Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings
2010–11 Detroit Red Wings season
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
File:WCC-Uniform-DET.png
Team colors	Red, white
Media	Fox Sports Detroit WXYT (1270 AM, 97.1 FM)
Owner(s)	Ilitch Holdings (Mike Ilitch, chairman)
General manager	Ken Holland
Head coach	Mike Babcock
Captain	Nicklas Lidstrom
Minor league affiliates	Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) Toledo Walleye (ECHL)
Stanley Cups	11 (1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08)
Conference championships	6 (1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2008–09)
Presidents' Trophy	6 (1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08)
Division championships	19 (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, 2010–11)

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), and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL.

As of 2010, the Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (11) 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. More recently, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 25 of the last 27 seasons, including the last 20 in a row (1991–2011). This is the longest current streak of post-season appearances in all of North American professional sports.

Franchise history

Further information: [[:History of the Detroit Red Wings]]

1926–49: Early years

File:Detroit Red Wings Original Logo.svg

Original Logo of the Detroit Red Wings.

Following the 1926 Stanley Cup playoffs, during which the Western Hockey League was widely reported to be on the verge of folding, the NHL held a meeting on April 17 to consider applications for expansion franchises, at which it was reported that five different groups sought a team for Detroit. During a subsequent meeting on May 15, the league approved a franchise to the Townsend-Seyburn group of Detroit and named Charles A. Hughes as governor. Frank and Lester Patrick, the owners of the WHL, made a deal to sell the league's players to the NHL and cease league operations. The new Detroit franchise purchased the players of the folded Victoria Cougars WHL club to play for the team. The new Detroit franchise also adopted the Cougars' nickname in honor of the folded franchise.

Since no arena in Detroit was ready at the time, the Cougars 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 a part 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.

In 1932, the NHL 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." Norris transformed the club's logo into the first version of the Red Wings logo as it is known today.

Norris also placed coach Jack Adams on a one-year probation for the 1932–33 NHL season. Jack Adams managed to pass his probationary period by leading the renamed franchise to winning its first ever playoff series by defeating the Montreal Maroons. Despite the success, the team lost in the semi-finals to 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 eliminated 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. Detroit repeated its championship season in 1937, winning over the Rangers in the full five games.

In 1938, the Wings and the Montreal Canadiens were the first NHL teams to play in Europe, playing in Paris, France and London, England. The Wings played nine games against the Canadiens and went 3-5-1. The Wings did not play in Europe again until the preseason and start of the 2009-10 NHL season in Sweden against the St. Louis Blues.

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. Through the rest of the decade, the team made the playoffs every year, and reached 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 won the Stanley Cup again 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 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 intra-family power struggle, and was forced to turn over the Wings to her 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 goaltender 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" or "Dead Things".

One factor in the Red Wings' decline 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. Harkness was forced to resign in 1973.

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.

1983–93: The early Yzerman era

In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman, a center from 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, now the captain following the departure of Danny Gare, joined by Petr Klima, Adam Oates, Gerard Gallant, defenseman 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 and eventual Stanley Cup champion 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 again to the eventual cup champion Oilers in five games.

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 scored 62 goals, but the team missed the playoffs. 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 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.

1994–97: The Russian Five

Former Montreal Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman got behind the Motown bench in 1993. In his second season, the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season. Bowman guided Detroit to its first Finals appearance in 29 years, only to be 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. After defeating the St. Louis Blues in seven games the Wings would fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.

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, 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.

Misfortune befell the Wings six days after their championship; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, one of the Wings' "Russian Five", suffered a brain injury in a limousine accident, and his career came to an abrupt end. The Red Wings dedicated the 1997–98 season, which also ended in a Stanley Cup victory, to Konstantinov, who came out onto the ice in his wheelchair on victory night to touch the Cup. The Wings won the Cup finals in another sweep, this time over the Washington Capitals. Despite his Conn Smythe Trophy in the 1997 playoffs, Mike Vernon had been replaced as the regular Wings goaltender during the season with the younger Chris Osgood. It was Osgood who minded the nets for all four games in the 1998 finals, while Steve Yzerman won the Conn Smythe.

