Detroit is Hockeytown; there is no debate about that. Through ups and downs, this is still the franchise that has won 11 Stanley Cups, produced legendary players, and built countless memories for fans, not only in Detroit but all over the world. This is still Hockeytown, and being romantic about it is still okay. In fact, it is encouraged.
A Bleak Offseason in Hockeytown
The offseason has been rough, to say the least: the worst offseason for the Red Wings in recent history. The hometown ex-captain Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit, and the team stripped him of the “C” on Sept. 11 after his trade request. Steve Yzerman is no longer the general manager either; he stepped down in September and moved into a senior advisor role, with Shawn Horcoff running hockey operations on an interim basis. Everything feels bleak. In these dark times, most fans will be negative about anything involving the team, and a lot of that is warranted. But let’s open up and remember why we love hockey and the Red Wings in the first place. This isn’t just any other franchise, even in its current state.
Hockey is Art, Even When it Bleeds
Hockey is the most beautiful game. Hockey isn’t always pretty on the surface, but these warriors turn the blood and grit into art. Hockey is a game of unmatched skill and athleticism, combined with a self-policing warrior mentality on ice of all surfaces. Kids and adults play it at their local rink, on a frozen pond or lake, and even on the street. Daniel Alfredsson, while playing for Detroit, once got his teeth rocked by a stick against New Jersey in March 2014, only to pick them up off the ice and carry them to the bench as he finished his shift. That is art. Hockey is art, and my God, it is beautiful.
Hockeytown has added to that beauty for 100 years. The game is a canvas, and the players and teams are the artists. Hockeytown is a creator of legends, legends that some NHL awards are named after. Ted Lindsay, Jack Adams, and James Norris. All three were pillars not only to Detroit but to hockey as a sport. Ted Lindsay as a player, Jack Adams as a coach, and James Norris as a president. The history of Hockeytown and the players and executives who came and went are the foundations of that history.
On the surface, and to the uninitiated, hockey looks like a brutal, reckless sport. To those of us who know it, hockey is a game of mutual respect and creativity. They are artists on the ice who not only respect the game but their fellow artists as well. Gordie Howe may be the most inspirational artist in hockey and in Detroit. Gordie was an anomaly; he could score, pass, and fight with the best of them. When a player gets a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game, it’s called a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Although unofficial, it says everything about his impact on the game, on the canvas.
Legendary Brushstrokes
When players like Pavel Datsyuk dangle a defenseman or strip the puck and tuck it in, it’s like Picasso making a brushstroke. Adding to the game, to the canvas. Datsyuk has inspired generations of players at this point. When a player has reaction videos on YouTube, that should tell you everything you need to know. Datsyuk wowed both fans and players alike. Datsyuk was called the Magic Man for obvious reasons. What he did to goaltenders and defenders was disrespectful, yet he is one of the most highly respected players to ever play the game.
Yzerman: Silk and Steel, The Captain of Captains
Steve Yzerman was silk before he was steel. He was that smooth in his scoring and passing, floating on the ice like a choreographed dance the defenders had never seen. Scotty Bowman added the grit and steel to the Captain’s game and transformed his artistry. Yzerman became captain of the Detroit Red Wings in October 1986, when he was 21 years old, the youngest captain in franchise history. Yzerman was the captain of captains and is revered as the greatest NHL captain of all time. Not because of his total goals or points, but because of how he left it all on the line. In the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Yzerman played on basically one leg; MRIs showed almost no cartilage left in his right knee, and he took painkilling injections before all 23 playoff games. After he lifted the Cup, doctors said he would need three separate surgeries to rebuild it. That is grit.
Mike Ilitch and the Russian Five
Mike Ilitch, rest in peace, even contributed to the art. His front office sent a journalist to a European tournament to tell Soviet players Detroit wanted them: Free Press hockey writer Keith Gave, a former NSA Russian linguist, flew to Finland in 1989 and handed two Red Wings draft picks media guides with letters tucked inside. Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Fedorov were byproducts of that, which ultimately led to the Russian Five. Mike Ilitch was instrumental in bringing Russian players to the NHL, and that impact is still felt today. How many players were influenced to play hockey solely because they watched Fedorov with his white skates dazzle everyone in Joe Louis Arena? Fedorov was so good that at times he played as a defenseman and probably could’ve won a Norris if he played that position the entire season. How many brushstrokes did Fedorov alone contribute?
The Perfect Human and the 1989 Draft
Nicklas Lidstrom, the perfect human. I shouldn’t even have to write anything about Lidstrom because you already know, but here it is. Lidstrom, Fedorov, and Konstantinov were all drafted by Detroit in 1989. Lidstrom was the highest drafted of the three, taken 53rd overall in the third round, with Fedorov going 74th and Konstantinov lasting until 221st. The 1989 Detroit draft class will probably go down in history as the greatest draft class by one team of all time. Lidstrom was the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup in NHL history. He has inspired and still does inspire countless NHL defensemen.
History as Weight and the North Star
I could go on and on about historic Red Wings players; a series of books could be written about the players from the 2002 Stanley Cup team alone. I didn’t even go into Scotty Bowman, or the grind line, or the production line. The history sets the standard; the history is what these players wear on their shoulders night after night, and what they are compared to during the season. The history is a heavy weight, but at the same time it’s a driver of progress, a north star to guide them into the future. This season’s outlook may be dark and painful, but believe me, we have some hitters. We have guys who can battle and pull this team out of the depths. They have their opportunity to leave their own brushstrokes on the canvas and propel this team in their vision. Do we have some hurdles along the way? Of course we do, but isn’t there beauty in the struggle?
Hockeytown’s New Artists
Alex DeBrincat is a hometown player, raised in Farmington Hills, who wants to be in Detroit. He came to Detroit when we weren’t even favored to make it to the playoffs. Here, he is playing his game, becoming more and more the type of player every team wants. He is not just a sniper, but I also challenge you to watch him on a shift, watch where he is on the ice and the way he backchecks and covers positions. The Cat hustles, and his work ethic on the ice is overshadowed by his shot, which is great by the way.
Then we have Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Man, these two are incredible. Raymond is this smooth, sneaky offensive weapon on the ice. You don’t notice it until it’s too late and the puck is in the back of the net. His movements are unassuming and silky. It’s like he always finds the open ice without defenders noticing, and honestly, I love watching him work. Seider is not sneaky; he is a presence on the ice that every team looks out for and fears. Mo is a gladiator on the ice; his physicality alone is a sight to see. He sets up plays, finds the open man, and destroys opponents. Go on YouTube and watch his hits and reverse hits; it’s right up there with videos of people being hit by Niklas Kronwall.
Carpe Diem and a New Dynasty
Carpe Diem, Seize the Day. That is a pillar this new team should craft its game from. That, along with the history that comes with wearing that crest. Use the history to set the standard and as a stepping stone into creating another Dynasty in Detroit. Our upcoming season may be dark, but there is light ahead; it’s still okay to be optimistic and romantic about the Red Wings.
The Red Wings have finalized their roster. Little Caesars Arena will be ready for our first game of the season, Friday, Oct. 2 against the New York Rangers at 6:30 p.m. My challenge to the fans: criticize the team, root for the team, for Hockeytown. Something isn’t beautiful because it was easy to accomplish. The beauty is in the bumps in the road along the way. The Detroit Red Wings went 42 years before they won the Cup in 1997; we’ve had it worse than this. This we can get over; this we can turn around and be great. It’s still okay to be romantic about Hockeytown.
