in hockey transcend sports," remarked Brendan Shanahan later.

The following season, the Wings looked poised to "three-peat" for the first time in franchise history, acquiring three-time top blueliner Chris Chelios from his hometown Chicago Blackhawks in March 1999, but it was not to be as they would end up losing the Western Conference Semifinals to Colorado in six games.

The Wings had built up a fierce rivalry with the Avalanche in this time. With the Red Wings beating the Avs in the third round in 1997, and Colorado beating Detroit in the second round in both 1999 and 2000, the battles between these two teams had become one of the fiercest in sports. During a game on March 26, 1997, a brawl ensued between Colorado goalie Patrick Roy and his Detroit counterpart Mike Vernon. In a separate fight, Darren McCarty paid back Avalanche player Claude Lemieux for his hit from behind on Kris Draper the year before. Fittingly, it was Darren McCarty who scored the overtime goal to give the Red Wings the 6–5 victory in the game that became known as "Fight Night at the Joe."

In 2001, Detroit, the league's second-best team in the regular season, were upset in the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings. During the summer that followed, they acquired legendary goalie Dominik Hasek (the defending Vezina Trophy winner) in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. They also landed left-wing Luc Robitaille and right-wing Brett Hull through free agency, all three are now retired. Rookie center Pavel Datsyuk joined the Wings from the Russian Super League the same year. The Wings became the hands-down favorite to win the Cup in 2002. They did not disappoint, posting the league's best record in the regular season and defeating Colorado in seven games in the Western Conference Finals after beating the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues in rounds one and two. The Red Wings went on to capture another Cup in five games over the Cinderella-story Carolina Hurricanes, with Nicklas Lidstrom winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's Most Valuable Player. Bowman and Hasek both elected to retire after the season.

The 2003 season saw the Red Wings promote associate coach Dave Lewis to the head coach position after Bowman's retirement. Needing a new starting goaltender after Hasek's retirement, the Red wings signed Curtis Joseph from the Toronto Maple Leafs to a three year, $24 million deal. Also new to the lineup was highly touted Swedish prospect Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings finished the season second in the Western Conference and third overall in the NHL. The Red Wings were favored in their first round matchup against the 7th seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. But the Ducks shocked the hockey world by sweeping the Red Wings in four games, thanks in large part to the strong performance of Ducks goaltender J. S. Giguere. The Ducks later advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost in Game 7 to the New Jersey Devils.

Longtime Wing Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks as a free agent during the offseason, after a long contract dispute. More importantly, Dominik Hasek decided to come out of retirement, and joined the Wings for the 2003–04 season. This caused a problem for the Wings, as Joseph still had 2 years remaining on his contract. The Wings also added defenseman Derian Hatcher from the Dallas Stars via free agency, as well as forward Ray Whitney from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joseph, despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, had to spend part of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit's American Hockey League affiliate. The Wings attempted to trade him; but, perhaps because of his large contract, there were no suitors. Ultimately, Hasek called it quits after just 14 games because of a groin injury, and Joseph became the Wings' No. 1 goalie again, and helped lead the team to the top of the Central Division and the National Hockey League standings. Hatcher was also injured just a few games into the regular season with a torn MCL. Hatcher would not return until the end of the regular season. The Wings acquired veteran center Robert Lang from the Capitals at the trade deadline.

The Red Wings eliminated the Nashville Predators in six games in the first round of the playoffs, which led to a second round matchup with the Calgary Flames. In Game 5, with the series tied at two games apiece, a deflected puck struck Steve Yzerman in the left eye, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs. The Red Wings lost that game 1–0, and were eliminated the next game in Calgary by the same score in overtime.

During the 2004 offseason, the Wings focused on keeping players they already had instead of being active on the free agent market. They re-signed Frank J. Selke Trophy-winning forward Kris Draper, who had just had a career season, to a four-year deal, and captain Yzerman to a one-year deal. They also re-signed Brendan Shanahan, Jiri Fischer, Jason Williams, and Mathieu Dandenault as well head coach Dave Lewis. Deals were not reached with veteran defensemen Chris Chelios and Mathieu Schneider or star forward Pavel Datsyuk before the NHL owners triggered their lockout on September 15. There also was a parting of ways with veteran forward Brett Hull, who signed with the Phoenix Coyotes as did forward Boyd Devereaux.

