Detroit Red Wings: 25 Fun Facts That Will Never Be Forgotten
Being a lifelong fan of the Detroit Red Wings I have seen many memorable moments. Steve Yzerman‘s blast against the St. Louis Blues, the first Stanley Cup championship, and the series of playoff appearances. Then there is the NHL Hall of Famers like Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, and others who have given the Red Wings faithful memories of a lifetime. Below are the 25 fun facts that will never be forgotten.
Those memories are forever in the minds of dedicated Red Wings fans. Special moments like Vladimir Konstantinov holding the cup or the Gordie Howe statue. And then moments like the brawl with the Colorado Avalanche where every fan knows where they were in a time like that.
Detroit Red Wings: 25 Fun Facts That Will Never Be Forgotten
Moments that are also special include the drafting of center Sergei Fedorov, who was an icon in Detroit and was a top-level, elite player during his years with the Red Wings. Or what about acquiring center Kris Draper from the Winnipeg Jets for a single dollar? Or what about the drafting of goaltender Chris Osgood and the acquisition of Mike Vernon for a goaltending duo that never gave up and led Detroit to playoff success? Those little things added up to the long success of the Red Wings that many did not initially pay attention to.
Along with special moments are facts that also led to Red Wings’ success. The movement of the Olympia Stadium to Joe Louis Arena, change in management and changing the guard from captain to captain.
Although long-time Red Wings fans remember the special moments the same fans may not remember some things about the Red Wing’s history, little facts that some do not know or maybe have forgotten about.
Little facts may have been the stepping stones to something bigger or something that led to something special in the era of Detroit hockey today. This is what we are looking at today. 25 fun facts about the Red Wings that will never be forgotten. Here are numbers 1-5.
Founded in 1926 the Original name of the team was the Detroit Cougars. This remained the name until the 1930-1931 season when it was changed to the Detroit Falcons. After the 1931 season, the team was then named the Red Wings and it remains the same name today.
The Red Wings have 11 Stanley Cups, the last one in 2008. The 11 Stanley Cup championships are the most by any U.S. franchise in league history.
Red Wings legend Gordie Howe was not drafted. He was signed as a free agent on October 8, 1946, by Detroit. He spent 25 years with the organization, playing 1,687 games, registering 786 goals, 1,023 assists, and 1,809 points. He won six Stanley Cups, six Art Ross Trophies, and six Hart Trophies during his time in Detroit.
Center Sergei Fedorov became the first Russian in league history to win the Hart Trophy. He did this in the 1994 season. He would then go on to be quite successful in his years with Detroit, becoming one of the best two-way players in league history.
Owner James Norris named Detroit the Red Wings after a team he had played for. That team was named the Montreal HC Winged Wheelers. This would be the third name change for the Detroit organization. He was both a businessman and owner of the Red Wings from 1932 until his death in 1952. Norris was voted to the NHL hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 as a builder.
The Detroit Red Wings were on the short-list as trade partners for center and Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky was set to go to Detroit in a trade. However, Walter’s dad suggested he go to the Los Angeles Kings. The Red Wings already had Steve Yzerman in the fold, grabbing him a few years earlier in the draft.
The first captain in Red Wings history was right winger Larry Aurie. Aurie, 5-foot-6 and 148 pounds, went on to score 107 goals and 105 assists for 212 points during his career in Detroit. He would remain captain until the following year when Herbie Lewis took over the captaincy.
The Red Wings currently have eight retired numbers. Those players with retired numbers include Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Gordie Howe, Sid Abel, Red Kelly, Alex Delvecchio, Terry Sawchuk, and Ted Lindsay. The players above are all in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Red Wings currently have 372 wins against the Chicago Blackhawks all-time and their record against Chicago is 372 wins, 277 losses, and 84 ties. The 372 wins are the most wins Detroit has against any other franchise, with 221 of those wins coming in Detroit. The fewest wins are one, against the Seattle Kraken.
