Top 10 Detroit Red Wings of All Time

Greatest Red Wings

Detroit has a storied history in the NHL as one of the oldest North American franchises and today we will look at the greatest players Detroit has ever had!

10) Pavel Datsyuk

Datsyuk compiled close to 1,000 career points while winning two Stanley Cups, three Selkes, and four Lady Byngs.

Pavel Datsyuk NHL Highlights

9) Red Kelly

Kelly was the inaugural winner of the Norris Trophy and won more Stanley Cups (8x) than any player not associated with the Montreal Canadiens.

Red Kelly won Cup four times each with Wings, Leafs

8) Sid Abel

Abel was the 1948-1949 Hart Trophy winner and helped guide the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups during his dozen years in Detroit.

Sid Abel formed ‘Production Line’ with Howe, Lindsay

7) Sergei Fedorov

Fedorov was the first European-trained player to win the Hart Trophy; Fedorov also won three Stanley Cups, two Selkes, a Pearson, and the Hart, and was the first Russian player to score 1,000 points in the NHL.

Sergei Fedorov Career Highlights | Classic Soviet-era centerman ᴴᴰ

6) Alex Delvecchio

Delvecchio was a brilliant passer, graceful skater, and gentlemanly player. He won the Lady Byng Trophy three times over his career. In addition, he helped make up the famous production line with Howe and Lindsay.

Alex Delvecchio Detroit Redwings – a Tribute to Hockey

5) Ted Lindsay

Lindsay was an absolutely vicious competitor. On top of his lightning-quick speed and awesome offensive skills, Lindsay was known to slash, punch, elbow, knee, and head-butt anyone stupid enough to try and stop him from doing what he wanted to on the ice. Lindsay scored 335 goals in his career and was a part of 4 Stanley Cup Championship teams.

Terrible Ted’ Lindsay took on all comers for Detroit

4) Terry Sawchuk

Sawchuk won the Calder Trophy in 1951 and followed up his rookie season by winning the Vezina and the Stanley Cup the following year.

In the days before backup goalies and goalie masks, Sawchuk played through face lacerations, broken bones, a collapsed lung, ruptured vertebrae, and chronic depression to become one of the best goalies in NHL history.

Sawchuk won three Stanley Cups with Detroit and recorded 351 in his three separate stints with the organization.

Terry Sawchuk was four-time Vezina-winning goalie

3) Nicklas Lidstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom is the best defenseman not named Bobby Orr ever to play hockey, period. Lidstrom is tied with Doug Harvey for second-most Norris Trophies (seven) and was the first European-born Conn Smythe winner as well as the first European-born captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team.

[HD]Nicklas Lidstrom Tribute: Best Moments

2) Gordie Howe

Howe won six Hart and Ross Trophies each while guiding the team to four Stanley Cup titles and retiring as the NHL’s all-time career scoring leader (though Wayne Gretzky has since surpassed him).

Gordie Howe, ‘Mr. Hockey,’ enjoyed five-decade career

1) Steve Yzerman

Yzerman scored 692 goals and 1,063 assists for 1,755 career points and led the team to three Stanley Cups titles. Yzerman embodies everything that makes the Red Wings great.

Steve Yzerman was Detroit’s captain for 19 seasons