Detroit Red Wings
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What are the Detroit Red Wings?
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1926, they are part of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). As one of the "Original Six" teams, they have a rich history and are one of the NHL's most successful teams, with 11 Stanley Cups.
Throughout their history, the Red Wings have featured hockey legends such as Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, and Steve Yzerman. The team's success in the 1990s included the "Russian Five" era and more recent stars like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit has been called "Hockeytown, U.S.A." because of the Red Wings' dominance in the NHL.
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Which league do the Detroit Red Wings belong to?
The Detroit Red Wings, founded in 1926, are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit and compete in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). As one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams, the Red Wings have a storied history, marked by 11 Stanley Cup victories. The team is in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference along with the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Due to the team's success, Detroit has been nicknamed "Hockeytown, U.S.A.".
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Who are some famous players who played for the Detroit Red Wings?
The Detroit Red Wings, founded in 1926, are one of the "Original Six" teams and have secured 11 Stanley Cups. Several famous players have contributed to the team's success.
Key figures:
* Gordie Howe: Known as "Mr. Hockey," Howe led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955). He played 25 seasons with the Red Wings and was celebrated for his scoring, puck handling, and toughness.
* Steve Yzerman: The longest-serving captain in NHL history, Yzerman, a center, led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, and 2002). In 2019, Yzerman was hired as the team's general manager.
* Nicklas Lidstrom: Considered one of hockey’s best defensemen, Lidstrom helped the Detroit Red Wings win four Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008). He was the first European to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the playoffs.
* Terry Sawchuk: Sawchuk was one of hockey’s all-time great goalies. He and Gordie Howe led the team to great success throughout the 1950s.
* The Russian Five: Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Igor Larionov, and Slava Fetisov. This group teamed with Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, and Nicklas Lidstrom to bring Detroit back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998.5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How have the Detroit Red Wings performed in the NHL over the years?
The Detroit Red Wings, founded in 1926, are an American professional ice hockey team based in Detroit and a member of the NHL's Eastern Conference. As one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams, they stand as both one of hockey’s oldest and most successful franchises, with 11 Stanley Cups.
Early success in the 1930s, driven by coach Jack Adams, resulted in Stanley Cups in 1935–36 and 1936–37. Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk led the team to further glory in the 1950s, winning Stanley Cups in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. After a slump, Steve Yzerman's arrival in 1983 marked a turnaround, leading to a divisional title in 1987–88. The "Russian Five" era, along with Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, and Nicklas Lidstrom, secured back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1996–97 and 1997–98, followed by another in 2001–02. Another Stanley Cup win came in 2007–08. A move to the Eastern Conference occurred after the 2012–13 season.
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Detroit Red Wings, American professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The team was founded in 1926 and plays in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Red Wings, one of the “Original Six” teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the league’s expansion in 1967, are not only one of hockey’s oldest franchises but also one of its most successful teams, having won 11 Stanley Cups.
The Red Wings experienced early success in the 1930s, led by coach and eventual general manager Jack Adams. The team won its first Stanley Cup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1935–36 season, followed by a repeat victory the following year. These early Red Wings teams featured future Hall of Fame member Syd Howe, who was also part of the Red Wings’ 1942–43 Stanley Cup-winning squad.
Right wing Gordie Howe and goaltender Terry Sawchuk, two of hockey’s all-time great players, led the team to its greatest success throughout the 1950s, when they won Stanley Cups in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. That era was followed by a slump that featured only two playoff berths between the 1966–67 and 1982–83 NHL seasons, earning the team the nickname “The Dead Wings.”
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Detroit drafted centre Steve Yzerman in 1983 and returned to the playoffs the next year. The turnaround was not complete until the 1987–88 season, when, along with forwards Bob Probert and Petr Klima, Yzerman led the Red Wings to their first divisional title in 23 years. The 1990s saw the advent of the “Russian Five,” made up of Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Igor Larionov, and Slava Fetisov. The Russian Five teamed with Yzerman, left wing Brendan Shanahan, and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom under the leadership of coach Scotty Bowman to bring Detroit back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 1996–97 and (without Konstantinov) 1997–98 NHL seasons. Dominik Hašek and Brett Hull, both veteran free-agent acquisitions and frequent All-Stars, were featured on a team that won another Stanley Cup in the 2001–02 season.
Lidstrom, goalie Chris Osgood, and left wing Henrik Zetterberg were star players on the team that won the 2007–08 Stanley Cup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The following season Lidstrom, Osgood, and Zetterberg, along with centre Pavel Datsyuk (who finished fourth in the league with 97 points), helped lead the Red Wings to a rematch with the Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals, though the Red Wings lost in seven games. During the 2011–12 season Detroit won a record-setting 23 consecutive home games.
As part of an NHL realignment, the Red Wings moved from the Western Conference to the Eastern after the 2012–13 season. The Red Wings’ first three seasons in the Eastern Conference all ended in first-round playoff eliminations. In 2016–17 the team’s streak of 25 consecutive postseason appearances (which was tied for the third longest playoff stretch in NHL history) ended. Detroit failed to make the playoffs the next two seasons, and in 2019 the team hired Yzerman as its general manager; he had previously served as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning and was credited with turning that franchise around. However, the Red Wings continued to struggle, and the team did not make the playoffs the next two seasons, both of which were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.