Detroit Red Wings: Four More For the Rafters in Motown

The Detroit Red Wings franchise continues to be a historic one. An original six franchise, with many different superstar players dawning the winged wheel along the way. Here, we talk about four more numbers that have “rafter” potential.

The Detroit Red Wings continue to keep their jersey retirement to a very prestigious club.  They will not just retire any jersey in Motown. You have to be more than just a superstar player, most of all you need to produce championships.

The Ilitch family continues to keep this group of numbers retired almost to a minimum.  That goes for the Detroit Red Wings along with the Detroit Tigers.   Once your jersey hangs over the ice at Little Caesars Arena, or your number is painted on the brick wall in center field at Comerica Park, you know you’re in “elite” company.

Having it this way, makes the honor even more spectacular for the athlete who looks skyward to see his sweater, along with just over a handful of others hanging motionless from the rafters.  Near the retired jerseys, sharing a common ceiling space, you’ll be sure to find a corresponding championship banner.

The Detroit Red Wings organization currently has seven jerseys retired throughout their remarkable history.  Terry Sawchuk (1), Nicklas Lidstrom (5), Ted Lindsay (7), Gordie Howe (9), Alex Delvecchio (10), Sid Abel (12) and Steve Yzerman (19).

The Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers both owned by the estate of Mike Ilitch and Ilitch Holdings Inc, have become somewhat stubborn with who gets their number retired for both franchises.

What about Lou Whitaker?  Sweet Lou is a prime example, his name and number should be on the bricks and no-one should be able to wear his number 1 for the Detroit Tigers.

Some of the same situations have occurred in the past for the Red Wings and hopefully not a trend that continues in the future.  We make a case for four additional players that we feel deserve the honor to have their jersey suspended above the Detroit Red Wings ice for eternity.

The Detroit Red Wings need to get this right.  Sergei Fedorov‘s number 91 deserves to hang alongside the likes of, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom in the rafters of Little Caesars Arena.

The dynamic forward was extremely important to the Detroit Red Wing’s franchise throughout his glorious 13 year Red Wing career.  The word “Dynamic” doesn’t even fully explain Fedorov’s complete talent.

Remember, Fedorov wore those white Nike skates, yeah everyone wanted those. Sergei became the Red Wings version of the “Russian Rocket” which they use to call Pavel Bure in Vancouver.

The kids and teenagers from the Detroit area and anyone who watched Fedorov play for that matter, couldn’t tug on their parent’s pant leg enough until they would finally see a similar skate in their equipment bag.

I can say with complete confidence; the Detroit Red Wings wouldn’t have been as successful as they were through the 1990’s and early 2000’s without Sergei Fedorov.

Fedorov was Steve Yzerman’s permanent sidekick.  He became what Mark Messier was to Wayne Gretzky,  what Evgeni Malkin is to Sidney Crosby.  Another local example could be used; what Pavel Datsyuk was to Henrik Zetterberg.

Sergei Fedorov also acquired quite a bit of hardware along his incredible decorated journey.  In 1993-94 Fedorov won the Hart Trophy awarded to the leagues MVP, along with the Selke Trophy, which is assigned to the best defensive forward in the entire NHL.

Fedorov would go on to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy again in 1995-96.  Another exciting thing about Fedorov which we alluded to his skating ability earlier, he did win the fastest skater award twice in his career.  Once in 1992 the other coming in 1994.

He was an exceptional talent, who would also go on to win the NHL’s hardest shot in 2002.  The six-time all-star has a plethora of awards to go along with his three Stanley Cup Championships.

Sergei Fedorov still leads the NHL in most career overtime points with 27.  This is not recognized as a career accomplishment from the NHL, but it shows how clutch he was.  Scotty Bowman needed help on defense, and he looked no further than Sergei Fedorov.

Bowman mentioned he knew Fedorov would be able to succeed when called upon because he was such a gifted skater.  He would always be able to turn and retrieve a dump in before the opposition could arrive.  Fedorov was by no means a physical presence but could use his 6’2, 200 plus pound frame when he needed to.

In 2001-02, the Detroit Red Wings had that “stacked,” hall of fame team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup.  People often forget Sergei Fedorov was the teams’ number one center, specifically down the stretch for the Red Wings.

Steve Yzerman had a busted wheel that year that cost him the second half of the season.   This would be the second time Fedorov would step up in Yzerman’s absence.  The other was in 93-94 going onto win the league MVP.

Yzerman led the Red Wings in points during that 01-02 playoff run but was in significant pain the entire time. His bad leg limited him to the wing most nights.  Fedorov would play center allowing Yzerman and Shanahan to flank him on a regular basis.  Yzerman finished with 23 points and Fedorov with 19.  Sergei averaged over 22 minutes a night during the playoff run and was exceptional down the stretch.

Sergei Fedorov ranks 10th in all-time Red Wings games played with 908.  Sergei recorded a fourth best points per game in Red Wings history at 1.05.  He’s fourth in goals with 400, seventh in assists with 554.  Fedorov ranks sixth in all-time Red Wings points totaling 954.  The icing on the cake, Fedorov ranks third with 79 game-winning goals, and second with 31 shorthanded goals.

It’s time for the Detroit Red Wings as an organization and the fans for that matter, to get over Sergei Fedorov’s contract dispute of 1998 and get his number 91 up where it belongs,  in the rafters.

Pavel Datsyuk was the definition of stick handling in a phone booth.  The star player often referred to as the “Magic Man” never seemed to disappoint.  Datsyuk had such a crafty playmaking style that would keep fans and players on the edge of their seat.  You never knew what he was going to do, or try to do next.