2005 and beyond: New Era for Detroit

On July 15, 2005, Mike Babcock, former bench boss in Anaheim, became the new head coach for the Wings.

On August 8, the Wings brought back goaltender Chris Osgood, who had spent time with the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues since his last stint in Detroit, by signing him to a one-year contract.

Approximately fourteen minutes into a game on November 21, 2005, against the Nashville Predators, defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered a seizure and collapsed on the bench. His heart had stopped, and he was resuscitated by CPR and an AED. The game was canceled because of his injury, and was made up on January 23, 2006. This was the first time in NHL history a game had been postponed by injury. The game was played for the full 60 minutes; however, the Predators were allowed to maintain their 1–0 lead from the original game and won, 3–2.

For the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, the NHL again agreed to allow players to participate for their home countries. The Red Wings sent 10 players to the competition. Gold medal winners from Team Sweden included Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Holmstrom, and Niklas Kronwall. Robert Lang represented the Bronze medal winning Team Czech Republic.

The Red Wings won the Presidents' Trophy with a 58–16–8 record, earning them 124 points.(NHL Standings), and secured home ice advantage for the entire playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings opened the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers with a 3–2 overtime victory at Joe Louis Arena. However, the Oilers won 4 of the next 5 games to take the series.

After the playoffs, Detroit management informed goaltender Manny Legace that he would not be a part of the team next season, while Chris Osgood and Nicklas Lidstrom signed 2–year extensions.

Continuing the shakeup of the Red Wings roster, July 9 brought the signing of alternate captain Brendan Shanahan to a free agent deal with the New York Rangers after spending the previous 9 seasons with the club. Shanahan turned down equal offers from the Wings and Montreal Canadiens to sign with the Rangers, stating that he felt he was part of the Red Wings past, not future. July 31 brought the re-signing of Dominik Hasek to a one-year deal from the Ottawa Senators, marking the beginning of his third stint with the Wings.

Nicklas Lidstrom, the current captain of the Wings

Perhaps the biggest change to the roster in the off season was the announcement that Steve Yzerman would retire from playing hockey after playing 23 seasons with the Wings. He subsequently was offered the job of Vice President of Operations, and remained with the team. Not long after, it was announced that Yzerman's number 19 would be retired[14] during the following season. Yzerman retired with the distinction of having been the longest serving team captain in NHL history.

The Red Wings opened the 2006–07 season with Steve Yzerman "passing the torch" to Nicklas Lidstrom when Lidstrom was named Captain for the 2006–07 season. The Red Wings retired Steve Yzerman's jersey number 19 on January 2 before a game with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Red Wings hold the longest current playoff streak of all professional North American sports teams, at 18 consecutive seasons.

At the 2007 NHL trade deadline, the Wings acquired forwards Kyle Calder and the injured Todd Bertuzzi. Calder came to Detroit in return for Jason Williams. Bertuzzi was acquired from the Florida Panthers for conditional draft picks and prospect Shawn Matthias. That April, the Wings signed Pavel Datsyuk to a seven-year contract extension, along with re-signing gritty forward Kirk Maltby to a three-year deal. The Wings finished first in the Western Conference and tied for first in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, but the Sabres were awarded the Presidents' Trophy by virtue of having the greater number of wins.

Game 1 of the opening round saw the Red Wings' 452–game home sellout streak (dating back to December 10, 1996) come to end with an announced crowd of 19,204. They advanced to the third round of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs after defeating the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks both in six games, coming back three straight after the Sharks' 2–1 series lead. The Red Wings lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winning team - the Anaheim Ducks, in the Western Conference Finals four games to two. In doing so, the 2007 Playoffs marked the most successful run for Detroit since their 2002 Stanley Cup Championship, finishing two games away from a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

On July 1, free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider signed a deal with the Ducks. However, Detroit filled the void by immediately signing former New Jersey Devil and Dearborn, Michigan native Brian Rafalski to a 5–year deal.[15] A short time later, Todd Bertuzzi followed in Schneider's footsteps to a free agent deal with Anaheim. Kyle Calder signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Kings and Robert Lang signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings then signed former St. Louis Blues captain Dallas Drake to a 1 year deal. Drake was originally drafted by Detroit in 1989 and played for them from 1992–1994 before being traded to Winnipeg.

