Guest Blog: Shane's Detroit Red Wings Dream Team

So Matt and I have discussed all things hockey on various occasions, and recently I offered up a blog topic of Matt’s “All-Time” Rangers line-up. Being the good sport we all know him to be, Matt produced a solid example of the talent that has passed through the New York Rangers organization. Now I’m not the type to make a request of someone, if I wasn’t willing to complete the task myself.

So, with that being said, here is my Detroit Red Wings “All Time” Line-up.

Behind the Bench
William Scott “Scotty” Bowman (1993 – 2002) – He’s been compared to the best coaches in the history of sports. He holds the record for the most coaching wins in NHL history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season (Winning Percentage of 58.2%) and 223 victories in the post season. (Winning Percentage of 63.2%)

He has won NINE Stanley Cups (three in Detroit, five in Montreal, and one in Pittsburgh) No other head coach in the history of the NHL, MLB, NFL, or NBA has won a championship with 3 different teams. Scotty Bowman once joked that “his only regret was not winning a tenth Stanley Cup ring because he has ten fingers”

Honorable Mention:Jacques Demers (1986-1990) – Jacques won the Jack Adams award for coach of the year in 1987 and 1988 while with the Wings, and ties Scotty Bowman for Multiple “Coach of the Year” awards.

Right Wing
Gordon “Gordie” Howe (1946-1971) – Gordie Howe began playing in the NHL at the tender age of 18 as an ambidextrous player. He used a straight blade to allow him to shoot the puck with either hand. Howe has been dubbed “Mr. Hockey” but players who have faced him referred to him as “Mr. Elbows”. He played a very physical style of hockey and it remains a medical mystery how he managed to play professional hockey in six decades. A “Gordie Howe Hat-Trick” is when a player scores a goal, gets an assist, and win a fight in one game. During that time Howe finished in the top 5 in scoring for twenty straight seasons. No wonder he was the boyhood idol of Wayne Gretzky and it was Gordie Howe’s number 9 that prompted Wayne to select the number 99 for himself.

Honorable Mention: Andy Bathgate, Brendan Shanahan

Left Wing
Robert Blake Theodore “Ted” Lindsay (1944-1957) – Off the ice Ted Lindsay helped to create the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA), and on the ice, the famous #7 was one third of the Detroit Red Wing’s famous “Production Line”. With the Wings Ted Lindsay won four Stanley cups and the Art Ross trophy for leading the league in scoring. Despite his small size, Lindsay was nicknamed ‘Terrible Ted’ because of his rough style of play. In 1068 career games Ted has scored 379 Goals, 472 Assists for 851 Points. He was voted to the NHL all star team eight times.

Honourable Mention: Syd Abel, Alex Delvecchio

Center
Steven Gregory Yzerman (1983-2006) – So much can be said about this guy. Stevie Y was drafted by the Red Wings 4th overall after having to ‘settle’ for Yzerman when the Islanders took Pat LaFontaine with the 3rd selection. Steve then went on to 10 All Star games, 3 Stanley Cups, an Olympic Gold Medal, A World Cup of Hockey Championship, a Canada Cup Championship, a Lester B Pearson Award (NHL outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA), a Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP), a Bill Masterson Trophy, a Lester Patrick Trophy, and a Frank J. Selke Trophy to name a few. He currently ranks sixth in NHL history in points, seventh in assists, and eight in goals. Yzerman is the youngest captain in Red Wings history, and has been dubbed simply “the Captain”.

On my way to one of the Red Wings games, I can recall seeing a giant poster that hung in downtown Detroit just outside of the Joe Louis Arena. It was a huge picture of Stevie Y and it read “Born: Cranbrook, B.C. 1965 – Adopted: Detroit, MI 1983”.

They don’t make players like that anymore.

Defence
Niklas Lidstrom (1991 – present) – This guy is automatic. Never makes mistakes, always in the right place at the right time, and clearly leads by example. His trophy case is loaded with 3 Stanley Cups, 5 Norris Trophy’s (NHL’s Best Defenseman), 1 Conn Smythe Trophy, an Olympic Gold, a World Championship of Hockey Gold, and has been voted to the NHL all star game 9 times and counting. Filling in for Steve Yzerman as captain isn’t an easy job, but Lidstrom seems to be handling the pressure quite well. As a defender he’s considered one of the league’s best, but his offensive numbers are also quite impressive as Lidstrom holds a Red Wing record for points by a defenseman with 80.

Leonard Patrick “Red” Kelly (1947 – 1960) – Red Kelly was a gifted athlete and one of the few players in the NHL who played forward and defence. For the purposes of this blog, I’ll focus on his defensive achievements. In today’s NHL we think of hard hitting defensemen like Scott Stevens, and Dion Phaneuf. Back in the early years, it was Red Kelly. This man loved to punish opposing players if they dared to skate the puck down his side of the ice. He played the physical game that fans love to watch and players hate to play against. To say he was tough is an understatement. Nearing the end of the 1958-59 season, Red Kelly played the remaining regular season games with a broken ankle. Despite playing through the pain, the Wings missed the playoffs that year.

Honorable Mention: Chris Chelios, Paul Coffey, Viacheslav Fetisov

Goaltender
Terry Gordon Sawchuck (1949-55, 1957-64, 1968-69) – Terry Sawchuck didn’t waste any time making a name for himself as a professional goaltender. Having played in the United States Hockey League, American Hockey League, and National Hockey League, he was named rookie of the year in all three professional ranks. Terry put together career statistics of 447 wins, and 103 shutouts (an NHL record that still stands today) and he accomplished these numbers in 971 games. Who knows how many more shutouts he might have put up before his mysterious death in 1970 at the age of 40.

Honorable Mention: Harry “Apple Cheeks” Lumley, Dominik Hasek