Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings
Name	Detroit Red Wings
City	Detroit, Michigan
League	National Hockey League
Conference	Eastern Conference
Division	Atlantic Division
Founded	1926
Arena	Little Caesars Arena
Colours	Red, white
Owner	Ilitch Holdings
General manager	Steve Yzerman
Head coach	Derek Lalonde
Captain	Dylan Larkin
Media affiliates	Bally Sports Detroit
Mascot	Al the Octopus
Stanley cups	1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008

Detroit Red Wings. The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan, and a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. One of the Original Six franchises, the club is one of the most successful in NHL history, having won 11 Stanley Cup championships. The team plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, an arena they share with the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association.

History

The franchise was founded in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars, after the purchase of the defunct Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League. Initially struggling, the team was renamed the Detroit Falcons in 1930 before James E. Norris purchased the club in 1932 and renamed it the Red Wings, inspired by the Winged Wheelers of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. Under the ownership of the Norris family and later Mike Ilitch, the team became a powerhouse, beginning with the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1936 led by stars like Marty Barry and Ebbie Goodfellow. The "Dead Wings" era of the 1970s and early 1980s gave way to a resurgence under coach Scotty Bowman and a core led by Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, and Nicklas Lidström, resulting in championships in 1997, 1998, and 2002. After a period of decline following the 2008 Stanley Cup win, the team entered a significant rebuild in the late 2010s.

Team information

The team's primary colors are red and white, a scheme maintained since the 1930s. Their iconic logo, the "Winged Wheel," symbolizes Detroit's automotive heritage. The Red Wings have called several venues home, including the Detroit Olympia and Joe Louis Arena, before moving to their current home, Little Caesars Arena, in 2017. The franchise is owned by Ilitch Holdings, the family of the late Mike Ilitch, who purchased the team in 1982. A famous tradition is the tossing of octopuses onto the ice during the Stanley Cup playoffs, a ritual started in 1952. The team's American Hockey League affiliate is the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Players and personnel

The current roster is captained by center Dylan Larkin, with alternate captains including Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot. Historically, the franchise has been defined by legendary players such as Gordie Howe, known as "Mr. Hockey", who spent 25 seasons with the club, and Steve Yzerman, the longtime captain and current general manager. Other notable alumni include Terry Sawchuk, Alex Delvecchio, and the Russian Five. The current head coach is Derek Lalonde, hired in 2022. The front office is led by Yzerman and senior vice president Jim Devellano, a key architect of the championship teams in the 1990s. The team's Hall of Fame presence is immense, with numerous inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Season-by-season record

This is a table of the last five completed seasons for the Detroit Red Wings, showing their record and final standing in the Atlantic Division.

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Season ! GP ! W ! L ! OTL ! Pts ! Finish |- | 2023–24 | 82 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 91 | 5th, Atlantic |- | 2022–23 | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 80 | 7th, Atlantic |- | 2021–22 | 82 | 32 | 40 | 10 | 74 | 8th, Atlantic |- | 2020–21 | 56 | 19 | 27 | 10 | 48 | 7th, Central |- | 2019–20 | 71 | 17 | 49 | 5 | 39 | 8th, Atlantic |}

Championships and achievements

The Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup 11 times (1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008), tied for third-most in NHL history. They have also won six Conference Championships and 19 Division Titles. Individual players have won numerous awards, including nine Hart Trophies for Most Valuable Player, with recipients including Gordie Howe and Sergei Fedorov. The team has seen 10 winners of the James Norris Memorial Trophy for best defenseman, dominated by Nicklas Lidström's seven wins. Goaltenders Terry Sawchuk and Dominik Hašek have won the Vezina Trophy while with the franchise. The 1995–96 team set an NHL record with 62 wins, earning the Presidents' Trophy.

Rivalries

The Red Wings maintain one of the NHL's most intense and historic rivalries with the Chicago Blackhawks, stemming from their shared status as Original Six teams and numerous playoff meetings, including the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche rivalry, which peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s, featured memorable brawls and playoff series, including the 1997 Western Conference Finals. A strong geographic rivalry exists with the Toronto Maple Leafs, another Original Six foe. The "Battle of Michigan" with the St. Louis Blues was particularly fierce in the Norris Division era of the 1980s and early 1990s. More recently, matches against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins have developed into competitive divisional contests.

Category:Detroit Red Wings Category:National Hockey League teams Category:Sport in Detroit Category:1926 establishments in Michigan