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 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. With Colorado beating Detroit in the third round in 1996, in the second round of both 1999 and 2000, and the Red Wings beating the Avs in the third round in 1997, the battles between these two teams had become one of the fiercest in sports. During a notorious game on March 26, 1997, a brawl ensued between Colorado goalie Patrick Roy and his Detroit counterpart Mike Vernon.

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 goalie Dominik Hasek (the defending Vezina Trophy winner) and forwards Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull and Pavel Datsyuk. The Wings posted the league's best record in the 2001-02 regular season and defeated 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 Stanley Cup in five games over the Carolina Hurricanes, with Nicklas Lidstrom winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' MVP. Bowman and Hasek both retired 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.

Longtime Wing Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks as a free agent during the offseason after a long contract dispute. Furthermore, Dominik Hasek decided to come out of retirement and joined the Wings for the 2003–04 season. Joseph, despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, spent part of the season in the minor leagues, but after Hasek was sidelined for the season with an injury, Joseph led the team to the top of the Central Division and the league standings. 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. 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, resigning several players before the 2004–05 NHL lockout canceled the season.

2005–present: New era for Detroit

On July 15, 2005, Mike Babcock, former head coach in Anaheim, became the new head coach for the Wings. During a November 21, 2005, game against the Nashville Predators, defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered a heart arrhythmia and collapsed on the bench. 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. 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 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.

Continuing the shakeup of the Red Wings roster, the offseason saw the departure of Brendan Shanahan and the return of Dominik Hasek, while Steve Yzerman announced his retirement after a 23-season Hall of Fame career with the Wings, having played the second most games in history (behind fellow Wing Alex Delvecchio) all with a single team. Yzerman further retired with the distinction of having been the longest serving team captain in NHL history.

Nicklas Lidstrom, the current captain of the Wings

The Red Wings opened the 2006–07 season with Nicklas Lidstrom as the new captain. The Red Wings retired Steve Yzerman's jersey number 19 on January 2. 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. 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.

To start the 2007–08 campaign, Henrik Zetterberg recorded at least a point in each of Detroit's first 16 games, setting a club record. The Wings cruised to the playoffs, where they faced the Nashville Predators. After goalie Dominik Hasek played poorly in Games 3 and 4 of the series, both losses, head coach Mike Babcock replaced him with Chris Osgood. Osgood had departed the Wings earlier in the decade, only to be re-acquired as a backup in 2005. Osgood never left the net for the remainder of the playoffs, as the Red Wings came back in that series on their way to winning their eleventh Stanley Cup. The final victory came on June 4, 2008, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, by a score of 3-2. This was the Wings' fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Zetterberg scored the winning goal in the decisive Game 6, and was also named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. It was the first time a team captained by a non-North American player (Nicklas Lidstrom) won the Stanley Cup.

On July 2, 2008, the Detroit Red Wings announced the signing of Marian Hossa. From the beginning of the 2008–09 season to New Year's Day, the Wings enjoyed success. Although they finished second in the conference to the San Jose Sharks, the Wings became the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons. On January 1, 2009, the Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks in the third NHL Winter Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Field, beating them 6-4. The Wings entered the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference. The Red Wings handily swept the Columbus Blue Jackets, then beat the 8th-seeded Anaheim Ducks in a hard fought seven-game series. They took on the vastly improved Chicago Blackhawks in the Conference Finals, winning in five games. The Red Wings would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Finals for a second consecutive year, but this series would feature a different outcome. Pittsburgh defeated the Red Wings in seven games, Detroit becoming only the second NHL team to lose the Cup at home in Game 7.

