Detroit Red Wings
- This article is about the NHL franchise. For other uses, see Redwing (disambiguation) and Red Wings.
| Detroit Red Wings | |
|---|---|
| File:Detroit Redwings.gif | |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1926 |
| History | Detroit Cougars 1926-1930 Detroit Falcons 1930-1932 Detroit Red Wings 1932-present |
| Home arena | Joe Louis Arena |
| City | Detroit, Michigan |
| Team colors | Red and White |
| Media | FSN Detroit WJBK (FOX 2) WXYT (1270 AM) |
| Owner(s) | Mike Ilitch |
| General manager | Ken Holland |
| Head coach | Mike Babcock |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Minor league affiliates | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) Toledo Storm (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 1935-36, 1936-37, 1942-43, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02 |
| Conference championships | 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02 |
| 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 |
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Franchise history
Early days: 1925-49
When the Western 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. Since no arena in the Motor City was ready at the time, the new Detroit Cougars (named in Victoria's honour) 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 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, usually finishing near the bottom of the standings. The team declared bankruptcy. Meanwhile, a rival league had sprouted up as the AHA became the AHL and declared itself a major league. NHL president Frank Calder sought a way to extinguish this league, and James Norris Sr. owned one of the AHL teams, the Chicago Shamrocks. Calder convinced the other owners of the NHL that Norris could extinguish this rival league and urged them to let Norris' franchise merge with Detroit. And so, Norris bought the team in 1932 and merged it with his Shamrocks. The team was renamed the Detroit Red Wings. Earlier in the century, Norris had played on one of hockey's early powers, the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, nicknamed the "Winged Wheelers." Because of the team’s location in Detroit, the Motor City, Norris transformed the MAAA logo into the first version of the Red Wings logo as we know it today. He also gave Adams a year on his job on probation and a handshake. Their first year with the current name they won their 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 5 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. Marty Barry led the team in scoring and Ebbie Goodfellow 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.
The Wings struggled and finished last the following season. They regrouped and made the playoffs again the following year, and 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 had coached the last 15 years without a contract.
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: Rise to the Top
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 being upset by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1951 semifinals, Detroit won its fifth Cup in 1952, with the Production Line of Howe, Abel and Lindsay joined by second-year goalie Terry Sawchuk. Abel left the Wings for Chicago following the season, and his spot on the roster was replaced by Alex Delvecchio.
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 defenceman Doug Harvey redirected a Tony Leswick shot into his own net; and 1955 (also over Montreal in seven games). Also during 1955 off-season, Margurite Norris was forced to turn the team over to younger brother Bruce. 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, helped start the NHLPA and was promptly traded. 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 rejeuvenated and made the Finals for four of the next six years between 1961 and 1966. However, despite having Howe, Delvecchio, Norm Ullman and Parker MacDonald being consistent goal scorers, with Sawchuk and later Roger Crozier between the pipes, the Wings came away empty-handed.
Adams was fired as general manager in 1963.
1967-83: The "Dead Wings" Era
By the late 1960s, the Wings started to flounder and entered a funk that they would not get out of for almost 20 years. Between 1967 and 1983, Detroit only made the playoffs twice, winning one series.
The legendary Gordie Howe retired in 1971. 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). Detroit lost the eldest Howe to 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.
During the 1979-80 NHL season, 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: Return to Respectability
In 1983 the Wings drafted a center from Cranbrook, British Columbia named Steve Yzerman. 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.
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. They repeated the performance in 1988 with a similar result.
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 knotted 62 goals, but the team didn't even make the playoffs. Demers was fired, and the Red Wings haven't missed the playoffs since. Yzerman was joined by Sergei Fedorov (who defected from the USSR) and enforcer Bob Probert, two of the most familiar faces of the Wings in the 1990s. In 1992, the team acquired Ray Sheppard, who had a career-best 52 goals two years later; and top defenseman Paul Coffey. Also joining the Red Wings around this time were draft picks like Slava Kozlov, Darren McCarty, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Nicklas Lidström.
