"Detroit" - hockey club: players, achievements. "Detroit" - hockey club: players, achievements 21st century - hockey club "Detroit"

Detroit Red Wings(English) Detroit Red Wings) - professional hockey club playing in the NHL (National Hockey League), one of the commands " The original six", 11-time Stanley Cup winner. The club is based in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

After the first successes of American teams in the NHL in the 24/25 season, the league management accumulated 11 applications from US cities, and five of them were from various teams in Detroit. So it came as no surprise to anyone that the team from “Motor City” - “Motor City” - was included in the NHL in the 26/27 season. The management of the new club did not think long about how and where to recruit players, but simply bought the entire roster of the Victoria Cougars team from the Western Hockey League for $100,000.

Two years earlier, in 1925, the Cougars won the Stanley Cup, and in 1926 they played in the finals, so Detroit's owners expected from the first season to have a team that would be a contender for victory. However, as it turned out during the regular season, the leading players of the Detroit Cougars (the team decided to keep its old name) were already behind their best years. The team, having lost $80,000, took last place in the American division.

The Cougars went through some big changes this offseason. The most significant was the invitation to the post of manager Jack Adams. But failures did not abandon the team - in the first 7 years of its existence, the Detroit club reached the playoffs only twice, losing in the first rounds. In 1930, the team changed its name from the Cougars to the Falcons, but this did not bring any improvement.

In 1932, the team was purchased by millionaire James Norris, who changed its name to the Red Wings. In 1934, Detroit reached the Stanley Cup final for the first time, but lost to Chicago. Wilf Coudet, on loan from Montreal, played in goal for the Red Wings that season. When the Canadiens recalled him back in the 34/35 season, Detroit quickly slipped into the camp of outsiders of the championship and did not make the playoffs.

In 1935, Adams managed to make several successful trades, bringing forward Sid Howe, defenseman Ralph Bowman, goalkeeper Normie Smith, and Boston forward Marty Barry.

In the 35/36 season, the first three of the Wings' attack Lewis - Barry - Auri helped the team take first place in the regular season. During the playoffs, thanks to the excellent play of goaltender Smith, who defended 248 minutes and 32 seconds of shutout in the semifinals against the Montreal Maroons, Detroit reached the final and won its first Stanley Cup by beating Toronto.

In 1937, the Red Wings became the first American team to win the Cup for the second year in a row. This time the victims of Detroiters were " New York Rangers" But, unexpectedly for everyone, the next year Detroit couldn’t even make it to the playoffs.

During the war years, the Wings reached the finals four times, but only won the trophy once, in 1943. Despite the good results, team manager Jack Adams continued to look for ways to improve the squad. In 1945, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel joined the club, and in 1946. It's time for the Red Wings better times in the history of the team.

From the 48/49 season to the 54/55 season, under the leadership of coach Tommy Ivan, Detroit won the regular championship 7 times, thereby setting an NHL record. After losing the play-off finals in 1948 and 1949, the Wings managed to win the Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955, losing the final in 1956. The team at this time, in addition to Howe, Lindsay and Abel, shone with goalkeeper Terry Savchuk, defenders Red Kelly, Bob Goldham, Marcel Pronovo, and forward Alex Delvecchio. And the “Production Line” trio (“Conveyor”), which included Delvecchio, Howe and Abel, had long been considered the most formidable in the League.

In 1954, Jimmy Skinner was invited to the post of head coach. But for 3 years the team’s owners did not live up to their hopes: the team invariably lost in the semi-finals of the Cup. The ill-conceived policy of exchanges and transfers is partly to blame for this, but the management decided to change the coach and invited that same Sid Abel (former partner of Gordie Howe). But during the 10 years he spent on the bridge, he was unable to pull the team out of the basements standings: in 1959 the team did not make it to the playoffs at all, which had not happened for 20 (!!!) years. And after 2 years, the team again has no playoffs. But Sid Abel resisted and led the team to the Cup final three times in 4 years.

And in the 1966/1967 and 1967/1968 seasons there was another failure, and Bill Gadsby was preparing the team for the 1968/1969 season. From that moment on, an era of timelessness began in the glorious history of Detroit: defeats prevailed over victories, and the team regularly did not qualify for the Stanley Cup. As a result, coaches began to change with kaleidoscopic speed. After two games of the 1969/1970 season, Abel returned to Gadsby's place, and although he achieved good result in the regular season and led the team to the playoffs, however, he lost in the first round with a score of 0-4 and again lost his post. Ned Nakness came, but he only lasted 38 matches...