The Red Wings began the 2009-10 NHL Season in Stockholm, Sweden, falling in both games to the St. Louis Blues by scores of 4-3 and 5-3, respectively. They were plagued by injuries throughout the season and lost the second most man-games to injury, with only the last place Edmonton Oilers losing more. The beginning of the season was a struggle for the Wings, with key players out of the lineup including Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, and Niklas Kronwall. After the Olympic break, Detroit posted a record of 13-2-2 and earned 28 points, the most by any team in the NHL in the month of March. This run helped them secure the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Detroit won their first-round playoff series over the Phoenix Coyotes in seven games. In the second round, they fell behind the San Jose Sharks three games to one, before being knocked out of the playoffs in five games. All four games that the Red Wings lost that series were decided by one goal. The lone game that they won ended with a final score of 7-1.

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 (the change was necessitated by the stitching of the sweater), 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. 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 were made for 2008–2009 and continues today, 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. 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, but formerly used by the Wings, Detroit Lions, and the University of Detroit Titans) centered on the chest stripe, but not to be confused with the Gothic "D" used by the Detroit Tigers.These jerseys were also worn for their final 2009 regular season home game, again against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fan traditions

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.

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.

Al Sobotka is the man responsible for removing the thrown creatures from the ice. He is known for swinging the tossed octopi 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. 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. This ban, however, was later loosened to allow for the octopus twirling to take place at the zamboni entrance.

During the late stages of games, especially around the end of the season and during the playoffs, the few fans who actually attended the game at Joe Louis Arena are known to start singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". The lines, "born and raised in south Detroit" are the highlight of the song, despite the fact that no "south Detroit" exists.

Another widely known fan tradition that has emerged in recent years is the increasingly poor attendance of Red Wing fans at Joe Louis Arena, even deep into the playoffs. At every home game, large areas of empty seats can be seen throughout the arena, calling into question the self-titled moniker of "Hockeytown" which team owner Mike Illitch fabricated in 1996 as a marketing scheme. This recent tradition has spawned the creation of new nicknames for the team, the "Red Seats", and the city, "Hokeytown".

Traditionally, Red Wings fans are known to blame any loss on poor officiating, regularly implying that the NHL is employing an organized campaign against the team.

Home Attendance at Joe Louis Arena

Home Attendance at Joe Louis Arena Year Total Attendance 2000-2001 819,795 2001-2002 822,378 2002-2003 822,378 2003-2004 822,706 2005-2006 822,646 2006-2007 822,706 2007-2008 773,696 2008-2009 814,474 2009-2010 781,847

Broadcasters

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, Detroit Pistons basketball or Detroit Tigers baseball. There are several affiliate stations throughout Michigan, Northwestern Ohio, and Southwestern Ontario.

The Red Wings' exclusive local television rights are held by Fox Sports Detroit.

Announcers:

• Ken Daniels: Television Play by Play
• Mickey Redmond: Television Color Commentator (Home Games)
• John Keating: Television pre-game and post game show host
• Larry Murphy: Television Color Commentator / reporter
• Ken Kal: Radio Play by Play
• Paul Woods: Radio Analyst
• Trevor Thompson, Mickey York: TV pre-game and post-game show hosts / reporters
• Jeff Riger: Primary radio intermission and post-game host.

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. During road games which Mickey Redmond cannot attend, Murphy provides commentary alongside Daniels in the booth.

Hall of Fame broadcasters

Two members of the Red Wings organization have received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award:

• Budd Lynch: TV and Radio Play by Play and Color - 1949-1975 (awarded 1985)
• Bruce Martyn: Radio Play by Play - 1964-1995 (awarded 1991)

Lynch called the first locally televised game at Olympia for the original WWJ-TV in 1949. He has remained with the organization for over 60 years, serving as Director of Publicity from 1975–1982, and public address announcer since 1982. Since 2008, John Fossen has joined Lynch in performing PA duties.

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

Records as of April 10, 2011.