1993-2004: The Red Wings soar back
Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history, joined the Red Wings in 1993. In his second season, the lockout-shortened 1994-95 NHL season, he guided Detroit to its first Finals appearance in 29 years. They were 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. After a third-round playoff loss to the relocated Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques) in 1996 (who won the Stanley Cup that season), Detroit, joined by Brendan Shanahan and Larry Murphy during the season, once again reached the Finals in 1997, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games. It was the Wings' first Stanley Cup since 1955, breaking the longest drought in the league at that time.
Tragedy struck the Wings 6 days after their championship. Defenceman Vladimir Konstantinov, one of the "Russian Five", suffered a brain injury in a car accident, and his career had to come to an abrupt end. Their 1997-98 season, which also ended in a Cup victory (a sweep over the Washington Capitals), was dedicated to Konstantinov, who came out in his wheelchair that night to touch the Cup.
The Wings built up a fierce rivalry with the Avalanche by this time. With the Red Wings beating the Avalanche 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 has 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 Colorado's Claude Lemieux for his hit on Kris Draper the year before. That hit forced Draper to get reconstructive surgery on his face.
In 2001, Detroit, the league's second-best team in the regular season, suffered a first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Kings. During the summer that followed, they got legendary goalie Dominik Hasek 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 came out of the Russian Super League. The Wings became the odds-on favorite to win the Cup in 2002. They did not disappoint, having the league's best record in the regular season and capturing 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 were upset by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in four straight games in the first round after one of the most successful regular seasons in team history.
Longtime Red Wing Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks as a free agent during the offseason. Hasek came out of retirement, and joined the Wings for the 2003-04 season. This meant that Detroit had three goalies, with Joseph and Manny Legace as backups. The Wings also added defenceman 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. Ultimately, Hasek had to call it quits because of a groin injury, and Joseph led 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. He 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 the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Detroit eliminated the Nashville Predators, who had made their first-ever playoff appearance, in 6 games. In round 2, after losing captain Steve Yzerman for the season with a horrific eye injury in Game 5, the Red Wings were eliminated by the Cinderella-story 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 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 (now coaching the Boston Bruins). Deals were not reached with veteran defencemen 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.
The New NHL (2005-06 season and beyond)
In June 2005, the Red Wings decided to let go of head coach Dave Lewis. On July 15, 2005, Mike Babcock, former coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, became the new head coach for the Wings.
In July 2005, due to the new NHL salary cap, the Wings chose to buy out the contracts to and waive Darren McCarty, Derian Hatcher, and Ray Whitney. 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.
Approximiately seven minutes into a game on November 21, 2005, against the Nashville Predators, defenceman 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 cancelled 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.
Manny Legace started his own legacy in October: With Osgood out, Legace became the starter and set an NHL record with most wins, 10, in the month of October. The Red Wings tied a league record with the most points after 14 games, 25 points. They also tied their franchise's record with most consecutive wins, 9.
On January 30, 2006, the Red Wings repeated something not seen since the days of the Russian Five when they started the game against the Minnesota Wild with five Swedish skaters on the ice (Andreas Lilja, Lidström, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson and Johan Franzen).
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 Lidström, Zetterberg, Samuelsson, Tomas Holmström, 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. The Cinderella-story Oilers went on to win Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. The Wings rebounded in Game 4 with a 4-2 win, but fell in Game 5 by a score of 3-2, putting the Wings in a must-win situation. They lost Game 6 by the score of 4-3, despite leading 2-0 after two periods, and the Red Wings were eliminated from the playoffs (joining the New Jersey Devils as the second team to ever lose twice in the first round as the #1 seed since the NHL went to a 7-game format in all rounds). The Oilers would go on, as the #8 seed in the Western Conference, to lose the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
This season also saw Nicklas Lidström win the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the fourth time and Pavel Datsyuk win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the first time.