From 1967 to 1986, the Wings made the playoffs only four times.

The year 1982 can be considered the mark of the team's revival, when Mike and Marian Ilici became the new owners of the club, and appointed Jim Devellano to the post of general manager. Devellano did not let his employers down by selecting Steve Yzerman in the 1983 draft, who eventually became the leader of the club and was its captain for many years.

In the late 1980s, under coach Jacques Damer, the Red Wings reached the conference finals, reviving interest in hockey in Detroit.

At the 1989 draft, the club's management again showed foresight, choosing young Europeans - the Swede Nicklas Lidström and Russians Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Fedorov.

After the arrival of coach Scotty Bowman in 1993 and goaltender Mike Vernon in 1994, the 1995 Red Wings reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1966, but lost in four matches"New Jersey". In the 95/96 season, having in the composition the inimitable Russian five Vladimir Konstantinov - Vyacheslav Fetisov- Sergei Fedorov - Igor Larionov - Vyacheslav Kozlov, the Red Wings set an NHL record for the number of victories in the regular season - 62. However, the team suffered a big setback in the playoffs - the Colorado Avalanche stopped Detroit in 6 games of the conference finals.

In the 96/97 season, forward Brendan Shanahan and defenseman Larry Murphy were added to the team, as a result of which the Red Wings were finally able to conquer the top and return the Stanley Cup to the Motor City, defeating Philadelphia in the finals in four matches. Goalkeeper Mike Vernon was named the best player of the playoffs. The joy of victory was overshadowed by a tragic car accident on June 13, 1997, after which Vladimir Konstantinov and the team masseur Sergey Mnatsakanov suffered life-threatening brain injuries. Doctors managed to save their lives, but the Red Wings lost one of their best defensemen.

In 1998, the Wings repeated their success, winning the Stanley Cup for the 9th time, beating the Washington Capitals in the final in four matches. They dedicated their victory to Mnatsakanov and Konstantinov. Captain Steve Yzerman was recognized as the best player of the playoffs; Chris Osgood defended the team's goal.

The club's management tried to do everything possible to win in 1999, adding veterans Chris Chelios and Wendell Clark, but the Red Wings unexpectedly lost to Colorado in the second round of the playoffs in six games, although they were leading in the series 2:0.

In 2001, the club's owners decided to further increase the cost of the club and, despite the financial costs, acquired goalkeeper Dominik Hasek, forwards Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull. With such a solid addition, the Red Wings confidently won the regular season, and then won the 10th Stanley Cup in their history, beating Carolina in the final in five games. Nicklas Lidström was recognized as the best player in the playoffs, and Russian forward Pavel Datsyuk was one of the discoveries of the season. After the victory, Scotty Bowman, who set another record among NHL coaches with his ninth Cup, announced his retirement. Following him, Dominik Hasek made the same decision. The new first number of the Wings was Kurtis Joseph, who had the status of an unrestricted free agent and signed a contract with the team for three years worth $24 million.

Under the leadership of new head coach Dave Lewis, “Detroit” confidently went through the regular season-02/03, taking overall third place, but in the playoffs they presented their fans with an unpleasant surprise, losing to “ Anaheim Mighty Ducks“already in the first round in four matches.

In the summer of 2003, Sergei Fedorov left the team and signed a contract with Anaheim, but at the same time Dominik Hasek returned to big hockey. In addition, the Wings acquired defenseman Darian Hatcher and traded Robert Lang from Washington during the season. Having the highest budget in the NHL of $80 million, the Red Wings, in which Pavel Datsyuk was by far the best, became the winners of the regular season-03/04, but failure awaited them again in the playoffs - in the second round they lost in six games Calgary Flames. Detroit players with the Stanley Cup

The salary cap introduced in the NHL after the 2005 lockout largely equalized the league's teams. However, without spending the usual millions, the Wings, led by new head coach Mike Babcock, again won the regular season, where Pavel Datsyuk shone, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidström. But, as before, the success of the Wings in the regular season did not extend to the playoffs - the team lost in the first round to Edmonton in six matches. This season was the last for long-time Detroit captain Steve Yzerman, who announced his retirement in August 2006.