Season	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
2006–07	82	50	19	13	113	254	199	1st, Central	Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Ducks)
2007–08	82	54	21	7	115	257	184	1st, Central	Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Penguins)
2008–09	82	51	21	10	112	295	244	1st, Central	Lost in Finals, 3–4 (Penguins)
2009–10	82	44	24	14	102	229	216	2nd, Central	Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Sharks)
2010-11	82	47	25	10	104	261	241	1st, Central	In Progress (See 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs)

Players

Current roster

Updated November 8 2024.

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
48		Jonatan Berggren	RW	L	24	2018	Uppsala, Sweden
8		Ben Chiarot (A)	D	L	33	2022	Hamilton, Ontario
18		Andrew Copp (A)	C	L	30	2022	Ann Arbor, Michigan
37		J.T. Compher	LW	R	29	2023	Northbrook, Illinois
93		Alex DeBrincat	RW	R	26	2023	Farmington Hills, Michigan
77		Simon Edvinsson	D	L	21	2021	Onsala, Sweden
36		Christian Fischer	RW	R	27	2023	Chicago, Illinois
56		Erik Gustafsson	D	L	32	2024	Nynäshamn, Sweden
3		Justin Holl	D	R	32	2023	Tonka Bay, Minnesota
35		Ville Husso	G	L	29	2022	Helsinki, Finland
20		Albert Johansson	D	L	23	2019	Karlstad, Sweden
88		Patrick Kane	RW	L	35	2023	Buffalo, New York
92		Marco Kasper	C	L	20	2022	Innsbruck, Austria
71		Dylan Larkin (C)	C	L	28	2014	Waterford, Michigan
34		Alex Lyon	G	L	31	2023	Baudette, Minnesota
14		Tyler Motte	C	L	29	2024	St. Clair, Michigan
46		Jeff Petry	D	R	36	2023	Ann Arbor, Michigan
27		Michael Rasmussen	C	L	25	2017	Vancouver, British Columbia
23		Lucas Raymond	LW	R	22	2020	Gothenburg, Sweden
53		Moritz Seider	D	R	23	2019	Zell, Germany
39		Cam Talbot	G	L	37	2024	Caledonia, Ontario
11		Vladimir Tarasenko	RW	L	32	2024	Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
90		Joe Veleno	C	L	24	2018	Montreal, Quebec

Team captains

• Art Duncan, 1926–27
• Reg Noble, 1927–30
• George Hay, 1930–31
• Carson Cooper, 1931–32
• Larry Aurie, 1932–33
• Herbie Lewis, 1933–34
• Ebbie Goodfellow, 1934–35
• Doug Young, 1935–38
• Ebbie Goodfellow, 1938–42
• Sid Abel, 1942–43
• Mud Bruneteau, 1943–44
• William Hollett, 1944–46
• Sid Abel, 1946–52
• Ted Lindsay, 1952–56
• Red Kelly, 1956–58
• Gordie Howe, 1958–62
• Alex Delvecchio, 1962–73
• Rotating captains: Nick Libett, Red Berenson, Gary Bergman, Ted Harris, Mickey Redmond, & Larry Johnston, 1973–74

• Marcel Dionne, 1974–75
• Danny Grant, 1975–77
• Terry Harper, 1975–76
• Dennis Polonich, 1976–77
• Dan Maloney, 1977–78
• Dennis Hextall, 1978–79
• Nick Libett & Paul Woods, 1979
  (co-captains)
• Dale McCourt, 1979–80
• Errol Thompson & Reed Larson, 1980–81
  (co-captains)
• Reed Larson, 1981–82
• Danny Gare, 1982–86
• Steve Yzerman, 1986–2006
• Nicklas Lidstrom, 2006–present

Honored members

Hall of Famers:
Players (This is only a partial list as the Red Wings have 50 players enshrined which makes them third for all NHL teams. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens have more players in the Hall of Fame)