After the playoffs, Red Wings management informed goaltender Manny Legace that he would not be a part of the team next season, while Chris Osgood and Nicklas Lidström signed 2-year extensions.
On July 3, captain Steve Yzerman announced his retirement, ending a 22-season career, all with Detroit, and 19 seasons as team captain. 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. July 31 brought the re-signing of Dominik Hasek to a one-year deal, marking the beginning of his third stint with the Wings. On August 30th, 2006, the Wings announced the number 19 worn by former Captain Steve Yzerman would be retired on January 2nd, 2007.
The Red Wings will open the 2006-07 season at home against the Vancouver Canucks on October 5, 2006.
The Octopus
During the playoffs, Joe Louis Arena is generally adorned with a giant octopus with red eyes, nicknamed "Al" after Joe Louis Arena employee 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 and onto the ice. The eight legs were purportedly symbolic of the eight playoff 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.
Season-by-season record
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 September 2, 2006. [1]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1926-27 | 44 | 12 | 28 | 4 | — | 28 | 76 | 105 | 409 | 5th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1927-28 | 44 | 19 | 19 | 6 | — | 44 | 88 | 79 | 395 | 4th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1928-29 | 44 | 19 | 16 | 9 | — | 47 | 72 | 63 | 381 | 3rd, American | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1929-30 | 44 | 14 | 12 | 6 | — | 34 | 117 | 133 | 474 | 4th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1930-31 | 44 | 16 | 21 | 7 | — | 39 | 102 | 105 | 429 | 4th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1931-32 | 48 | 18 | 20 | 10 | — | 46 | 95 | 108 | 415 | 3rd, American | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1932-33 | 48 | 25 | 15 | 8 | — | 58 | 111 | 93 | 462 | 2nd, American | Lost Semifinal |
| 1933-34 | 48 | 24 | 14 | 10 | — | 58 | 113 | 98 | 368 | 1st, American | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1934-35 | 48 | 19 | 22 | 7 | — | 57 | 118 | 88 | 375 | 4th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1935-36 | 48 | 24 | 16 | 8 | — | 56 | 124 | 103 | 384 | 1st, American | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1936-37 | 48 | 25 | 14 | 9 | — | 59 | 128 | 102 | 244 | 1st, American | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1937-38 | 48 | 12 | 25 | 11 | — | 35 | 99 | 133 | 258 | 4th, American | Did not qualify |
| 1938-39 | 48 | 18 | 24 | 6 | — | 42 | 107 | 128 | 240 | 5th, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1939-40 | 48 | 16 | 26 | 6 | — | 38 | 90 | 126 | 250 | 5th, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1940-41 | 48 | 21 | 16 | 11 | — | 53 | 112 | 102 | 337 | 3rd, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1941-42 | 48 | 19 | 25 | 4 | — | 42 | 140 | 147 | 440 | 5th, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1942-43 | 50 | 25 | 14 | 11 | — | 61 | 169 | 124 | 371 | 1st, NHL | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1943-44 | 50 | 26 | 18 | 6 | — | 58 | 214 | 177 | 374 | 2nd, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1944-45 | 50 | 31 | 14 | 5 | — | 67 | 218 | 161 | 260 | 2nd, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1945-46 | 50 | 20 | 20 | 10 | — | 50 | 146 | 159 | 298 | 4th, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1946-47 | 60 | 22 | 27 | 11 | — | 55 | 190 | 193 | 535 | 4th, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1947-48 | 60 | 30 | 18 | 12 | — | 72 | 187 | 148 | 593 | 2nd, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1948-49 | 60 | 34 | 19 | 7 | — | 75 | 195 | 145 | 621 | 1st, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1949-50 | 70 | 37 | 19 | 14 | — | 88 | 229 | 164 | 736 | 1st, NHL | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1950-51 | 70 | 44 | 13 | 13 | — | 101 | 236 | 139 | 566 | 1st, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1951-52 | 70 | 44 | 14 | 12 | — | 100 | 215 | 133 | 694 | 1st, NHL | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1952-53 | 70 | 36 | 16 | 18 | — | 90 | 222 | 133 | 645 | 1st, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1953-54 | 70 | 37 | 19 | 14 | — | 88 | 191 | 132 | 814 | 1st, NHL | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1954-55 | 70 | 42 | 17 | 11 | — | 95 | 204 | 134 | 827 | 1st, NHL | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1955-56 | 70 | 30 | 24 | 16 | — | 76 | 183 | 148 | 794 | 2nd, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1956-57 | 70 | 38 | 20 | 12 | — | 88 | 198 | 157 | 656 | 1st, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1957-58 | 70 | 29 | 29 | 12 | — | 70 | 176 | 207 | 758 | 3rd, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1958-59 | 70 | 25 | 37 | 8 | — | 58 | 167 | 218 | 613 | 6th, NHL | Did not qualify |
| 1959-60 | 70 | 26 | 29 | 15 | — | 67 | 186 | 197 | 538 | 4th, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1960-61 | 70 | 25 | 29 | 16 | — | 66 | 195 | 215 | 655 | 4th, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1961-62 | 70 | 23 | 33 | 14 | — | 60 | 184 | 219 | 684 | 5th, NHL | Did not qualify |
| 1962-63 | 70 | 32 | 25 | 13 | — | 77 | 200 | 194 | 964 | 4th, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1963-64 | 70 | 30 | 29 | 11 | — | 71 | 191 | 204 | 771 | 4th, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1964-65 | 70 | 40 | 23 | 7 | — | 87 | 224 | 175 | 1121 | 1st, NHL | Lost Semifinal |
| 1965-66 | 70 | 31 | 27 | 12 | — | 74 | 221 | 194 | 804 | 4th, NHL | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1966-67 | 70 | 27 | 39 | 4 | — | 58 | 212 | 241 | 719 | 5th, NHL | Did not qualify |
| 1967-68 | 74 | 27 | 35 | 12 | — | 66 | 245 | 257 | 759 | 6th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1968-69 | 76 | 33 | 31 | 12 | — | 78 | 239 | 221 | 885 | 5th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1969-70 | 76 | 40 | 21 | 15 | — | 95 | 246 | 199 | 907 | 3rd, East | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1970-71 | 78 | 22 | 45 | 11 | — | 55 | 209 | 308 | 988 | 7th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1971-72 | 78 | 33 | 35 | 10 | — | 76 | 261 | 262 | 850 | 5th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1972-73 | 78 | 37 | 29 | 12 | — | 86 | 265 | 243 | 893 | 5th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 29 | 39 | 10 | — | 68 | 255 | 319 | 917 | 6th, East | Did not qualify |
| 1974-75 | 80 | 23 | 45 | 12 | — | 58 | 259 | 335 | 1078 | 4th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1975-76 | 80 | 26 | 44 | 10 | — | 62 | 226 | 300 | 1922 | 4th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1976-77 | 80 | 16 | 55 | 9 | — | 41 | 183 | 309 | 1332 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1977-78 | 80 | 32 | 34 | 14 | — | 78 | 252 | 266 | 1534 | 2nd, Norris | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1978-79 | 80 | 23 | 41 | 16 | — | 62 | 252 | 295 | 1359 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | — | 63 | 268 | 306 | 1114 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 