Darren McCarty
McCarty stretching before a game during his short tenure with Calgary
Born	(1972-04-01) April 1, 1972 (age 40) Burnaby, BC, CAN
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Calgary Flames
NHL Draft	46th overall, 1992 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1992–2009

Darren McCarty (born April 1, 1972) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward, best known for his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). McCarty has been known more for his fists than his scoring ability, taking on the role of the Red Wings enforcer most of his career, a role in which he won four Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008, the last of which after resurrecting his career in the Red Wings minor league system.

McCarty spent much of his childhood growing up in the small town of Leamington, Ontario playing minor hockey for the Southpoint Capitals (OMHA) minor teams.

Playing career[link]

Detroit Red Wings[link]

Drafted in the 2nd round, 49th overall, by the Red Wings in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, McCarty scored 26 points in his rookie season as the Wings won the Central Division title. In the 1996–97 NHL season, McCarty scored a career best 19 goals and 42 points as the Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. McCarty scored the Cup-clinching goal in Game 4. This goal, scored on an inside-outside move around a Flyers' defenseman (Janne Niinimaa), and goalie (Ron Hextall), was honored as one of the best goals of the year. [1]

From the 1997–98 season until his departure from the team, McCarty was part of Detroit's famous Grind Line with center Kris Draper and winger Kirk Maltby, which was often matched up against the opponent's top offensive line.

One of McCarty's most infamous moments was in the famous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997, where a massive brawl broke out between the Colorado Avalanche and Red Wings. McCarty fought Avalanche right winger Claude Lemieux with a blistering punch, and continued punching Lemieux while Lemieux "turtled" his body to avoid damage. The fight was also considered what had broken the curse over the Red Wings, as they went on to win their first Stanley cup in over 40 years. McCarty also scored the overtime winning goal to make it 6-5.

In the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, McCarty registered his first hat-trick in Game One of the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche's Patrick Roy. McCarty scored four goals in the series, a career best. Detroit won the series and eventually a third Stanley Cup in six years.

Calgary Flames[link]

After 11 seasons with the Red Wings, McCarty and the team parted ways as the lockout canceled the 2004–05 NHL season. McCarty's contract was bought out by the Red Wings as a result of the newly implemented salary cap. He then signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames on August 2, 2005. He scored seven goals for the Flames during the regular season. He scored the overtime winning goal in Game 1 of the Flames first round series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a series Calgary would eventually lose in 7 games. In the 2006–07 season, McCarty appeared in only 32 games and for the first time in his career, failed to score a point.

Flint Generals[link]

On December 31, 2007, the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League announced that McCarty had signed with the team.^[1] The Generals are co-owned by McCarty's former Grind Liner, Kris Draper, who encouraged McCarty to make a comeback to professional hockey.^[2][3] McCarty made his home debut for the Generals on January 12, 2008 and recorded one assist in the 4–3 victory. In ten games with the Generals, McCarty had three goals, two assists, and thirty penalty minutes.

Grand Rapids Griffins and return to the Red Wings[link]

On January 30, 2008, The Grand Rapids Press reported that McCarty would sign a professional tryout contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins.^[4] On February 4, 2008, this was made official.^[5] On his Griffins debut at Van Andel Arena, he tallied a hat trick and added an assist to power Grand Rapids to a 6–3 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.