• Sid Abel, C/LW, 1938–1952, inducted 1969
• Marty Barry, C, 1935–1939, inducted 1965
• Andy Bathgate, RW, 1965–1967, inducted 1978
• Johnny Bucyk, LW, 1955–1957, inducted 1981
• Dino Ciccarelli, RW, 1992–1996, inducted 2010
• Paul Coffey, D, 1993–1996, inducted 2004
• Roy Conacher, LW, 1946–1947, inducted 1998
• Alex Delvecchio, LW/C, 1951–1973, inducted 1977
• Marcel Dionne, C, 1971–1975, inducted 1992
• Viacheslav Fetisov, D, 1995–1998, inducted 2001
• Frank Fredrickson, C, 1926–1927 & 1930–1931, inducted 1958
• Bill Gadsby, D, 1961–1966, inducted 1970
• Eddie Giacomin, G, 1975–1978, inducted 1987
• Ebbie Goodfellow, D, 1929–1943, inducted 1963
• Doug Harvey, D, 1967, inducted 1973
• George Hay, LW, 1927–1931 & 1932–1933, inducted 1958
• Gordie Howe, RW, 1946–1971, inducted 1972
• Syd Howe, LW, 1934–1946, inducted 1965
• Brett Hull, RW, 2001–2004, inducted 2009
• Gordon "Duke" Keats, C, 1926–1927, inducted 1958

• Red Kelly, D/C, 1947–1960, inducted 1969
• Igor Larionov, C, 1995–2000, 2001–2003, inducted 2008
• Herbie Lewis, D, 1928–1939, inducted 1989
• Ted Lindsay, LW, 1944–1957, 1964–1965, inducted 1966
• Harry Lumley, G, 1944–1950, inducted 1980
• Larry Murphy, D, 1997–2001, inducted 2004
• Reg Noble, 1927–1932, inducted 1962
• Brad Park, D, 1983–1985, inducted 1988
• Marcel Pronovost, D, 1950–1967, inducted 1978
• Bill Quackenbush, D, 1942–1949, inducted 1976
• Luc Robitaille, LW, 2001–2003, inducted 2009
• Borje Salming, D, 1989–1990, inducted 1996
• Terry Sawchuk, G, 1949–1955, 1957–1964, 1968–69, inducted 1971
• Earl Seibert, D, 1943–1946, inducted 1963
• Darryl Sittler, C, 1984–1985, inducted 1989
• "Black" Jack Stewart, D, 1938–1950, inducted 1964
• Tiny Thompson, G, 1938–1940, inducted 1959
• Norm Ullman, C, 1955–1968, inducted 1982
• Steve Yzerman, C, 1983–2006, inducted 2009

Staff

• Jack Adams, Head coach, 1927–1947, inducted 1959
• Scotty Bowman, Head coach, 1993–2002, inducted in 1991
• Jim Devellano, General Manager, 1982–1990, 1994–1997, inducted 2010
• Mike Ilitch, Owner, 1982–present, inducted 2003
• Tommy Ivan, Head coach, 1947–1954, inducted 1974

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)

Not available for issue:

• 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.
• 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

• 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 (Pierre Guite 2nd round (26th overall))
• 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 (Claude Loiselle 2nd round (23rd overall)
• 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 (Yuri Butsayev 2nd round (49th overall))
• 1998: Jiri Fischer (25th overall)
• 1999: None (Jari Tolsa 4th round (120th overall))
• 2000: Niklas Kronwall (29th overall)
• 2001: None (Igor Grigorenko (62nd overall))
• 2002: None (Jiri Hudler 2nd round (58th overall))
• 2003: None (Jimmy Howard 2nd round (64th overall))
• 2004: None (Johan Franzen 3rd round (97th overall))
• 2005: Jakub Kindl (19th overall))
• 2006: None (Cory Emmerton 2nd round (41st overall))
• 2007: Brendan Smith (27th overall)
• 2008: Thomas McCollum (30th overall)
• 2009: None (Landon Ferraro (32nd overall))
• 2010: Riley Sheahan (21st overall)