To start the 2007–2008 campaign, Henrik Zetterberg recorded at least a point in each of Detroit's first 16 games, setting a club record. At the 2008 trade deadline, the Red Wings announced that they had signed former Wing Darren McCarty to a one year contract for the remainder of the season.[16] The Red Wings also acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a second-round pick in 2008 and a fourth-round pick in 2009. Nearing the end of the 2007–2008 season, Detroit signed Michigan State University senior Justin Abdelkader to a three-year contract.

The Red Wings won their eleventh Stanley Cup on June 4, 2008, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 3-2. This was their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Henrik Zetterberg scored the Stanley Cup winning goal and was also named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European Captain to win the Stanley Cup.

On July 2, 2008, the Detroit Red Wings announced the signing on unrestricted free agent Marian Hossa to a one year deal worth approximately $7.4 million. Hossa was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that the Red Wings defeated in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. Hossa reportedly turned down several other longer termed and higher paid offers from other teams to join the Red Wings, stating that he felt Detroit gave him his best opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. The Red Wings also re-signed free agents Brad Stuart and Valtteri Filppula to four and five year deals, respectively. The Red Wings also signed goaltender Ty Conklin to a one year deal upon the retirement of Dominik Hasek; Conklin was also a member of the Penguins the previous season along with Hossa. Winger Dallas Drake announced his retirement in July, and in early August it was announced that former coach Scotty Bowman had taken a senior advisor position with the Chicago Blackhawks, citing the opportunity to work with his son (Chicago assistant GM Stan Bowman) was too good to pass up.

From the beginning of the 2008–09 season to New Year's Day, the Wings enjoyed success, although second to the San Jose Sharks. On January 1, 2009, the Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks in the third NHL Winter Classic, beating them 6-4. Ty Conklin was the starting goaltender for the Red Wings; he also started in net for the 2003 and 2008 Winter Classic. In those games, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively.

It was announced in February of 2009 that the Red Wings would start the 2009–10 season in Stockholm, Sweden against the St. Louis Blues inside the Globe Arena. Currently 8 players for Detroit are from Sweden: Jonathan Ericsson, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Mikael Samuelsson, Andreas Lilja, Henrik Zetterberg and team captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

On April 23, 2009, the Red Wings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets at Columbus winning the series 4-0, and became the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons, breaking a tie with the Montreal Canadiens (1974–75 through 1981–82).

On May 14, 2009, the Red Wing beat the Anaheim Ducks in game 7 at Detroit, winning the series 4-3. Then on May 27, 2009, the Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit winning the series 4-1 and also winning the Western Conference finals. On June 12, 2009, the Red Wings lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Detroit against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maxime Talbot scored the 2 goals for the Penguins and Jonathan Ericsson scored the only goal for the Red Wings.

Team information

Uniforms

The Red Wings, like all NHL teams, updated their jerseys (traditionally known in hockey as "sweaters") to the new Rbk Edge standard for the 2007–08 NHL season. The Red Wings kept their design as close as possible, with a few exceptions: On the road (white) jersey, there is more red on the sleeves as the color panel begins closer to the shoulder. The white sleeve numbers on both jerseys were also moved up a bit, creating more red space between the bottom of the number and the wraparound white trim. The letters of the captain and alternate captains were moved to the player's right shoulder; Detroit is the only team in the league that made this change, although the 2008 NHL All Star jerseys featured this as well. All teams now have an NHL shield panel on the front of the jersey near the collar, and a rounded hemline at the bottom of the jersey which goes up at the hips, providing more mobility.