The Stanley Cup returned to Detroit in 2008, with Nicklas Lidström becoming the champion team's first European captain. The main roles for the Red Wings that year were played by the Swedes - the same Lidström, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Russian Pavel Datsyuk and Canadian goalkeeper Chris Osgood, who selected starting position from Dominik Hasek, who returned to the club. The Pittsburgh Penguins were defeated in the final series.

In 2009, the Red Wings were one step away from repeating the success of a year ago, but leading in the final against Pittsburgh 2-0, and then 3-2, they lost two last matches finals, and lost the championship in the seventh match.

• The team's fans consider the octopus to be their mascot.
• One of the characters from the popular American television series Scrubs, Dr. Cox, is a big fan of the team.
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers are big fans of the Detroit Red Wings.

Unused numbers

Individual records

• Most points in a season: Steve Yzerman - 155 (65+90 in 1988-89).
• Most goals scored in a season: Steve Yzerman - 65 (1988-89).
• Most assists in a season: Steve Yzerman - 90 (1988-89)
• Most penalty minutes in a season: Bob Probert - 398 (1987-88).
• Most points scored by a defenseman in one season: Nicklas Lidström - 80 (16+64 in 2005-06).
• Most points scored by a rookie in one season: Steve Yzerman - 87 (1983-84).
• Most shutouts: Terry Sawchuk (1951-52, 1953-54, 1954-55), Glenn Hall (1955-56) - both 12.
• Most goalie wins in a regular season: Terry Sawchuk (1950-51, 1951-52) - 44 each.

Material taken from ru.wikipedia.org under GFDL license. List of authors here:

One of the most successful clubs in NHL history is the Detroit Red Wings. What achievements and awards can this team boast of and which famous hockey players played on its roster at different times?

The beginning of the story

“Detroit” plays in the NHL, one of the veterans and giants of the League. The team's home arena and base are located in Detroit, an 11-time Stanley Cup winner and one of the members of the so-called "Original Six".

The year the club was founded is considered to be 1926, after it was included in the roster. Initially, it was called the Detroit Cougars, since the team consisted almost entirely of Victoria Cougars hockey players from the WHL. The Michiganders failed their debut season, to put it mildly - they came last in the final table and lost $80,000.

The team owners decided to make changes and invited a new coach, Jack Adams, but this did not help. During the first seven years of its existence, the team did not achieve serious results. In 1930, the club was renamed the Detroit Falcons. In 1932, the team changed ownership and was renamed again - now the Detroit Red Wings. Two years later, the club achieved serious results for the first time - it became a finalist in the Stanley Cup, where it lost to Chicago in the final match.

The path to the top

In the 1936–37 season, after several successful acquisitions in the offensive line, the club became first in the championship and won the Stanley Cup for the first time. IN next year“Wings” repeated the achievement and became the first American club to win the Cup in two consecutive seasons. During the war years, the team showed strong and stable play, but only once - in 1943 - won the NHL's most honorable award.

From 1948 to 1955, Detroit was a hockey club that won the main trophy four times (1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955). One of the “smiths” of the team’s success was the legendary goalkeeper Terry Savchuk. It became the hallmark of the Detroit hockey club. Thousands of fans came to watch his games.

Failures and defeats

The next decade was one of the worst in the club's history - Wings constantly took low places in the championship and rarely made it to the playoffs. Frequent changes in coaches did not bring results, and until 1986, Detroit was a hockey club that reached the final stage of the Stanley Cup only four times.

But this offensive state of affairs did not suit the club’s management, the fans, or the players themselves.

The long-awaited Stanley Cup

Only in the early 90s did the team begin to show competitive hockey. After several successful acquisitions, in 1995 the Wings reached the Stanley Cup finals, but lost to New Jersey. Two years later, they managed to return the Cup to Detroit, after Philadelphia was beaten in the final. In 1998, the Stanley Cup was won for the 9th time. Three years later, in the 2000/2001 season, “Wings” became 10-time winners of the trophy.

