OT: Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees announced today (4pm EST)
Nicklas Lidstrom, who won seven Norris Trophies and four Stanley Cups as a cornerstone of the Red Wings, is a virtual lock in his first year of eligibility.
The Red Wings' blue liner was a Calder Trophy-finalist in his rookie season, and went on to score 264 goals and added 878 assists for 1,142 points in his career.
Only five defensemen recorded more: Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis, Phil Housley and Larry Murphy. All but Housley are already in the Hall, and the American blue-line leader should receive strong consideration again.
Other candidates with a good chance include Lidstrom's ex-teammate Sergei Fedorov and nemesis Chris Pronger.
More info HERE
I've been waiting for this today. Lidstrom is an obvious lock, but I'm honestly hoping Fedorov gets in as well. I know a lot of people feel differently, but it's time to welcome him back and remember how good he was as a Red Wing.
Only Howe, Yzerman, Delvecchio, Lidstrom, Holmstrom and Draper have played more games as a Red Wing. It's a damn shame to keep the boos going.
Those Russian 5 lines were so good. Federov, Larionov, Fetisov, Koslov, and Konstintinov ( I know I probably just jacked all their names up, I apologize) should all be in the HOF
Agree. I was probably too young to care or even know why he left when he did, so I think that's why I never was made he left. Sergei was a delight to watch, and to me will always be as much of a Red Wing as any guy from those teams. So cool looking too in those (now hideous) white nike skates.
I was home after a Navy deployment in 1996, and my wife scored tickets to a Red Wings Game shortly after my return.
Fedorov scored 5 goals against the Caps, the 4th to tie the game in the 3rd, and the 5th an OT winner. The Wings won 5-4; Fedorov scored all five of the team's goals that night. It was a fantastic hockey match.
A few years later a friend of mine mentioned he was friends with Fedor Fedorov, Sergie's younger brother, in the Metro Detroit area. Long story short, I was introduced to Sergei through Fedor, ticket stub in hand.
I showed it to Sergei and he got this huge grin, and said (with thick Russian accent) "I remember this game!"
I was disappointed when he left the Wings. It took the shine off my autographed ticket, now framed and in the Man Cave. Still a terrific game and a genuinely nice guy that happened to date Anna Kournikova. :)
/csb
He was the best player in the in the mid to late 90s. Supremely talented. Probably could've been an all-star defenseman if he wanted to play on the blue line. I hope he gets his name called today.
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Hockey twitter has been raising a stink about Pronger, since he is still technically not retired (the Flyers I believe are still paying him on LTIR). Sorta the opposite of Lidstrom in that he had one truly ridiculous year and then his flame faded a bit, but he should probably get in eventually.
Excited for Lidstrom and hopefully Fedorov as well. Never understood the negativity from Wings fans when he left.
as a purely casual fan, that he left for the money and bright lights of LA. Didn't sit well with the blue collar crowd, perhaps?
I guess I can understand where that sentiment originates, but he was pretty key in winning Detroit a bunch of cups and was on the down swing of his career. I personally had no issue with him leaving to get paid in the sun... it sucked that it was to Anaheim was more my issue, I would have preferred the east.
Drove a Lambourghini, got involved with that flashy tennis chick, and he supposedly really wanted to be the team captain but realized Yzerman wasn't giving that title up anytime soon. So he jilted us for the flashy SoCal lifestyle with the Ducks - for the same $ that we offered him, supposedly. That's what really stung, it wasn't about the money, he wanted to get out of town after all the Illitches did to get him out of Russia. Just kind of bitch-slapped us and walked.
GO BLUE!
for "flashy tennis chick."