The Red Wings have not used any alternate logos or uniforms since the trend became popular in the 1990s, the sole exceptions were select games of the 1991–92 season commemorating the league's 75th Anniversary, and for a commemorative game in 1994 at Chicago Stadium. Those jerseys were based on the uniforms worn by the team (then the Detroit Cougars) in 1927–28. The throwbacks are primarily white with five red horizontal stripes on the body, the broadest middle stripe bearing "DETROIT" in bold letters, and three red stripes on the sleeves.

The striped throwbacks have been a popular design, as replicas continue to be marketed by the NHL.[17] This jersey was also a basis for the uniforms worn by Wayne Gretzky's team of NHLPA All-Stars, nicknamed the "99ers", for their exhibition tour in Europe during the 1994–95 NHL lockout; a picture of Gretzky in this jersey was used for the cover art of a video game bearing his name.

Alternate jerseys for the RBK Edge system are expected for 2008–2009, but Detroit has thus far opted not to use alternates.

The Red Wings wore alternative "Retro" jerseys for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic in Chicago. The one-time jerseys were based on the uniforms worn by the then-Detroit Cougars during their inaugural season of 1926–27.[18] These jerseys were white, with a single bold red stripe on the sleeves and chest, and a uniquely-styled white Old English "D" (a Detroit sports tradition, also currently used by the Detroit Tigers but formerly used by both the Wings and the University of Detroit Titans) centered on the chest stripe. These jerseys were also worn for their final 2009 regular season home game, again against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fan tradition: The Octopus

Main article: Legend of the Octopus

The "Legend of the Octopus" is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings playoff games, in which an octopus is thrown onto the ice surface for good luck.[19]

During the playoffs, Joe Louis Arena is generally adorned with a giant octopus with red eyes, nicknamed "Al" after Joe Louis Arena head ice manager Al Sobotka.

The 1952 playoffs featured the start of the tradition—the octopus throw. The owner of a local fish market, Peter Cusimano, threw one from the stands onto the ice. The eight legs were purportedly symbolic of the eight wins it took to win the Stanley Cup at the time. The Red Wings went on to sweep both of their opponents that year en route to a Stanley Cup championship. The NHL has, at various times, tried to eliminate this tradition but it continues to this day.[20][21]

There is a certain etiquette that must be followed for fans that wish to throw octopuses onto the ice. The most appropriate time to throw an octopus onto the ice is after the national anthem is sung or after the Red Wings have scored a goal. Under these circumstances, the eight-legged creature must be thrown onto the ice surface in an area that is clear of all players. It is never acceptable to aim for opposing players. Beforehand, octopuses are usually boiled to reduce the amount of "slime" coating and facilitate the time it takes to clean up the ice and prevent further delay. Since Joe Louis Arena does not condone the throwing of any foreign objects onto the ice, fans often sneak the sea creatures in wrapped around their bellies in trash bags. The boiling process also lessens the odor and allows the fans to get past security. Tactics are also used to protect the identity of octopus-throwers from arena security. It is common practice for the hurler to ask the surrounding people to stand up with him to shroud the task in anonymity.[citation needed]

Al Sobotka is the man responsible for removing the thrown creatures from the ice. He is known for swinging the tossed octopuses above his head when walking off the ice. On April 19, 2008, NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell sent a memo to the Detroit Red Wings organization that forbids Zamboni drivers from cleaning up any octopuses thrown onto the ice and that violating the mandate would result in a $10,000 fine.[22] Instead, it will be the linesmen who will perform this duty. In an email to the Detroit Free Press NHL spokesman Frank Brown justified the ban because "matter flies off the octopus and gets on the ice" when Al Sobotka does it.[23] This ban, however, was later loosened to allow for the octopus twirling to take place at the zamboni entrance.[24]

Radio and television

The Red Wings' flagship radio stations are Detroit sister stations WXYT-AM 1270 and WXYT-FM 97.1. Games are carried on both stations unless there is a conflict with Detroit Lions football or Detroit Tigers baseball (to whom the stations are also flagships). There are several affiliate stations.

The Red Wings' exclusive local television rights are held by Fox Sports Detroit.[25] It shared rights with WKBD, which simulcasted games on a small network of stations across Michigan and Northwestern Ohio until the end of the 2003–2004 season.