On February 20, media outlets began to report on Detroit Red Wings manager Ken Holland's speculation that McCarty would likely be offered a contract by the organization. On February 25, the Red Wings signed McCarty to a one year contract. On March 7, 2008, McCarty was called up by the Red Wings.^[6] Facing Nashville in the opening round of the 2008 playoffs, McCarty scored the opening goal in Game Two, a 4-2 Detroit win. The Red Wings eventually won the Stanley Cup in June 2008, McCarty's fourth championship with the team. McCarty signed a one-year contract with the Wings in the offseason. On November 18, 2008, the Red Wings placed McCarty on waivers, knowing he would not be claimed. McCarty cleared waivers and remained with the team. After being sent to Grand Rapids for one game, McCarty was soon recalled. He played 13 games in the 2008-2009 season amassing 1 goal and 25 penalty minutes (all of which came from fighting majors). In late-November McCarty suffered a groin strain which landed him on Injury Reserve. On February 24, 2009 the Detroit Red Wings reassigned McCarty to the Grand Rapids Griffins, following his activation from injured reserve and recovery of his sports hernia surgery in January. He played in 19 games for the Griffins in the 2008-2009 season scoring 5 goals and getting 6 assists for a total of 11 points. He was in one fight; it was against Alex Henry of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the last game of the season and it added five minutes to his final regular season total of 21 penalty minutes. During the Griffins playoff run McCarty played all 10 games and posted 3 goals, 1 assist and 8 penalty minutes. On May 10, just days after the Griffins were eliminated in the playoffs by the Manitoba Moose, McCarty was recalled by the Red Wings along with several other Griffins players. [2] McCarty became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009. In an article that ran in the Windsor Star on July 7, 2009 Wings GM Ken Holland stated that the team would likely cut ties with the 37 year old who was a part of all four of the Red Wings teams that have won the Stanley Cup in recent years. Holland said that the youth in the Red Wings system will be taking his spot. [3] This comes in the same month that McCarty, along with Jiří Fischer, donated his free time to run the Red Wings 2009 Youth Hockey Camp, where youngsters paid the Red Wings organization $299 to be on the ice with McCarty, Fischer and a couple of Red Wings coaches. [4]

Retirement[link]

On December 7, 2009 McCarty officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. This came as no surprise as the Red Wings chose not to renew his contract and McCarty remained an unrestricted free agent, and had already accepted a job as color analyst for Versus. A fifteen season veteran and fan favorite in Detroit, McCarty thanked the Red Wings and Flames organizations as well as the fans for helping him to realize his dreams.^[7]

Broadcasting[link]

On November 23, 2009 McCarty made his debut as an NHL Analyst for Versus. McCarty makes occasional appearances on the Versus post game show, Hockey Central. McCarty currently serves as a fill-in co-host on WXYT-FM in Detroit.

McCarty appeared on the January 24, 2012 episode of the truTV reality series Hardcore Pawn, where he appeared with a friend that was trying to sell an alligator hide. Later, American Jewelry and Loan owners Les and Seth Gold and tru TV hired McCarty to do some cameo appearances on the show.

Personal life[link]

Darren's father, Craig was diagnosed with the multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow and blood, in 1995 at age 46. In 1997, Darren McCarty established the McCarty Cancer Foundation as a Father's Day gift to Craig. The foundation's goal is to raise funds to finance research which offers significant promise in the search for a cure of this terminal cancer. It is headed by Craig’s wife Roberta McCarty, who serves as president. Craig lost his battle on November 24, 1999.^[8]

McCarty has been to rehab four times, for undisclosed substance-abuse issues.^[9] During the offseason, he is the lead singer for hard rock band "Grinder" which has been in hiatus with the sudden passing of their beloved bass player and friend, James B. Anders from cardiomyopathy.

He is left-handed.^[10] He appeared on the 2005 ESPN game show "Teammates" with his teammate on the Red Wings at the time, Brendan Shanahan.

McCarty is divorced from his first wife Cheryl Richards with whom he has four children: Griffin, Emerson, Avery, and Gracyn. He plays a very active role in their lives. On April 2, 2012, a day after his 40th birthday, Darren married his long time girlfriend, Sheryl Sirmons at a surprise ceremony he had set up on Clearwater Beach in Florida. Sheryl is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Trauma nurse in the Detroit area. They reside in Royal Oak, MI.

Awards[link]

• 1992: Ontario Hockey League First All-Star Team
• 1992: Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy
• 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008: Won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings
• 1998: ESPY Award NHL Play of the Year^[11]
• 2003 Named the winner of the NHL Foundation Player Award

Career statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Darren McCarty's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Detroit Red Wings profile page
• Darren McCarty - ESPY Nominated Goal on Youtube
• McCarty vs. Lemieux on Youtube

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2009)

Look up Darren in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Darren a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from a Gaelic surname meaning "great", or from an anglicization of the Irish firstname Darragh or Dáire meaing "oak tree". According to other theories, it is a variant of Darrell, which originated from the French surname D'Airelle meaning "of Airelle". Darren has several spelling variations including: Daren, Darin, Daryn, Darrin, and Darryn.

