Red Wings’ 100th season might deliver the one thing fans want most

Well, Detroit Red Wings fans, it’s time to gear up and get excited about a major, major milestone that your favorite team is about to hit. One that very few pro sports franchises in North America have had the luxury to experience. 

In case you haven’t noticed or heard, the Red Wings are turning 100 years old. That’s right, this season will be the Centennial Year, and it looks like the Wings are going to make this one memorable with a plethora of fun events to celebrate its 100th season. 

It’s remarkable that the Wings have gotten this far, since, dating back to the 1920s, pro sports weren’t anywhere near as stable as they’ve become a century later. These days, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry. But in the 1920s? Teams folded left and right. 

Still, the Wings lived on, alongside other Original Six teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings still share a heated divisional rivalry with three of them.

The 2025-26 season would be more than fine to break the playoff drought

When you’ve gone nine, and almost 10, years without making the playoffs, any time is a good time to end the drought. But for the Red Wings, it’d be more than special to break through to the postseason, even as a second wild card, and put this drought to sleep so they can end Century No. 1 in style. 

Yeah, winning the Stanley Cup would be beyond spectacular, but given this team’s struggles, a playoff appearance would be more than enough. Plus, the Wings would need to do a lot if they planned on prying the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Cup from another division rival, the Florida Panthers. 

But imagine what would happen if the Wings clinched a playoff berth at Little Caesars Arena during Year 100. Hockeytown wouldn’t sleep for at least an entire evening with all the celebrations that’d be going on all over the place. It’d be a memorable way to cap off what needs to be a memorable season. 

It all begins at the NHL Draft on Friday Night

While the puck may not drop to kick off the 82-game regular season slate until October, the 2025-26 season begins Friday night at the NHL Draft. There are picks to be made, but there’s always a chance the Wings can improve on the here and now should they decide to make a big move and bring in someone notable to help the cause. 

Someone who will help the Red Wings pull away from the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres (who just traded one of their best point producers), and show the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens that their respective 2024-25 seasons were nothing more than flukes. If Steve Yzerman did that, he’d be a hero this summer. At least in foresight. 

So, I don’t know about you, but if I’m Steve Yzerman, I’m doing all I can to make the 2025-26 season special. Yeah, I’d be doing this even if the Red Wings just had another random number attached to their history. But for Year 100 and a 10-year playoff drought looming, it’s time to up the ante. 

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