Lidstrom Honored At The Joe, Remembers 20-Year Career With Wings
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Nicklas Lidstrom hasn't played professional hockey since 2012. But these past few months have finally been what truly felt conclusive for him.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, and that honor was celebrated at Joe Louis Arena Tuesday during the Red Wings' game against the Blue Jackets. "Nick Lidstrom Hall of Fame Night" at the Joe included commemorative posters for all fans, featuring an artist's rendering of the player hunched over in attack, with his No. 5 hovering over his shoulder. Lidstrom himself was later presented with the original print, and he began the night with a ceremonial puck drop.
He walked onto the ice Tuesday in a suit instead of pads, his outfit accented by a pocket square instead of sweat stains. He is well removed from the game. But amidst all the Hall of Fame hoopla since November, which is finally dying down, Lidstrom finally feels like he's saying goodbye to his legendary playing career.
"The whole (induction) night was kind of an ending to a career," he said Tuesday before his puck drop. "The press conference I had here when I announced my retirement was special. The jersey night was very special to me. But the Hall of Fame is more hockey as a whole. The other were more within the organization, within the Red Wings. This was more for hockey as a whole, so that meant a lot to me."
While Lidstrom officially says goodbye to his playing days, he – along with many others he played with - are saying goodbye to Joe Louis Arena, too. The Red Wings' new downtown arena is set to be completed before the 2017 season, and the Joe's days are limited.
But the veteran building also housed some of Lidstrom's fondest memories, including the 1997 Stanley Cup. It was the first of four he would win as one of the most successful Red Wings defensemen of all time.
"Memories from the Joe – I probably go back to the Stanley Cup wins, especially the first one we won, winning at home, seeing the fans, and seeing how crazy it was in the locker room," he said. "It's a special building to play in. You play in some of the newer arenas, some of them look the same, but this has a special feel to it, being an older arena. It's been a special place to play in."
That building put forth all the love it could muster Tuesday for Lidstrom. A standing ovation greeted Lidstrom as he strode down the red carpet to center ice for the puck drop, the adoration growing louder with each step. That attention turned hushed as he was interviewed on the video board during a first-period break in the action.
Lidstrom's accomplishments in Detroit are varied and extensive. Fans are unlikely to forget Lidstrom's impact on the franchise for years to come, and that veneration showed on Tuesday.
In his 20 seasons, he won four Stanley Cups with the Wings, as well as seven Norris Trophies (given to the league's best defenseman). He captained his final six years. In 2006, he won Olympic gold with Sweden. In 20 years, Lidstrom never missed the playoffs. Vaulting to sixth all-time among defensemen, Lidstrom totaled 1,142 regular season points in his career.
All that individual success – which Lidstrom does admit he thinks about more now that he's retired – still paled in comparison to the Wings' run of success with Lidstrom on the ice. That tradition still stretches to the present day: The Red Wings have made the postseason 24 years in a row, the longest streak in major professional sports.
While the organization's most recent run hasn't included Lidstrom, he remains one of the most crucial pieces to that tradition's inception.
"There's a lot of history here," he said. "The run that we've had for over 20 years now has been something special too. The team took a lot of pride in being in the playoffs and the fans almost demanding to be there. I think as a team and as an organization we set the bar high. That shows what kind of team we've been for a long time."