In the United Kingdom, its popularity peaked during the 1970s but declined sharply afterwards.^[1]

People with the given name Darren[link]

Sports[link]

• Darren Bennett, played both Australian Rules football and American football professionally
• Darren Bent English football (soccer) player currently playing for Aston Villa
• Darren Braithwaite, British sprinter
• Darren Byfield, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Solihull Moors
• Darren Campbell, retired English sprint athlete
• Darren Collins, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Brackley Town
• Darren Clarke, Irish professional golfer.
• Darren Currie, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Hendon
• Darren Drozdov, retired professional wrestler who competed in the WWF from 1998 until 1999.
• Darren Ferguson, Scottish former football (soccer) player and currently manager
• Darren Fletcher, Scottish football (soccer) player currently playing for Manchester United
• Darren Gilford, Maltese athlete specializing in both the 100 metres and the 4x100 metre relay races
• Darren Gough, English cricketer
• Darren Huckerby, English former football (soccer) player
• Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league player
• Darren Lange, freestyle swimmer from Australia
• Darren Mackie Scottish football (soccer) player currently playing for Aberdeen
• Darren O'Dea, Irish football (soccer) player currently playing for Leeds United
• Darren Pang, Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Chicago Blackhawks
• Darren Purse, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Plymouth Argyle
• Darren Ritchie, Scottish long jumper
• Darren Rumble, Canadian ice hockey defenseman
• Darren Sharper, American football free safety who plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League
• Darren Smith, Australian rugby league player
• Darren Turcotte, retired professional ice hockey player

Television, Film, Art[link]

• Darren Aronofsky, American filmmaker
• Darren Bennett (dancer), professional dancer
• Darren Bett, weatherman for the BBC
• Darren Boyd, British actor
• Darren Day, English actor, singer, and television presenter
• Darren Grant, American Film and Music Video Director
• Darren Jordon, main newsreader on BBC 1
• Darren McGavin, American actor
• James Darren, American television and film actor, television director, and singer
• Darren Osborne, character in British soap Hollyoaks
• Darren Star, American television/film producer and screenwriter
• Darren Leadfoot, also known as Shiny Wax, a character in Cars
• Darren Criss, American actor and singer, "Blaine Anderson" in "Glee"

Music[link]

• DARREN, singer-songwriter
• Darren Hayes, singer-songwriter, formerly of the group Savage Garden
• Darren Jessee, drummer for the rock group Ben Folds Five
• Darren Miller, former singer for the electronic group backandtotheleft
• Darren Robinson (musician), guitarist and background singer in the Californian band Phantom Planet
• Darren Robinson (rapper), member of the 80s rap group The Fat Boys
• Darren Wilson, drummer of the Chicago-based indie-rock group The Hush Sound

Science[link]

• Darren Naish, vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer

Writing[link]

• Darren Shan, author of the Demonata series

See also[link]

• Darron
• Derren

References[link]

1. ^ [1]

External links[link]

• Babynamesworld - Origin and Meaning of the Name Darren
• BehindtheName - Origin and History of the Name Darren

Detroit Red Wings
2011–12 Detroit Red Wings season
Detroit Red Wings
Conference	Western
Division	Central
Founded	1926
History	Detroit Cougars 1926–30 Detroit Falcons 1930–32 Detroit Red Wings 1932–present
Home arena	Joe Louis Arena
City	Detroit, Michigan
275px
Colors	Red, white
Media	Fox Sports Detroit Talk Radio WXYT (1270 AM) The Ticket (97.1 FM)
Owner(s)	Ilitch Holdings (Mike Ilitch, chairman)
General manager	Ken Holland
Head coach	Mike Babcock
Captain	Vacant
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' Trophies	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, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.

As of 2011^[update], the Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (11)^[1] of any NHL franchise based in the United States, and are third overall in total NHL championships, behind the Montreal Canadiens (24) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13). They currently play home games in the 20,066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium. The Red Wings are one of the most popular franchises in the NHL, and fans and commentators refer to Detroit and its surrounding areas as "Hockeytown".

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 26 of the last 28 seasons, including the last 21 in a row (1991–2012). This is the longest current streak of post-season appearances in all of North American professional sports.