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 1494 253 855 1108 0.74 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 Pavel Datsyuk* C 662 221 430 651 0.98 Brendan Shanahan LW 716 309 324 633 0.88 Reed Larson D 708 188 382 570 0.80	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 265 Nicklas Lidstrom* D 253 Tomas Holmstrom* RW 232	Player Pos A Steve Yzerman C 1063 Gordie Howe RW 1023 Nicklas Lidstrom* D 855 Alex Delvecchio C 825 Sergei Fedorov C 554 Norm Ullman C 434 Pavel Datsyuk* C 430 Ted Lindsay LW 393 Reed Larson D 382 Henrik Zetterberg* C 325

NHL awards and trophies

Stanley Cup

• 1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08

Presidents' Trophy

• 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

• 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2008–09

Prince of Wales Trophy

• 1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1964–65

Art Ross Trophy

• Ted Lindsay: 1949–50
• Gordie Howe: 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1962–63

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

• Brad Park: 1983–84
• Steve Yzerman: 2003–04

Calder Memorial Trophy

• Jim McFadden: 1947–48
• Terry Sawchuk: 1950–51
• Glenn Hall: 1955–56
• Roger Crozier: 1964–65

Conn Smythe Trophy

• Roger Crozier: 1965–66
• Mike Vernon: 1996–97
• Steve Yzerman: 1997–98
• Nicklas Lidstrom: 2001–02
• Henrik Zetterberg: 2007–08

Frank J. Selke Trophy

• Sergei Fedorov: 1993–94, 1995–96
• Steve Yzerman: 1999–00
• Kris Draper: 2003–04
• Pavel Datsyuk: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009-10

Hart Memorial Trophy

• Ebbie Goodfellow: 1939–40
• Sid Abel: 1948–49
• Gordie Howe: 1951–52, 1952–53, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1962–63
• Sergei Fedorov: 1993–94

James Norris Memorial Trophy

• Red Kelly: 1953–54
• Paul Coffey: 1994–95
• Nicklas Lidstrom: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08

Jack Adams Award

• Bobby Kromm: 1977–78
• Jacques Demers: 1986–87, 1987–88
• Scotty Bowman: 1995–96

King Clancy Memorial Trophy

• Brendan Shanahan: 2002–03

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

• 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, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

Lester B. Pearson Award

• Steve Yzerman: 1988–89
• Sergei Fedorov: 1993–94

Lester Patrick Trophy

• Jack Adams: 1965–66
• Gordie Howe: 1966–67
• Terry Sawchuk: 1970–71
• Alex Delvecchio: 1973–74
• Tommy Ivan and Bruce Norris: 1974–75
• Mike Ilitch: 1990–91
• Scotty Bowman: 2000–01
• Marcel Dionne: 2006–07
• Reed Larson: 2006–07
• Steve Yzerman: 2006–07

NHL Plus/Minus Award

• Paul Ysebaert: 1991–92
• Vladimir Konstantinov: 1995–96
• Chris Chelios: 2001–02
• Pavel Datsyuk: 2007–08

Vezina Trophy

• Normie Smith: 1936–37
• Johnny Mowers: 1942–43
• Terry Sawchuk: 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55

William M. Jennings Trophy

• Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon: 1995–96
• Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek: 2007–08

Mark Messier Leadership Award

• Chris Chelios: 2006–07

NHL All-Rookie Team

• 1984: Steve Yzerman
• 1991: Sergei Fedorov
• 1992: Nicklas Lidstrom and Vladimir Konstantinov
• 2003: Henrik Zetterberg
• 2010: Jimmy Howard

Franchise individual records

This is a partial list. For the more franchise records, see List of Detroit Red Wings 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, 87 (1983–84)
• Most wins in a season: Terry Sawchuk, 44 (1950–51 and 1951–52)
• Most shutouts in a season: Terry Sawchuk, 12 (1951–52, 1953–54, and 1954–55)
• Most shutouts in post-season: Dominik Hasek, 6 (2002)

See also

• Russian Five
• The Grind Line
• Victoria Cougars
• List of NHL players
• List of NHL seasons
• List of Stanley Cup champions

External links

• The Official website of the Detroit Red Wings
  • List of Detroit Red Wings by number