The very first draft pick for the Red Wings was right winger Peter Mahovlich. He was drafted in 1963, round one, and picked number two. He played previously for the St. Michaels Buzzers of the MetJHL. He would spend six years in Detroit, scoring 26 goals and 64 assists for 90 points in 186 games.
The very first playoff win for the Red Wings was against the Montreal Maroons. The victory would be a 2-0 shutout in Montreal on Saturday, March 25, 1923. The Red Wings would then advance to the next round but get ousted, two games to none, against the New York Rangers.
The jersey number worn most by a Detroit Red Wings player? That would be number 21. That number would be worn by 62 players. The first was Lee Fogolin in 1951, and the most recent was Dan Renouf in 2022. This does not include training camps or exhibition games.
The most points in a season by a Red Wings team was 131 points in the 1995-1996 season. The team went 62-13-7 and made it to the conference finals, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche 4 games to 2. Sergei Fedorov led the team with 107 points, while goaltender Chirs Osgood had a record of 39-6-5 with a 2.17 GAA, and a .911 save %.
Alex Delvecchio had an unusual nickname. The nickname “fats” was given to Delvecchio because of his baby face fat when he entered the NHL. Delvecchio would have one of the more successful careers of any Red Wings player.
During the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, The Red Wings selected Dave Hanson in round 11 with the 176th pick and Steve Carlson in round eight with pick 131. Those two would appear in the famous hockey movie “Slap Shot” as 2/3 of the Hanson Brothers.
The offense exploded for Detroit in a game against the New York Rangers at Olympia Stadium on January 23, 1944. The Red Wings would go on to win the game 15-0, a franchise record for goals in a game. Forward Syd Howe led the charge with three goals and two assists for five points, and goaltender Connie Dion recorded his first NHL shutout.
The playoffs are a meaningful time of the year. It was meaningful for the Red Wings as well. They have the record for the longest postseason appearance streak at 25 seasons, from the 1990-1991 season until 2015-2016.
Goaltender Terry Sawchuk had the Red Wings record for most wins in a single season with 44 in the 1951-1952 season. His stats included a record of 44-14 with 12 shutouts, a 1.90 GAA, and 4200 minutes played. Sawchuk was a consistent goaltender who happened to be one of the best in NHL history.
Goaltender Tim Cheveldae has the record for most points by a Red Wings goaltender in both a game and a career. Cheveldae had five assists during the 1990-1991 season and has 13 career assists. Cheveldae would finish his Red Wings career with a record of 128-93-30, a .883 save %, and a GAA of 3.40 in six seasons.
Goaltender Greg Stefan holds the Red Wings record for most penalty minutes in a season by a goaltender. Stefan had 41 penalty minutes during the 1988-1989 season. That season he also had a record of 21-17-3, a 4.01 GAA, and a .870 save %.
The Red Wings and Montreal Maroons have the record for the longest game in NHL history. On March 24, 1936, the two teams played a game that lasted 176 minutes and 30 seconds. Detroit won the game,1-0, in six overtimes.
Red Wing forward Bob Probert was a force on the ice, both offensively and physically. During the 1987-1988 season, he led the NHL in penalty minutes with 398. He also had 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points in 74 games. Probert also made his only All-Star game appearance during his career year.
Detroit forward Joe Kocur holds the Red Wings record for most penalty minutes in one period with 37 against the St. Louis Blues on November 2. 1985. Kocur would lead the league in penalty minutes with 377, 180 of those thanks to his 36 fighting majors.
As an original six-team, Detroit has been around for a long time. As a matter of fact, they have a record of 3,021-2,614-815-193, good for 7,050 points in their 96-year history. The Red Wings have the sixth highest win % of all time at .516. Their 3,021 wins rank fourth all-time behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins.
NHL Hall of Famer and current Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was a gifted passer and offensive producer. He also liked to shoot the puck. Yzerman has a career of 4,602 shots, leading the league with 388 shots from 1988-1989. He also has a career shooting % of 15%, which ranks 115th all-time.
Want your voice heard? Join the Puck Prose team!