It was then that Russian forward Pavel Datsyuk “lit up”. Over the next few years, the team constantly fought for high positions. Nicklas Lidström and Pavel Datsyuk showed phenomenal performances.

XXI century - hockey club "Detroit"

The Detroit Red Wings are still one of the most high places in the NHL rankings. Eleventh and last one this moment, The Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008 after winning a dramatic final series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The following year, the Wings and Penguins also became finalists, but this time the Pittsburghers won.

Detroit is a hockey club where real NHL stars have played over the years. Goalkeeper (1st number); defenseman Nicklas Lidström (number 5); forward Ted Lindsay (number 7); forward Gordie Howe (number 9); forward Alex Delvecchio (number 10); forward Sid Abel (number 12); defender (number 16); forward (number 19).

"SE Internet" presents its own rating of five best teams in the history of the NHL and starts with Detroit in the late nineties of the last century.

Choosing the best lineups in the history of the USSR championships is as easy as shelling pears. Take four letters (three consonants and one vowel), declare universal conscription and point your finger at any player you like. In the NHL, with its drafts, trades and free agents, putting together a super-powerful club is not easy, and maintaining it is even more difficult. But to the one who was able to create such a monster - honor and praise long years.

Therefore, we selected the top five according to strict criteria. First, it must be a real team, which disqualifies those who achieved their greatest successes with one or two superstars (like Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh of the early 1990s). And secondly, this should be a squad that has shone for several years, and not a team of the same year, no matter how bright it may be (sorry, Calgary -89).

The criteria turned out to be objective, but the results, as they should be, couldn’t be more subjective. Today – number five in the rating.

No. 5. Detroit Red Wings (1995 - 1998)

By the time Scotty Bowman's Detroit finally became champions in 1997, the Motor City had been without a Stanley Cup for 42 years, longer than anyone in the NHL. And if in the 80s the Detroiters despaired of expecting anything good from their “Dead Things” (that’s what they called the team then, in consonance with the Red Wings), then by 1997 their patience had already run out.

Detroit should have won the Cup in 1995 when Sergei Fedorov, Paul Coffey and Steve Yzerman were wiped out by the New Jersey disaster. In 1996, with the arrival of Igor Larionov and the creation of the “Russian Five”, the red and white became probably the best “regular” team in the history of the league, setting a record for victories (62) and the second result in points (131). No one in the league had better protection: fast and attacking Coffey, young but already skilled Niklas Lidström, experienced Vyacheslav Fetisov, powerful and intimidating Vladimir Konstantinov. Fedorov, who scored more than 100 points, found time to join the defense, so much so that he earned his second Selke Trophy.

Five players, including 35-year-old Larionov, scored more than 70 points. Goalkeepers Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon were at their best. During the season, the Wings had six streaks of six or more wins in a row. It was a trouble-free machine that crushed opponents into goals. Until she ran into Colorado in the third round of the playoffs. There Claude Lemieux Chris Draper's face almost broke the side of the side, and the magnificent Detroit was again broken by a less talented, but more evil opponent.

The required injection of anger was given the following season when the Wings traded Coffey and Keith Primeau for Brendan Shanahan. Do you know why old Brendan is now the main authority on handing out fines and disqualifications? Because he forgot more about rage and aggression than any of today's youth ever knew. In the 1996-1997 season, the evil Irish bully accumulated 131 penalty minutes - only "Vladinator" Konstantinov and the highly specialized psychopath Martin Lapointe had more. At the same time, with 87 points, he managed to become the first among Detroit scorers, ahead of Fedorov and Yzerman.

This time, however, in the regular season, “Wings” harnessed for a long time and lit up dimly. Only at the very end of the season, when a match was played with Colorado, which went down in history as "Bloody Wednesday", it became clear that this team was built for the playoffs. The massive brawl in the second period began, oddly enough, with a fight between Igor Larionov and Peter Forsberg, and its climax was the beating of Lemieux by Darren McCarthy. The latter then scored the winning goal in overtime. And in the playoffs, Detroit was unstoppable. In the third round, the “Wings” had a blast against Colorado, and in the final, where they faced the Philadelphia “Legion of Death” Eric Lindros, an epoch-making smear on the ice took place. But this time the red and white were the smearers, and not vice versa.

