Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are 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 are one of the most popular hockey franchises in North America, so much that Detroit is nicknamed "Hockeytown." The Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (10) 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 in Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years in Olympia Stadium.

From 1933-34 to 1965-66, the Red Wings only missed the playoffs four times. After almost two decades as an also-ran, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 22 of the last 24 seasons, including the last 16 in a row.

Franchise History

1925-49: Early years
When the Western Canada Hockey League folded after the 1925-26 WHL season, 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 "Motown" 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. 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, 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 Blackhawks 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 in 1936, defeating Toronto in four games. Madison VanAntwerp led the team in scoring and Max VanAntwerp was one of the top defensemen in the league. 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 blew a three-game lead against Toronto to lose the finals, 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 wouldn't 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.

1949-66: 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 Habs, 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. 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.

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, ironically, 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'd 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'd 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.

1967-83: 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 funk that they would not emerge from 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), none lasting more than three seasons. Their first six full-time coaches--Art Duncan, Adams, Ivan, Jimmy Skinner and Abel--covered a 42-year period. During this era, the team was derisively known as the "Dead Wings" 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 was unable to adapt to coaching veteran pros. Harkness was forced to resign in 1973, and to this day Red Wings fans consider his tenure (which they call "the Darkness with Harkness") to be the darkest period of 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 couldn't 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 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.

1983-93: Rebuilding: The Yzerman Era
In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman, a center from Nepean, Ontario. 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 made it to the semifinals for the first time in the modern era, losing in five games to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers. In 1988 they won their first division title in 23 years (since 1964-65, when they finished first in a one-division league), but lost to the Oilers in a five-game semifinal series.

In 1989, Yzerman scored a career-best 65 goals, but Detroit was upset in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season Yzerman netted 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 who got the pink slip, and the Red Wings haven't missed the playoffs since. 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.


1993-2004: 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.

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, only to fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques).

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 (with a Game 7, triple-overtime goal by Yzerman), 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.

Tragedy struck the Wings six days after their championship; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, one of the "Russian Five", suffered a brain injury in a limousine accident, and his career came to an abrupt end. Wings trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov suffered similar injuries as Konstantinov. Red Wings defenseman Slava Fetisov was also injured in the accident, but was released from the hospital the next day. The Red Wings 1997-98 season, which also ended in a Stanley Cup victory (another sweep, this time over the Washington Capitals), was dedicated to Konstantinov, who came out in his wheelchair that 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 wasn't 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 and Darren McCarty paid back Avalanche player Claude Lemieux for his hit 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 Los Angeles. During the summer that followed, they acquired legendary goalie Dominik Hasek (the defending Vezina Trophy winner) from a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, and landed left-wing Luc Robitaille and right-wing Brett Hull, both now retired, through free agency, and rookie center Pavel Datsyuk joined the Wings from the Russian Super League. The Wings became the hands-up favorite to win the Cup in 2002. They did not disappoint, having 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. Bowman and Hasek both retired after the season.

In 2003, with new coach Dave Lewis and goalie pickup Curtis Joseph from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Wings finished second in the Western Conference, but were shockingly swept in round one by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who would eventually advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing in 7 games 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. 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 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. 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.

In round 2 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after losing captain Yzerman for the season with an eye injury in Game 5, the Red Wings were eliminated by the Calgary Flames in 6 games.

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 Steve 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 due to his injury, and was made up on January 23, 2006. This was the first time in NHL history a game had been postponed due to 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.

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 during the following season.

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 16 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 and netted a goal and an assist in his first game with the Red Wings, ironically, against Chicago. 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 due to the tie breaking procedure of which team has the greater number of wins.

They had 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. 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. 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 1st, free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider signed a deal with the Ducks. However, Detroit filled the void by immediately signing former New Jersey Devil and Michigan native Brian Rafalski to a 5-year deal. 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 17 games, setting a club record.


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