19 | 43 | 18 | — | 56 | 252 | 339 | 1687 | 6th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 21 | 47 | 12 | — | 54 | 270 | 351 | 1250 | 6th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 21 | 44 | 15 | — | 57 | 263 | 344 | 1064 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 31 | 42 | 7 | — | 69 | 298 | 323 | 1546 | 3rd, Norris | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 27 | 41 | 12 | — | 66 | 313 | 357 | 1741 | 3rd, Norris | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 17 | 57 | 6 | — | 40 | 266 | 415 | 2393 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 34 | 36 | 10 | — | 78 | 260 | 274 | 2209 | 2nd, Norris | Lost Conference Final |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | — | 93 | 322 | 269 | 2391 | 1st, Norris | Lost Conference Final |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 34 | 34 | 12 | — | 80 | 313 | 316 | 2245 | 1st, Norris | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 28 | 38 | 14 | — | 70 | 288 | 323 | 2140 | 5th, Norris | Did not qualify |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | — | 76 | 273 | 298 | 1940 | 3rd, Norris | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 43 | 25 | 12 | — | 98 | 320 | 256 | 2078 | 1st, Norris | Lost Division Final |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 47 | 28 | 9 | — | 103 | 369 | 280 | 1832 | 2nd, Norris | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 46 | 30 | 8 | — | 100 | 356 | 275 | 1775 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 1994-951 | 48 | 33 | 11 | 4 | — | 70 | 180 | 117 | 932 | 1st, Central | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 62 | 13 | 7 | — | 131 | 325 | 181 | 1551 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Final |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 38 | 26 | 18 | — | 94 | 253 | 197 | 1582 | 2nd, Central | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 44 | 23 | 15 | — | 103 | 250 | 196 | 1346 | 2nd, Central | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 43 | 32 | 7 | — | 93 | 245 | 202 | 1202 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Semifinal |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 48 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 108 | 278 | 210 | 1014 | 2nd, Central | Lost Conference Semifinal |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 49 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 111 | 253 | 202 | 1082 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 51 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 116 | 251 | 187 | 1053 | 1st, Central | Won Stanley Cup |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 48 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 110 | 269 | 203 | 1214 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 48 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 109 | 255 | 189 | 966 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Semifinal |
| 2004-052 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005-063 | 82 | 58 | 16 | — | 8 | 124 | 305 | 209 | 1127 | 1st, Central | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| Totals | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
- 1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
- 2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
- 3 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).
Notable players
Current roster
| # | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 
|
Chris Osgood | L | 2005 | Peace River, Alberta |
| 39 | 
|
Dominik Hašek | L | 2006 | Pardubice, Czechoslovakia |
| # | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
|
Jiří Fischer (Injured Reserve since 11/21/2005) | L | 1998 | Horovice, Czechoslovakia |
| 3 | 
|
Andreas Lilja | L | 2005 | Landskrona, Sweden |
| 5 |
|
Nicklas Lidström - A | L | 1989 | Vasteras, Sweden |
| 22 | 
|
Brett Lebda | L | 2004 | Buffalo Grove, Illinois |
| 23 |
|
Mathieu Schneider | L | 2003 | New York, New York |
| 24 |
|
Chris Chelios | R | 1999 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 55 |
|
Niklas Kronwall | L | 2000 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| – | 
|
Danny Markov | L | 2006 | Moscow, U.S.S.R. |
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |
|
Daniel Cleary | RW | L | 2005 | Carbonear, Newfoundland |
| 13 |
|
Pavel Datsyuk | C | L | 1998 | Sverdlovsk, U.S.S.R. |
| 18 |
|
Kirk Maltby | RW | R | 1995 | Guelph, Ontario |
| 20 |
|
Robert Lang | C | R | 2004 | Teplice, Czechoslovakia |
| 21 |
|
Greg Johnson | C | L | 2006 | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| 26 |
|
Jiří Hudler | RW | R | 2002 | Olomouc, Czechoslovakia |
| 29 |
|
Jason Williams | C | R | 2000 | London, Ontario |
| 32 | 
|
Tomáš Kopecký | LW | L | 2000 | Ilava, Czechoslovakia |
| 33 |
|
Kris Draper | C | L | 1993 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 37 |
|
Mikael Samuelsson | RW | R | 2005 | Mariefred, Sweden |
| 40 |
|
Henrik Zetterberg | C | L | 1999 | Njurunda, Sweden |
| 41 | 
|
Valtteri Filppula | LW | L | 2002 | Vantaa, Finland |
| 96 |
|
Tomas Holmström | LW | L | 1994 | Pitea, Sweden |
| – |
|
Johan Franzén | C | L | 2004 | Vetlanda, Sweden |
Team captains
- Larry Aurie, 1932-33
- Herbie Lewis, 1933-34
- Ebbie Goodfellow, 1934-35
- Doug Young, 1935-38
- Ebbie Goodfellow, 1938-41
- Ebbie Goodfellow & Syd Howe, 1941-42
- Sid Abel, 1942-43
- Mud Bruneteau; William Hollett, 1943-44
- William Hollett, 1944-45
- William Hollett & Sid Abel, 1945-46
- Sid Abel, 1946-52
- Ted Lindsay, 1952-56
- Red Kelly, 1956-58
- Gordie Howe, 1958-62
- Alex Delvecchio, 1962-73
- Alex Delvecchio, Nick Libett, Red Berenson, Gary Bergman, Ted Harris, Mickey Redmond, & Larry Johnston, 1973-74
- Marcel Dionne, 1974-75
- Danny Grant & Terry Harper, 1975-76
- Danny Grant & Dennis Polonich, 1976-77
- Dan Maloney & Dennis Hextall, 1977-78
- Dennis Hextall, Nick Libett, & Paul Woods, 1978-79
- Dale McCourt, 1979-80
- Errol Thompson & Reed Larson, 1980-81
- Reed Larson, 1981-82
- Danny Gare, 1982-86
- Steve Yzerman, 1986-06
- Players
- Sid Abel, LW, 1938-52, inducted 1969
- Marty Barry, C, 1935-39, inducted 1965
- Paul Coffey, D, 1992-96, inducted 2004
- Alex Delvecchio, C, 1950-74, inducted 1977
- Marcel Dionne, F, 1971-75, inducted 1992
- Viacheslav Fetisov, D, 1994-98, inducted 2001
- Bill Gadsby, D, 1961-66, inducted 1970
- Ebbie Goodfellow, D, 1929-43, inducted 1963
- Glenn Hall, G, 1952-53 & 1954-57, inducted 1975
- George Hay, LW, 1927-31 & 1932-33, inducted 1958
- Gordie Howe, RW, 1946-71, inducted 1972
- Syd Howe, LW, 1934-46, inducted 1965
- Red Kelly, C, 1947-60, inducted 1969
- Herbie Lewis, D, 1928-39, inducted 1989
- Ted Lindsay, LW, 1944-57 & 1964-65, inducted 1966
- Harry Lumley, G, 1943-50, inducted 1980
- Frank Mahovlich, LW, 1967-71, inducted 1981
- Larry Murphy, D, 1996-2001, inducted 2004
- Marcel Pronovost, D, 1950-65, inducted 1978
- Bill Quackenbush, D, 1942-49, inducted 1976
- Terry Sawchuk, G, 1949-55, 1957-64, & 1968-69, inducted 1971
- "Black" Jack Stewart, D, 1938-50, inducted 1964
- Cecil Thompson, G, 1938-40, inducted 1959
- Norm Ullman, C, 1955-68, inducted 1982
- Steve Yzerman, C, 1983-06, up for induction 2009.