The 1997/98 season turned out a little worse, but was painted in completely different emotional tones. The accident, which put an end to Konstantinov’s career and full life, destroyed the Russian Five. Fedorov's contract strike almost ended with his transfer to Carolina and cost him many loyal fans. 39-year-old Fetisov largely played the role of “uncle corporal.” Future Hall of Famer Vernon left, leaving the frame at the complete disposal of the not always stable Osgood. But it was still Bowman's graceful, academic team with the best attack in the world and a stunning line of enforcers Maltby - Draper - McCarthy. And when Fedorov returned and the time came for the playoffs, “Wings” again left no chance for anyone, winning the second cup in a row and dedicating it to Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov. Having gone from being a super-talented team to a winning team in four seasons, Bowman's Detroit has gone down in history as one of the greatest rosters of all time.

Slava MALAMUD

Throughout the history of the Detroit Red Wings franchise, countless hockey legends and icons have donned the winged wheel jersey. These stars set some impressive franchise records while playing for the Detroit Cougars, Falcons and Red Wings.

Which of these records are truly unbreakable in the near future? Let's take a look at some incredible records Detroit, which will very likely never be beaten.

1. Most penalty minutes in a season: Bob Probert (398 minutes)

In his breakout season in 1987-88, Bob Probert posted a career-best 62 points (29 goals, 33 assists) to make it to the All-Star Game for the first and only time in his life. But what's even more incredible is that he also set a Red Wings record for penalty time with 398 penalty minutes.

It is obvious that in today's NHL this record cannot be broken. The number of fights in the game is decreasing every year, the NHL has abolished 20-minute penalties, and the tough guy type of player has died out as a class. In recent years, it has been rare for someone to accumulate 200 penalty minutes in a season.

Probert can look down from heaven (note: Probert died in 2010) and know that he will forever be part of the Red Wings record books.

2. Most wins in a season: Detroit Red Wings 1995-96 (62 wins)

During the 1995-96 season, they tore apart everyone in their path and won 62 victories (13 defeats and 7 draws). Those 62 wins are both a franchise and league record. Led by Steve Yzerman, Paul Coffey and the Russian Five, bouncing back from their Stanley Cup Final shutout to New Jersey the year before, the Red Wings beat nearly every team they faced. Given the parity of power in today's NHL, it is very unlikely that anyone in the future will be able to surpass this achievement.

3. Highest plus-minus of the season: Vladimir Konstantinov (+60)

Part of the Russian Five that dominated the 1995-96 season, defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov set the franchise record for plus/minus in a single season. His score of +60 is ample evidence of how dominant the Russian Five were on both ends of the court. While that number pales in comparison to the NHL record (Bobby Orr's +124 in 1970-71), in today's game it's highly unlikely that anyone will come close to those numbers. No player has reached even +40 since Jeff Schultz and Alexander Ovechkin did it in 2009-10.

4. Most shutouts in a season: Terry Savchuk/Glenn Hall (12 matches)

Even though the record is shared by two goalies, Terry Savchuk is the real holder of this record. He kept a clean sheet 12 times in three different seasons (1951-52, 1953-54, 1954-55, the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup in each of those seasons). Glenn Hall matched this record in the 1955-56 season.

Despite the lower performance and larger goalie pads in today's NHL, goalies now have a much tougher time playing against 4 lines of skilled skaters. No Red Wings goalie has posted double-digit shutouts since Glenn Hall's season.

5. Most career assists: Steve Yzerman (1,063 assists)

It's pretty impressive when you break one of Gordie Howe's records. Steve Yzerman did it and now holds the franchise record for career assists with 1,063. Yzerman broke Howe's record in the 2003-04 season, his 21st season with the team.

While the record for team longevity may not stand, the record for assists looks set to stand for a very long time.

6. Most career clean sheets: Terry Sawchuk (85 matches)

Considering that the second best result Chris Osgood, who has 39 shutouts, shows that it is safe to assume that Savchuk's record will stand for a long time. During his 14 seasons with the team, Savchuk helped the Red Wings become a dominant force in the NHL, especially in the early 50s. His 85 shutouts with the Red Wings rank him 4th in the league for that statistic. He shut out his opponents 18 more times while playing for other teams. Only Martin Brodeur has more clean sheets in his career than Savchuk.