Franchise history[link]

1926–49: Early years[link]

Following the 1926 Stanley Cup playoffs, during which the Western Hockey League was widely reported to be on the verge of folding,^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Since no arena in Detroit was ready at the time, the Cougars played their first season in Windsor, Ontario at the Border Cities Arena.^[6] For the 1927–28 season, the Cougars moved into the new Detroit Olympia, which would be their home rink until December 27, 1979. This was also the first season behind the bench for Jack Adams, who would be the face of the franchise 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,^[7] 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, who had made two previous unsuccessful bids to buy an NHL team, purchase the Falcons. Norris' first act was to choose a new name for the team – 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.^[8] Norris also placed coach Jack Adams on a one-year probation for the 1932–33 NHL season. Adams managed to pass his probationary period by leading the renamed franchise to first ever playoff series victory over the Montreal Maroons. Despite this success, the team lost in the semi-finals to the New York Rangers.^[9]

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 defeated 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^[10] in 1936, defeating Toronto in four games. Detroit repeated as Stanley Cup champions in 1937, winning over the Rangers in the full five games.

In 1938, the Wings and the Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL teams to play in Europe, playing in Paris and London. The Wings played nine games against the Canadiens and went 3-5-1; they did not play in Europe again until the preseason and start of the 2009-10 NHL season in Sweden against the St. Louis Blues.^[11]

The Wings made the Stanley Cup Finals in three consecutive years during the early 1940s. In 1941 they were swept by the Boston Bruins, and in 1942 they lost a seven-game series to Toronto after winning the first three games. However, 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[link]

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.^[12]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[13] 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.^[14]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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 National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA)^{[citation needed]}. As a result he, 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.

The Lindsay deal was one of several questionable trades made by Adams in the late 1950s.^{[citation needed]} 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 Johnny Bucyk to do it. It was one of the most one-sided trades in hockey history^{[citation needed]} – 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 Howe, Delvecchio, Norm Ullman, 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.^{[citation needed]}

1967–82: The "Dead Wings" era[link]

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"^[15] 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.^[16] Harkness was forced to resign in 1973 ending the period colloquially referred to as, "Darkness with Harkness."

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.^[17]

1983–93: The early Yzerman era[link]

In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman, a center from the Peterborough Petes with their first-round pick. 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,^[18] 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 (which as of 2012 is the most recent time they did so). 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.

1994–98: The Russian Five[link]

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 1997 playoffs.

Misfortune befell the Wings six days after their championship; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, one of the Wings' "Russian Five", suffered a brain injury^[19] 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.

1999–2004: Superstar acquisitions and more success[link]

Red Wings McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 in 2002

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 the league. 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 and Brett Hull. Russian prospect Pavel Datsyuk also joined the team. 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 teams split the first four games, and headed to Detroit for a pivotal Game 5. The Red Wings lost that game 1–0, and were eliminated two nights later 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.

2005–2012: The Nick Lidstrom era[link]

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 third most games in history (behind fellow Wings Alex Delvecchio and Nicklas Lidstrom) all with a single team. Yzerman retired with the additional distinction of having been the longest-serving team captain in NHL history.

Nicklas Lidstrom, the former captain of the Wings

The Red Wings opened the 2006–07 season with Nicklas Lidstrom as the new captain. The team 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 11th 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.

A healthier Red Wings team finished the 2010–11 NHL season with a 47-25-10 record and 104 points to win the Central Division title. They earned the #3 seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup playoffs (extending their professional sports record of post-season appearances to 20 seasons), finishing behind the Vancouver Canucks (117) and San Jose Sharks (105). The Wings again faced the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs, this time sweeping them 4–0—making them the only team in the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs to sweep the first round—and again moved on to play the Sharks in Round 2. After losing the first three games of the series against the Sharks, the Red Wings won three consecutive games to force a Game 7, becoming just the eighth team in NHL history to accomplish the feat (the Chicago Blackhawks became the seventh team to do so earlier in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, against the Vancouver Canucks). The Red Wings lost Game 7 to the Sharks by a score of 3-2, and were eliminated.