When all else failed, Pavel could lower his shoulder and run you over just when you expected him to stickhandle around you.  Datsyuk became an extraordinary player that the Detroit Red Wings found in the 6th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Level Draft.

Pavel Datsyuk was a part of two Stanley Cup Championships with the Detroit Red Wings. A much more significant impact as a top two forward in his second go-round, rather than as a bottom three forward during his first championship. Datsyuk, for much of his rookie season, centered a line with the great Brett Hull and Boyd Devereaux but played sparingly in the playoffs.

Pavel’s first season, although ended with a Stanley Cup ring, was more of a learning experience.  Pavel recorded 35 points in 70 regular season games.  During the playoff run, he only played just over 10 minutes a game recording 6 points in 21 contests.

Datsyuk started to produce like a star in his second season 51 points in 64 games.  He would never look back on his way to what will inevitably be a Hall Of Fame career.

Pavel Datsyuk would go onto win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in four consecutive seasons from 05-06 to 08-09.  The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to the NHL player who best exhibits sportsmanship combined with a high standard of playing ability.

The Magic Man would also win the Frank J. Selke Trophy in three consecutive seasons spanning from 07-08 to 09-10.

Number 13 for the Detroit Red Wings was never going to win the fastest skater award or the hardest shot like Fedorov.  Datsyuk crafted his style in a way the NHL didn’t exactly see, his puck skills and stick handling was second to none.

Pavel Datsyuk ranks on the DRW all-time scoring lists as follows; 8th in game-winning goals (51), sixth in assists (604), 7th in total points (918) and 9th in games played with 953.  A neat fact Datsyuk is one of two players to ever wear number 13 for the Detroit Red Wings.  The other being fellow Russian Slava Kozlov.

Datsyuk stickhandled while he skated like he was in cruise control gliding down a Motor city freeway.  His unselfishness, passing ability and willingness to buy into the Red Wing style, as the great centers before him, being an elite “two-way” player should not be forgotten.

Like Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Datsyuk deserves to see his number 13 jersey sway in the rafters at Little Caesars Arena.

Chris Osgood has never gotten the credit he deserves across the league.  The Detroit Red Wings only have one goaltenders jersey retired and that, of course, belongs to the great Terry Sawchuk.

Let’s start off by stating; It will likely NEVER happen, but if it did occur one day it wouldn’t be the worst idea, to have number 30 retired.

Chris Osgood to some peoples’ surprise faced the most shots in Detroit Red Wings history.  Nearly 3000 more than Sawchuk.  Osgood finished second with 317 wins in a Red Wings jersey.  33 behind Sawchuk.  Terry Sawchuk lost 245 games as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.  Osgood only lost 149 times.

Chris Osgood’s career Red Wings save % was .905.  Sawchuk’s totaled .904%.  Understanding it is a different era of hockey, the numbers may surprise some folks.  Chris Osgood remains second in Detroit Red Wings history with 39 shutouts, well behind Sawchuk’s (85).

Terry Sawchuk had to make saves with his chin, imagine someone taking a slap shot, and you are not wearing a mask to protect yourself.  There is entirely no doubt that Terry Sawchuk is the best goaltender in Detroit Red Wings history. Terry Sawchuk is one of the best goaltenders in the history of the NHL.

The case being built is that Chris Osgood was the second best RED WINGS goalie of all-time.  Chris Osgood was robbed of a Vezina Trophy early on in his career which is of course awarded to the best goalie in the league.  Recording a league-leading 39 wins and having a better save% and goals against average than the winner of the award Washington Capitals’ Jim Carey.

Chris Osgood would win the William M. Jennings Trophy twice in his career.  The “Jennings” trophy is awarded to the goaltender who plays a minimum of 25 games for the team who allows the fewest goals against during the regular season.

Chris Osgood won the Stanley Cup twice as a starter and once as a back-up to veteran Mike Vernon.  The first championship, Ozzie would sit and watch from the bench.  The 97-98 season the net would become his.  In 98′ Osgood posted substantial playoff numbers.  A record of 16-6, .918 Save percentage and 2.12 goals against average.

Chris Osgood was spectacular for the Detroit Red Wings 2007-08 Stanley Cup championship.  Osgood could have easily been selected as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner if Henrik Zetterberg hadn’t been appointed.

Osgood went 14-4 during the playoff run recording an outstanding 1.55 goals against average to go with a .930 save percentage.  The following season the Detroit Red Wings would lose in the Cup finals during the rematch with the Pittsburg Penguins.  Osgood to his credit posted impressive numbers again.  A 15-8 record, 2.01 GAA, and .926 save %.

The knock around the league has always been; Osgood was the beneficiary of the team in front of him.  Osgood recorded winning records for the New York Islanders and St.Louis Blues later in his career before his reunion with the Detroit Red Wings.

Chris Osgood has north of 400 career wins but has yet to hear his name called into the Hall of Fame.  I’m not confident he ever will.  That would leave Chris Osgood the only player on this list that won’t finish as a Hall of Fame player.

In the eyes of the majority of Detroit Red Wings fans, Chis Osgood is a Hall of Fame goaltender.  He was anything but flashy in goal.  He had issues on a couple of different occasions through his career.  He was beaten multiple times with a slap shot from the center ice area.

Chris Osgood did score an empty net goal in 1996 while he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings against the Hartford Whalers.

I don’t expect Chris Osgood’s number 30 will ever indeed be recognized high above the ice in Motown, but it’s a jersey many fans would love to see dangling alongside some of the Detroit Red Wings all-time greats.