Terry Sawchuk may be one of the best goalkeepers NHL all time. His record for shutouts in a single season (which he matched twice more) and his number of shutouts with the Red Wings are ample evidence of this.

7. Most career goals: Gordie Howe (786 goals)

There is a possibility that Alexander Ovechkin will surpass Howe's achievement in goals for one team, but as for the Detroit players, there are no such contenders in sight.

During his incredible 25 seasons with the Red Wings, Gordie Howe turned on the red light 786 times, the most goals for a single franchise. Assuming Dylan Larkin scores 30 goals a season, he would have to play until he is 46 to break that record.

Howe's record has stood since 1971 and will stand for many years to come. Other than another Red Wings icon, Steve Yzerman, no one has even come close to Howe's accomplishments.

8. Most career points: Gordie Howe (1,809 points)

Considering that only Jaromir Jagr With Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier surpassing 1,809 career points, it's safe to say the Red Wings' points record won't be broken for a long, long time. Steve Yzerman came very close to this achievement, scoring 1,755 points during his 22-year career with the Red Wings. Apart from Yzerman, no one came within 500 points of Howe. Best players recent years Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg barely reach that amount between them.

Mr. Hockey's time in Detroit may be one of best quarries in the history of any franchise. Red Wings fans are truly blessed to have a player like Howe in their team's record books. And he will be there many years later, because he has set absolutely invulnerable records.

Other interesting articles.

Russians in the history of Detroit. Geniuses and wizards

Draft picks

First round: (2015, 19th issue), Jan Golubovsky (1994, 23rd issue).

Second round: Yuri Butsaev (1997, 49th issue), Igor Grigorenko (2001, 62nd issue).

Third round: (1990, 45th issue).

Fourth round: Sergey Fedorov (1989, 74th issue), Anatoly Ustyugov (1995, 104th issue), Dmitry Semyonov (2000, 127th issue), Alexander Seluyanov (2000, 128th issue).

Fifth round: Dmitry Motkov (1991, 98th issue), Andrey Maksimenko (1999, 149th issue).

Sixth round: Pavel Agarkov (1994, 153rd issue), (1998, 171st issue).

Seventh round: Yuri Eresko (1993, 178th issue), Alexander Kadeikin (2014, 201st issue), (2011, 205th issue).

Eighth round: Anton Borodkin (1999, number 238), Gennady Stolyarov (2004, number 257), Dmitry Bykov (2001, number 258).

Ninth round: Evgeny Afanasyev (1996, issue 241).

Eleventh round: Vladimir Konstantinov (1989, issue 221).

Of course, not all of the Russians drafted by Detroit were given the honor of wearing the sweater of the great club. Many simply could not play in the NHL, realizing that North American hockey was not suitable for them. But there are also diametrically opposite cases. Defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, the latest Russian drafted in Red Wings history, eventually became part of the legendary Russian Five, pairing with Vyacheslav Fetisov. If it weren’t for that unfortunate accident that left Vladinator disabled...

There are other examples of the enviable resourcefulness of Detroit managers during the draft ceremony. The brightest are Sergei Fedorov and. Fedorov played for the Red Wings for 13 seasons, winning three Stanley Cups with the club. Datsyuk became a symbol of the Red Wings in recent years, eventually returning to Russia and signing a contract with SKA. Two brilliant forwards became the hallmark of the Michigan club over the years. He showed himself well in Detroit and, but he was drafted in the third round - above Fedorov and Datsyuk.

Detroit's trump card in the near future will probably be the forward, selected in the first round in 2015. It's a shame that his brother Andrei was selected by Carolina at the recent draft ceremony in Dallas. I'd like to see this pairing on the Red Wings. It is interesting that in addition to Evgeniy Svechnikov, the Michigan club selected defender Yan Golubovsky, who now holds the post of general director of Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, in the first round.

All Russians in history

The biggest imprint in the history of the club was left by the famous “Russian Five”, built by the famous coach Scotty Bowman. It was under him that the five Russian “red wings” - Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, and - were first united into one unit. All these Russians can safely be considered among the legends of Detroit. Like Pavel Datsyuk, who gave American team a significant part of his brilliant career.

