OT - Immortalizing the Perfect Human - Retiring the Wings #5 Jersey on Lidstrom Night

Submitted by Red_Lee on

8pm tonight the Wings put a cap on the career of the best modern-era defenseman. Deep down I'm hoping they lower his jersey over his shoulders and announce his return to the lineup...

 

Thanks for all the great years and Stanley Cups, Nick.

 

 

EDIT - Just a note, I believe the ceremony is starting at 7 or 730 with faceoff at 8. So if you wanna see the festivities, tune in early!

Blue In NC

March 6th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^

There are a ton of impressive things about #5s career but this has to be one of them:

Lidström never missed the playoffs in any of his 20 NHL seasons and in most of those the Wings were a top 3-4 seed.

4 cups, 7 Norris trophies, a Conn Smythe, 12 All-Star games.

Unbelievable. 

 

MGoGrendel

March 6th, 2014 at 5:21 PM ^

wore the same hand-me-down Yzerman jersey in elementary school. Not odd in Detroit, but we were in Chicago at the time (before the Hawks recent success). Teach 'em to troll early!

Adam Schnepp

March 6th, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^

There are things that he did that cannot be measured by statistics. At least, not yet. We're lucky to have had the pleasure of watching him every night for as long as we all did. I doubt there will ever be a defenseman who makes more mistake-free simple plays; think about whether you've ever seen him make a bad pass in the defensive zone.

The goals were great, the Cups were wonderful, but there may never be anyone again who could so effortlessly drive a forward on the rush into the corner. He was and will always be my all-time favorite player.

SECcashnassadvantage

March 6th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^

Vlad and Lidstrom were the greatest tandem on any team ever to play D. We had Fetisov too! Holy Shit! The first pro league was in the UP and the first rink built for hockey was in Portage, Michigan. They played broomball on ice skates and cut the top and bottom off the ball to prevent it from bouncing out of the rink. The broomball game was brought here by English soldiers. The league challenged the Canadian Cup champion years later, but they refused the invitation.

Bando Calrissian

March 6th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^

Super nice guy off-the-ice, too. He lived near me and I knew a lot of people who knew him through his kids, and they had nothing but great things to say about him. I taught one of his kids in Safety Town, and I can confidently say the aggressive hockey genes can be passed right along. Kid didn't lose a bigwheel race all week.

megalomanick

March 6th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^

What's most amazing about his 7 Norris trophies is that he probably should have won 8 or 9 of them instead. He won the Norris trophy 7 out of the 10 years it was awarded between 2000 and 2011. A strong argument could be made for him winning it any of the four years previous to that when it went to Leetch, Blake, MacInnis, and Pronger. He just wasn't putting up the flashy offensive numbers at that point in his career yet. He was far more solid defensively than any of those guys.

JudgeMart

March 6th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^

I personally saw Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Nick Lidstrom all play for the Red Wings. Every time Gordie was on the ice, he was the baddest.  Every time Nick was on the ice, he was the best.  Including when he and Stevie were on the ice at the same time.   

rob f

March 6th, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^

but those three just might be the all-time Best of the Best. 

No, strike "might be" and change it to "are".

Gordie would clearly be #1, though, as I consider him yet to be the all-time Greatest.  Sorry, Wayne, but the concentration of talent in a 6-team league then wins out over what the NHL became by expanding way too far way too fast. 

Gretzky was the better offensive player, but the all-around game, including the physicality, of Howe makes him the best.

 

goblueram

March 6th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^

NHL Network is using the FSD feed too.  Awesome ceremony so far, too many greats in attendance to name, standing ovation for Vladdy, wow. 

Wolverine Devotee

March 6th, 2014 at 7:43 PM ^

Lidstrom is now among legends. Howe, Lindsay, Abel, Sawchuk, Delvecchio, Yzerman and Aurie.

Oh wait....they completely ignore Larry Aurie despite the fact that James Norris retired his number in 1938 and had it on display at Olympia.

meechiganman14

March 6th, 2014 at 10:51 PM ^

I was too young to watch/remember Stevie Y's heyday so of the 2 recent Red Wing legends, I was much more conscious of Lidstrom's career. His accomplishments speak for themselves, but it was amazing how easy he made perfection look. You never saw him panic or rush anything. His positioning was perfect, his shots on the powerplay always seemed to get through and he NEVER made a bad pass or decision. Quite simply, if you need to teach young hockey players how to play defense, just pop in a tape of Lidstrom. He was a true pleasure to watch and it was quite a priviledge as Wings fans to see his entire career here.