The Detroit Red Wings have featured not only some of the National Hockey League’s greatest teams in history, but also some of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. From Gordie Howe to Steve Yzerman, Ted Lindsay to Nicklas Lidstrom, Sid Abel to Sergei Fedorov, and plenty of others in between, Detroit’s is a rich history of some of the biggest names in the game.
But like any team with a history as extensive as Detroit’s, there are plenty of players that fans can certainly be excused if they plain forgot about. Our latest countdown will explore some of those names, and maybe even bring back a few brief memories in the process.
No. 10: Goaltender Norm Maracle
No. 9: Forward Mark Mowers
No. 8: Defenseman Jesse Wallin
No. 7: Defenseman Jamie Rivers
No. 6: Forward Yuri Butsayev
No. 5: Forward Josh Langfeld
No. 4: Forward Darryl Bootland
No. 3: Forward Kyle Calder
No. 2: Jiri Slegr
And we’ve arrived at number one on our countdown! This forward spent parts of three seasons with the Red Wings after several years with their minor league affiliate.
No. 1 – Forward Stacy Roest
Stacy Roest joined the Red Wings during the 1998-99 NHL Season after several years of playing with their then-minor league affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings. Playing in 59 games that season, he talled 12 points (4G, 8A). He then appeared in 49 games the following year, scoring seven goals with nine assists.
He was claimed by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft, and would play a career high 76 games with the Wild in 2000-01, tallying 27 points. His return to Detroit was brief, as he suited up for two games with the Red Wings during the 2002-03 campaign while also playing 70 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
His playing career would finish overseas in Switzerland. He currently now serves as the Director of Player Development for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