- Builders
- Jack Adams, Head coach, 1927-47, inducted 1959
- Mike Ilitch, Owner, 1982- present, inducted 2003
- Tommy Ivan, Head coach, 1947-54, inducted 1974
Retired numbers
- 1 Terry Sawchuk, G, 1949-55, 1957-64, & 1968-69, number retired March 6, 1994
- 6 Larry Aurie, LW, 1933-1937, number unofficially retired
- 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 1995
- 16 Vladimir Konstantinov, D, 1991-97, number unofficially retired
- 19 Steve Yzerman, C, 1983-06, number to be retired January 2, 2007[2]
- 99 Wayne Gretzky, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000
First-round draft picks
- 1963: Pete Mahovlich (2nd overall)
- 1964: Claude Gauthier (1st overall)
- 1965: George Forgie (3rd overall)
- 1966: Steve Atkinson (6th overall)
- 1967: Ron Barkwell (9th overall)
- 1968: Steve Andrascik (11th overall)
- 1969: Jim Rutherford (10th overall)
- 1970: Serge Lajeunesse (12th overall)
- 1971: Marcel Dionne (2nd overall)
- 1972: None
- 1973: Terry Richardson (11th overall)
- 1974: Bill Lochead (9th overall)
- 1975: Rick Lapointe (5th overall)
- 1976: Fred Williams (4th overall)
- 1977: Dale McCourt (1st overall)
- 1978: Willie Huber (9th overall)
- 1979: Mike Foligno (3rd overall)
- 1980: Mike Blaisdell (11th overall)
- 1981: None
- 1982: Murray Craven (17th overall)
- 1983: Steve Yzerman (4th overall)
- 1984: Shawn Burr (7th overall)
- 1985: Brent Fedyk (8th overall)
- 1986: Joe Murphy (1st overall)
- 1987: Yves Racine (11th overall)
- 1988: Kory Kocur (17th overall)
- 1989: Mike Sillinger (11th overall)
- 1990: Keith Primeau (3rd overall)
- 1991: Martin Lapointe (10th overall)
- 1992: Curtis Bowen (22nd overall)
- 1993: Anders Eriksson (22nd overall)
- 1994: Yan Golubovsky (23rd overall)
- 1995: Maxim Kuznetsov (26th overall)
- 1996: Jesse Wallin (26th overall)
- 1997: None
- 1998: Jiří Fischer (25th overall)
- 1999: None
- 2000: Niklas Kronwall (29th overall)
- 2001: None
- 2002: None
- 2003: None
- 2004: None
- 2005: Jakub Kindl (19th overall)
- 2006: None
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
| 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 | .83 |
| Sergei Fedorov | C | 908 | 400 | 554 | 954 | 1.05 |
| Nicklas Lidstrom* | D | 1096 | 189 | 617 | 806 | .74 |
| Norm Ullman | C | 875 | 324 | 434 | 758 | .87 |
| Ted Lindsay | LW | 862 | 335 | 393 | 728 | .84 |
| Brendan Shanahan | LW | 716 | 309 | 324 | 633 | .88 |
| Reed Larson | D | 708 | 188 | 382 | 564 | .80 |
| John Ogrodnick | RW | 539 | 259 | 275 | 534 | .99 |
NHL awards and trophies
- 1934-35, 1935-36, 1935-36, 1942-43, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1964-65
- Marty Barry: 1936-37
- Bill Quackenbush: 1948-49
- Red Kelly: 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54
- Earl Reibel: 1955-56
- Alex Delvecchio: 1958-59, 1965-66, 1968-69
- Marcel Dionne: 1974-75
- Pavel Datsyuk: 2005-06
- Jack Adams: 1965-66
- Gordie Howe: 1966-67
- Terry Sawchuk: 1970-71
- Alex Delvecchio: 1973-74
- Tommy Ivan: 1974-75
- Bruce Norris: 1974-75
- Mike Ilitch: 1990-91
- Scotty Bowman: 2000-01
NHL All-Rookie Team
Franchise individual records
- Most Goals in a season: Steve Yzerman, 65 (1988-89)
- Most Assists in a season: Steve Yzerman, 90 (1988-89)
- Most Points in a season: Steve Yzerman, 155 (1988-89)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Bob Probert, 398 (1987-88)
- Most Points in a season, defenseman: Nicklas Lidstrom, 80 (2005-06)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Steve Yzerman, 89 (1983-84)
- Most Wins in a season: Terry Sawchuk, 44 (1950-51 & 1951-52)
- Most Shutouts in a season: Terry Sawchuk, 12 (1951-52, 1953-54, & 1954-55)
References
See also
- List of Detroit Red Wings players
- Head Coaches of the Detroit Red Wings
- Russian Five
- Victoria Cougars
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
- List of Stanley Cup champions
External links
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