During the 2011 offseason, Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski retired, citing injuries as the main reason behind his decision. Detroit soon signed free-agent defenseman Ian White to take his place. Long time Red Wings Kris Draper and Chris Osgood also announced their retirement from hockey, with both soon taking positions within the club. Detroit signed goaltender Ty Conklin for his second tour of duty with the team. Tragedy struck the organization and the rest of the National Hockey League upon the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster, which claimed the lives of former Red Wings assistant coach Brad McCrimmon and defenseman Ruslan Salei, who had joined the KHL team during the summer. Stefan Liv, a former Red Wings goaltending prospect, was also among the fatalities. The Red Wings then added a patch to the left arm of their uniforms with the trio's initials.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2012, the Red Wings set the NHL record for most consecutive wins at home in a single season by winning their 21st home game with a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars, and on Sunday, February 19, 2012, defeated the San Jose Sharks to record their 23rd consecutive home victory, breaking the overall record previously held by the Boston Bruins over two seasons from 1929-1930. The Red Wings also made the NHL playoffs extending their streak of 21 straight playoff appearances as the 5th seed. They were defeated in five games by the Nashville Predators.

On Thursday, May 31, 2012, Nicklas Lidstrom retired after his 20th consecutive NHL season with the Detroit Red Wings.^[20]

Team information[link]

Uniforms[link]

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, and the Captain and Alternate Captain's letters have switched back to the left shoulder as of the 2011–12 NHL Season. 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.^[21] 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.^[22] 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 Old English "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[link]

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.^[23]

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.^[24]

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 are 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.^[25][26]

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 octopi thrown onto the ice and that violating the mandate would result in a $10,000 fine.^[27] 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.^[28] This ban, however, was later loosened to allow for the octopus twirling to take place at the zamboni entrance.^[29]

Typically during the last minute or two of games that the Red Wings are winning, especially around the end of the season and during the playoffs, the fans at Joe Louis Arena are known to start singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". The song is played over the PA system and continues until it is muted while the crowd sings the words "Born and raised in South Detroit," then the song resumes over the speakers in the arena.

Home attendance at Joe Louis Arena[link]

^[30]

Broadcasters[link]

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.^[31]

The Red Wings' exclusive local television rights are held by Fox Sports Detroit.^[32]

Announcers:

• Ken Daniels: Television Play by Play
• Mickey Redmond: Television Color Commentator (Home Games and select away 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[link]

Three 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)
• Mickey Redmond: TV color commentary - 1979-1981, 1986–present (awarded 2011)^[33]

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.^[34] Since 2008, John Fossen has joined Lynch in performing PA duties.

Season-by-season record[link]

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.

Players[link]

Current roster[link]

Updated April 16, 2012.^[35]