See also: NHL on NBC, The NHL on Versus, NHL Center Ice, NHL Centre Ice, NHL Network (Canada), NHL Network (United States), Hockey Night in Canada, and The Sports Network#Hockey

Broadcasters:

During many home games on FS Detroit where Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond are in the booth, Larry Murphy also provides analysis "between the benches" during games.

Season-by-season record

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Red Wings. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Detroit Red Wings seasons

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PIM = Penalties in minutes

Records as of May 21, 2007.[26]

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
2004–05 Season cancelled because of 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–061 82 58 16 8 124 305 209 1127 1st, Central Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Oilers)
2006–07 82 50 19 13 113 254 199 982 1st, Central Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Ducks)
2007–08 82 54 21 7 115 257 184 937 1st, Central Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Penguins)
2008–09 82 51 21 10 112 295 244 824 1st, Central Lost in Finals, 3–4 (Penguins)
1 As of the 2005–06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).

Notable players

Current roster

Updated July 8, 2009.[27]

view • talk • edit
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
8 Flag of the United States Abdelkader, JustinJustin Abdelkader C L 22 2005 Muskegon, Michigan
11 Flag of Canada Cleary, DanielDaniel Cleary RW L 30 2005 Carbonear, Newfoundland
13 Flag of Russia Datsyuk, PavelPavel Datsyuk (A) C L 30 1998 Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR
44 Flag of Canada Downey, AaronAaron Downey (UFA) RW R 34 2007 Honeywood, Ontario
33 Flag of Canada Draper, KrisKris Draper (A) C L 38 1993 Toronto, Ontario
52 Flag of Sweden Ericsson, JonathanJonathan Ericsson D L 25 2002 Karlskrona, Sweden
51 Flag of Finland Filppula, ValtteriValtteri Filppula C L 25 2002 Vantaa, Finland
93 Flag of Sweden Franzen, JohanJohan Franzen LW L 29 2004 Vetlanda, Sweden
43 Flag of Canada Helm, DarrenDarren Helm C L 22 2005 St. Andrews, Manitoba
96 Flag of Sweden Holmstrom, TomasTomas Holmstrom RW L 36 1994 Piteå, Sweden
35 Flag of the United States Howard, JimmyJimmy Howard G L 25 2003 Ogdensburg, New York
26 Flag of the Czech Republic Hudler, JiriJiri Hudler (RFA) LW L 25 2002 Olomouc, Czechoslovakia
46 Flag of the Czech Republic Kindl, JakubJakub Kindl D L 22 2005 Sumperk, Czechoslovakia
55 Flag of Sweden Kronwall, NiklasNiklas Kronwall D L 28 2000 Stockholm, Sweden
22 Flag of the United States Lebda, BrettBrett Lebda D L 27 2004 Buffalo Grove, Illinois
21 Flag of Finland Leino, VilleVille Leino LW L 25 2008 Savonlinna, Finland
5 Flag of Sweden Lidstrom, NicklasNicklas Lidstrom (C) D L 39 1989 Västerås, Sweden
3 Flag of Sweden Lilja, AndreasAndreas Lilja D L 33 2005 Helsingborg, Sweden
18 Flag of Canada Maltby, KirkKirk Maltby RW R 36 1996 Guelph, Ontario
25 Flag of Canada McCarty, DarrenDarren McCarty (UFA) RW R 37 2008 Burnaby, British Columbia
14 Flag of Canada Meech, DerekDerek Meech D L 25 2002 Winnipeg, Manitoba
30 Flag of Canada Osgood, ChrisChris Osgood G L 36 2005 Peace River, Alberta
28 Flag of the United States Rafalski, BrianBrian Rafalski D R 35 2007 Dearborn, Michigan
23 Flag of Canada Stuart, BradBrad Stuart D L 29 2008 Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
40 Flag of Sweden Zetterberg, HenrikHenrik Zetterberg (A) C L 28 1999 Njurunda, Sweden

Team captains


Honored members

Hall of Famers:
Players


Staff

Numbers out of circulation

Retired jerseys:

The banners hanging at Joe Louis Arena.
  • 1 Terry Sawchuk, G, 1949–55, 1957–64 & 1968–69, number retired March 6, 1994
  • 7 Ted Lindsay, LW, 1944–57 & 1964–65, number retired November 10, 1991
  • 9 Gordie Howe, RW, 1946–71, number retired March 12, 1972
  • 10 Alex Delvecchio, C, 1950–73, number retired November 10, 1991
  • 12 Sid Abel, LW, 1938–52, number retired April 29, 1995
  • 19 Steve Yzerman, C, 1983–2006, number retired January 2, 2007 (the banner features the captain "C" to honor his tenure as the longest serving captain in NHL history)

Retired numbers:

  • 6 Larry Aurie, RW, 1927–1939, following his retirement from the NHL. This was the first number ever retired by the Detroit Red Wings; however, Aurie does not have a banner hanging in Joe Louis Arena. The NHL's official information publication, the Official NHL Guide And Record Book, listed the number as being retired from 1975 until 2000 when reference to it was removed at the request of the Red Wings organization. The team no longer considers the number to be retired, although it is not available for use.[28]
  • 16 Vladimir Konstantinov, D, 1991–97, following a career-ending vehicular accident.
  • 99 Wayne Gretzky, Although he was never a member of the Red Wings, his number was retired league-wide February 6, 2000

First-round draft picks


Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Red Wings player

Points Goals Assists
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Gordie Howe RW 1687 786 1023 1809 1.07
Steve Yzerman C 1514 692 1063 1755 1.16
Alex Delvecchio C 1549 456 825 1281 0.83
Nicklas Lidstrom* D 1330 228 769 997 0.75
Sergei Fedorov C 908 400 554 954 1.05
Norm Ullman C 875 324 434 758 0.87
Ted Lindsay LW 862 335 393 728 0.84
Brendan Shanahan LW 716 309 324 633 0.88
Reed Larson D 708 188 382 564 0.80
John Ogrodnick RW 539 259 275 534 0.99
Player Pos G
Gordie Howe RW 786
Steve Yzerman C 692
Alex Delvecchio C 456
Sergei Fedorov C 400
Ted Lindsay LW 335
Norm Ullman C 324
Brendan Shanahan LW 309
John Ogrodnick RW 259
Nicklas Lidstrom* D 228
Vyacheslav Kozlov RW 202
Player Pos A
Steve Yzerman C 1063
Gordie Howe RW 1023
Alex Delvecchio C 825
Nicklas Lidstrom* D 769
Sergei Fedorov C 554
Norm Ullman C 434
Ted Lindsay LW 393
Reed Larson D 382
Pavel Datsyuk* C 351
Brendan Shanahan LW 324

NHL awards and trophies

Stanley Cup

Presidents' Trophy

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

Prince of Wales Trophy

Art Ross Trophy

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

Calder Memorial Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

Frank J. Selke Trophy

Hart Memorial Trophy

James Norris Memorial Trophy

Jack Adams Award

King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Lester B. Pearson Award

Lester Patrick Trophy

NHL Plus/Minus Award

Vezina Trophy

William M. Jennings Trophy

Mark Messier Leadership Award

NHL All-Rookie Team


Franchise individual records

This is a partial list. For the more franchise records, see Detroit Red Wings records