Reference

Number of Russians in the history of the club: 15
Number of Russians drafted: 21
Club record holder for the number of games played: (953)
Club record holder for goals: Sergei Fedorov (400)
Club record holder for assists: (604)
Club record holder in points: Sergei Fedorov (954)
Best in terms of usefulness: Sergey Fedorov (+276)
Most undisciplined: Vladimir Konstantinov (838).

As we have already mentioned, it is on the list of current assets of the Red Wings organization. At the end of the “Russian Five”, a large defender, a native of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, Maxim Kuznetsov, played for the Red Wings. Since Maxim was born in the Soviet Union, he has Russian citizenship and he is included in the league’s statistical databases along with the Russians, we also mention him in the material. Drafted in the first round, Jan Golubovski is not particularly praised for; he should have played stronger. Defenseman Sergei Bautin played a symbolic match and was immediately sent to the AHL.

It is worth paying attention to the career of Daniil Markov - one of the most courageous and tough defenders in Russian history. Markov spent only one season in Detroit, and the last one in his NHL career, since Daniil then returned to Russia. However, over the past year, the defender managed to earn a usefulness indicator of “+25” and demonstrate good performance.

Surprisingly, in the history of Detroit there was not a single Russian goalkeeper. Not a draft pick, not in the regular season, not in the playoffs.

Best player of the 1990s. Sergey Fedorov

It is difficult to name a more popular player of the 90s in the NHL for Russian fans than Sergei Fedorov. In 1994, the titled athlete became the first European to win the Hart Trophy, the prize for the most valuable player in the league. Fedorov was admired by those who signed up for hockey schools the boys wanted to be like him.

It’s interesting that the legendary forward turned out to be an escape route in Detroit. In 1990, performing as part of the USSR national team at the Goodwill Games in Seattle, the hockey player told representatives of the “red wings” that he was ready to go overseas. Fedorov told the Red Wings bosses that they should wait for him after the game at the hotel. As a result, the hockey player, together with the then vice-president of Detroit Jim Lights, went to the airport and flew to the Motor City on the private plane of the now deceased club owner Mike Ilitch.

Fedorov had a stunning wrist shot that sent opposing goalies into panic. Excellent hand work, intelligence, the ability to thoroughly read the situation on the court - these are the qualities that Fedorov was distinguished by. In the 90s, he shone as part of the “Russian Five” in the same trio with Vyacheslav Kozlov and Igor Larionov. On December 26, 1996, in a game with the Washington Capitals, Fedorov scored five goals in one match, including the winner in overtime.

The best player of the 2000s.

Fedorov was replaced by another domestic genius at Detroit. The center forward, who worked for the club for 14 seasons, won two Stanley Cups with the team. The forward was distinguished by his outstanding technique and high level of game thinking. The shootouts performed by Datsyuk turned into a real show. In addition to his attacking skills, Pavel always knew how to play defense.

It’s no joke, but according to some indicators, the Wizard, as Pavel was called by the fans, surpassed Fedorov himself. For example, by the number of seasons in Detroit, games in the regular season and assists in them. If not frequent injuries, tormented Datsyuk, he could become the main Russian record holder of the team.

Starting from the 2003/04 season, Datsyuk led the team in regular season points for six years in a row. The Russian won the Lady Byng Trophy four times and received the Selkie Trophy three times. Pavel is a shining example of professionalism and skill. After his departure, Detroit began to have serious problems in the offensive line. There was no one to replace Datsyuk.

Major disappointment. Yuri Butsaev

Butsaev was drafted quite high - in the second round, but the striker did not live up to the hopes of the Red Wings management. The Tolyatti native was constantly sent down to the AHL, where he spent most of his time. For the first team, he scored only 10 points (6+4) in 75 regular-season games with a utility indicator of -9. The result is frankly weak, especially for a striker. It gradually became clear that further cooperation between Butsaev and Detroit made no sense. The hockey player did not fit into the “red wings” model of play. As a result, the forward was traded to the Atlanta system.

Who's coming

The main Russian hope of modern Detroit is the 21-year-old striker. Svechnikov Sr. has already received a chance in the main team, and due to the fact that the Red Wings are undergoing a restructuring, he will probably get even more playing time. Head coach team Jeff Blashill is counting on the young Russian. The next season should be defining for Evgeniy. It's time for him to reach the adult level of the game and become one of the leaders of the great Michigan club.