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
8	United States !	Abdelkader, JustinJustin Abdelkader	4.0 !C	L	25	2005	Muskegon, Michigan
63	Sweden !	Andersson, JoakimJoakim Andersson	4.0 !C	L	23	2007	Munkedal, Sweden
53	Canada !	Aubry, Louis-MarcLouis-Marc Aubry	4.0 !C	L	20	2010	Arthabaska, Quebec
44	Canada !	Bertuzzi, ToddTodd Bertuzzi	7.0 !RW	L	37	2009	Sudbury, Ontario
76	Sweden !	Brunnstrom, FabianFabian Brunnstrom	6.0 !LW	L	27	2011	Jonstorp, Sweden
11	Canada !	Cleary, DanielDaniel Cleary	7.0 !RW	L	33	2005	Carbonear, Newfoundland
29	United States !	Conklin, TyTy Conklin	1.0 !G	L	36	2011	Phoenix, Arizona
41	United States !	Conner, ChrisChris Conner	7.0 !RW	L	28	2011	Westland, Michigan
13	Russia !	Datsyuk, PavelPavel Datsyuk (A)	4.0 !C	L	33	1998	Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union
17	United States !	Eaves, PatrickPatrick Eaves	7.0 !RW	R	28	2010	Calgary, Alberta
--	Canada !	Ehrhardt, TravisTravis Ehrhardt	2.0 !D	L	23	2009	Calgary, Alberta
48	Canada !	Emmerton, CoryCory Emmerton	4.0 !C	L	24	2006	St. Thomas, Ontario
52	Sweden !	Ericsson, JonathanJonathan Ericsson	2.0 !D	L	28	2002	Karlskrona, Sweden
51	Finland !	Filppula, ValtteriValtteri Filppula	4.0 !C	L	28	2002	Vantaa, Finland
93	Sweden !	Franzen, JohanJohan Franzen	6.0 !LW	L	32	2004	Vetlanda, Sweden
43	Canada !	Helm, DarrenDarren Helm	4.0 !C	L	25	2005	St. Andrews, Manitoba
96	Sweden !	Holmstrom, TomasTomas Holmstrom	7.0 !RW	L	39	1994	Piteå, Sweden
35	United States !	Howard, JimmyJimmy Howard	1.0 !G	L	28	2003	Ogdensburg, New York
26	Czech Republic !	Hudler, JiriJiri Hudler	6.0 !LW	L	28	2010	Olomouc, Czechoslovakia
37	United States !	Janik, DougDoug Janik	2.0 !D	L	32	2009	Agawam, Massachusetts
4	Czech Republic !	Kindl, JakubJakub Kindl	2.0 !D	L	25	2005	Šumperk, Czechoslovakia
55	Sweden !	Kronwall, NiklasNiklas Kronwall (A)	2.0 !D	L	31	2000	Stockholm, Sweden
25	United States !	Lashoff, BrianBrian Lashoff	2.0 !D	L	21	2008	Albany, New York
31	Canada !	MacDonald, JoeyJoey MacDonald	1.0 !G	L	32	2010	Pictou, Nova Scotia
38	United States !	McCollum, ThomasThomas McCollum	1.0 !G	L	22	2008	Cambria, New York
20	United States !	Miller, DrewDrew Miller	6.0 !LW	L	28	2009	Dover, New Jersey
39	Slovenia !	Mursak, JanJan Mursak	6.0 !LW	R	24	2006	Maribor, Yugoslavia
14	Sweden !	Nyquist, GustavGustav Nyquist	4.0 !C	L	22	2008	Halmstad, Sweden
59	Canada !	Pare, FrancisFrancis Pare	4.0 !C	R	24	2009	LeMoyne, Quebec
27	Canada !	Quincey, KyleKyle Quincey	2.0 !D	L	26	2012	Kitchener, Ontario
15	Canada !	Sheahan, RileyRiley Sheahan	4.0 !C	L	20	2010	St. Catharines, Ontario
2	Canada !	Smith, BrendanBrendan Smith	2.0 !D	L	23	2007	Toronto, Ontario
23	Canada !	Stuart, BradBrad Stuart	2.0 !D	L	32	2008	Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
21	Slovakia !	Tatar, TomasTomas Tatar	6.0 !LW	L	21	2009	Ilava, Czechoslovakia
18	Canada !	White, IanIan White	2.0 !D	R	28	2011	Steinbach, Manitoba
40	Sweden !	Zetterberg, HenrikHenrik Zetterberg (A)	6.2 !LW/C	L	31	1999	Njurunda, Sweden

Team captains[link]

All the players who have served as team captain with the Detroit franchise.^[36]

Honored members[link]

Hall of Famers:
Players

Builders

• Jack Adams, Head coach, 1927–1947, inducted 1959
• Al Arbour, played for Detroit 1953–1954 & 1956–1958, inducted 1996
• Scotty Bowman, Head coach, 1993–2002, inducted in 1991
• Murray Costello, played for Detroit 1955–1956, inducted 2005
• Jim Devellano, Executive, 1982–present, inducted 2010
• Mike Ilitch, Owner, 1982–present, inducted 2003
• Tommy Ivan, Head coach, 1947–1954, inducted 1974
• Bruce Norris, Owner, 1955–1982, inducted 1969
• James E. Norris, Owner, 1932–1952, inducted 1958
• James D. Norris, Executive, 1932–1966, inducted 1962
• Bud Poile, played for Detroit 1948–1949, inducted 1990
• Carl Voss, played for Detroit 1932–1933, inducted 1974
• John A. Ziegler Jr., Owner, inducted 1987

Numbers out of circulation[link]

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.^[37]
• 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[link]

Franchise scoring leaders[link]

These players rank in the top ten in franchise history for goals, assists, and/or points as of the end of the 2011-12 season. Since it is possible to rank in one category but not others there are more than ten players listed in each table.^[38] Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.

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

NHL awards and trophies[link]

Franchise individual records[link]

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)
• Longest home win streak in NHL history: 23 games (November 5, 2011 to February 19, 2012)

See also[link]

Metro Detroit portal

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

References[link]