References

  1. ^ "Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists". National Hockey League. http://www.nhl.com/cup/champs.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  2. ^ "The WCHL—Pros On The Prairies". Oilers Heritage. http://www.oilersheritage.com/history/early_leagues_WCHL.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  3. ^ "Detroit Red Wings - Written history". Detroit Red Wings. http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_default. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  4. ^ "Detroit Red Wings - Written History". Detroit Red Wings. http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_1930s. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  5. ^ "Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists". National Hockey League. http://www2.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/cup/champs.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  6. ^ "Marguerite Norris, Hockey Team President, 67". New York Times. 1994-05-14. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07E3D61E39F937A25756C0A962958260. 
  7. ^ "Stanley Cup history". USA Today. 2000-09-12. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/cup00/cuphist.htm. 
  8. ^ Burnside, Scott (2007-02-21). "The Original Six: Detroit Red Wings". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2772756. 
  9. ^ Mulvoy, Mark (1971-01-18). "Poor Broken Wings". Sports Illustrated. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084495/2/index.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-29. 
  10. ^ "Darkness of Harkness". Lowetide. 2008-05-21. http://lowetide.blogspot.com/2008/05/darkness-with-harkness.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-29. 
  11. ^ "Detroit Red Wings - Written History". Detroit Red Wings. http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_1980s. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  12. ^ "Steve Yzerman's hockey statistics profile". hockeyDB.com. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=5844. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  13. ^ Lapointe, Joe (1997-06-14). "Two Red Wings Injured, One Seriously, in Cras". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507EFD8123FF937A25755C0A961958260. 
  14. ^ Lage, Larry (2006-08-30). "Red Wings to Retire Yzerman's No. 19". Associated Press. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2006Aug30/0,4675,HKNRedWingsYzerman,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  15. ^ "Red Wings sign Michigan-born Rafalski". Associated Press. 2007-07-01. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=212429. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. 
  16. ^ "Red Wings sign McCarty". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3264136. Retrieved on 2008-02-25. 
  17. ^ "Shop.NHL.com". nhl.com. http://shop.nhl.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2146136&cp=3176434&clickid=body_bestsell_img. Retrieved on 2008-10-30. 
  18. ^ "'Hawks and Wings to sport retro jersey outdoors". nhl.com. 2008-10-25. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=388634. Retrieved on 2008-10-30. 
  19. ^ "Legend of the octopus". Detroit Red Wings. http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_octopus. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  20. ^ "Lawsuit seeking octopus ban in Detroit already tossed". Yahoo News. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Lawsuit-seeking-octopus-ban-in-Detroit-already-t?urn=nhl,89102. Retrieved on 2009-06-20. 
  21. ^ "Top 5 First Round Moments of the 2009 Playoffs (see number 4)". mvn.com. http://mvn.com/outsider/2009/04/top-10-first-round-moments-of-the-2009-playoffs.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-20. 
  22. ^ "NHL freezes Sobotka's swirl". The Detroit News. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/OPINION03/804190403/1128/sports0103. Retrieved on 2008-04-24. 
  23. ^ "NHL bans octopus swinging; $10,000 fine for offenders". Detroit Free Press. 2008-04-19. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/SPORTS05/804190350/1053/SPORTS05. Retrieved on 2008-05-10. 
  24. ^ "Rejoice: Octopus twirling OK again!". Detroit Free Press. 2008-05-08. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/BLOG09/80507089/1053/SPORTS05&GID=771j3dyQ+AQCnttsrVgjwWD4sfSxMX0h+vLkaxJ94c0%3D. Retrieved on 2008-05-10. 
  25. ^ FSN Detroit Nets Pro Sports 3 pointer
  26. ^ "Detroit Red Wings seasons statistics". hocketDB.com. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/teamseasons.php?tid=34. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  27. ^ "Detroit Red Wings - Team - Roster". Detroit Red Wings. http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=TeamPlayers&type=roster. Retrieved on 2009-06-12. 
  28. ^ MacLeod, Bruce (2007-01-07). "Aurie holds Detroit's forgotten number". Journal Register News Service. http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/010707/spo_macleod001.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 

See also

External links

v • d • e
Detroit Red Wings
Franchise
Culture/lore
Retired numbers

1 • 7 • 9 • 10 • 12 • 19 • 99
Stanley Cups

1936 • 1937 • 1943 • 1950 • 1952 • 1954 • 1955 • 1997 • 1998 • 2002 • 2008
Arenas
Affiliates
Media
TV: Fox Sports Detroit • Radio: WXYT-FM • WXYT-AM


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Some good "Detroit Red Wings" pages on the web:


Yahoo! Sports
sports.yahoo.com
 
Red Wings Home Page
www.detroitredwings.com
 
Roster
sports.yahoo.com
 

Schedule
sports.yahoo.com
 
Stats
sports.yahoo.com
 
 
 

 

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