The Detroit Red Wings are one of the greatest teams in the history of the NHL. During their existence, they have had players such as Pavel Datsyuk, Steve Yzerman, and Gordie Howe wear the iconic Winged Wheel. Their 11 Stanley Cups are the most for an American franchise and the third-most in league history. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens have more Stanley Cups.
The Red Wings franchise came to be in 1926. The Western Hockey League's Victoria Cougars sold their players to the NHL and allocated them to a new franchise in Detroit, Michigan. This team would change its name to the Falcons in 1930 before settling on the iconic Red Wings name and branding in 1932.
The number of Hall of Famers and legends that have played for this team cannot be understated. But who are the greatest Red Wings of all time? Here are our rankings of the best players to call Hockeytown home in the nearly 100-year history of this franchise.
10. Pavel Datsyuk
Let's start this list with recent Hall of Fame inductee Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk entered the NHL as a sixth-round pick in the 1998 NHL Draft. He made his debut in the NHL during the 2001-02 season, where he won his first Stanley Cup. “Magic Man” had a stretch of four seasons in which he recorded 85+ points following the 2005-06 lockout.
Overall, Datstyuk scored 314 goals and 918 points during 953 regular season games. He won two Stanley Cups with the Red Wings in 2002 and 2008. His incredible dekes became the stuff of legend. The Detroit star regularly made opponents look foolish on the ice with the way he maneuvered. He was a major fan favorite during his time and is certainly one of the greatest Red Wings ever.
9. Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov went to Detroit in the fourth-round of the 1989 NHL Draft. He defected from the Soviet Union to play for the Red Wings a year later. He emerged as one of the best players in the entire league by the mid-1990s. But things weren't all sunshine and roses for Detroit and Fedorov.
In 1998, the Russian star signed an offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes. Detroit matched the offer soon after, but the relationship between the two sides was never the same. Fedorov eventually left Hockeytown in 2003 after another long contract dispute. He went on to play for the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals.
In Detroit, Fedorov was an absolute superstar. He scored 400 goals and 954 points in 908 games. Fedorov also won three Stanley Cups with the team. Had he remained with the Red Wings, he'd likely be higher on this list. Either way, there is no denying his place among the greatest Red Wings ever.
8. Sid Abel
In the early years of the franchise, a Saskatchewan kid named Sid Abel joined after playing junior hockey with the Flin Flon Bombers. By 1940, Abel became a regular fixture in the Red Wings lineup. And in 1942, he became the captain of the team. He regained the captaincy after returning from serving in World War II.
Detroit fans are likely familiar with Abel as one-third of one of the greatest lines in hockey history. Abel, Ted Lindsay, and Gordie Howe formed the Production Line beginning in 1947. The Production Line laid the groundwork for how modern offenses played. This dominance led to some of the most successful seasons in franchise history.
Abel played 12 years with the Red Wings. He scored 188 goals and 472 points in 612 regular season games. He won three Stanley Cups with Detroit in 1943, 1950, and 1952. Abel was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks following the 1952 Stanley Cup triumph.
7. Red Kelly
Before the days of Nick Lidstrom in the 1990s, Detroit's greatest defenseman was Red Kelly. The Simcoe, Ontario native made his NHL debut at 20 years old in the 1947-48 season. Kelly emerged as one of the best defensemen of his time. And he even had the talent to play forward when Detroit needed it.
With the Red Wings, Kelly won four of his eight total Stanley Cups. He scored 162 goals and 472 points with Detroit in 846 games. Kelly left the Red Wings when they traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 1960. He set the tone for what it meant to be an offensive defenseman in the NHL. And his legacy carries on to this day as the offensive defenseman has become a regular part of the game.
6. Alex Delvecchio
The Red Wings have legends with serious longevity. Everyone knows the story of Gordie Howe and his storied career. However, Alex Delvecchio also had impressive longevity. He debuted as an 18-year-old in 1950-51, which kicked off a 24-year career.
Delvecchio spent his entire career with the Red Wings. In fact, he eventually took over for Sid Abel as the center on the Production Line. He won three Stanley Cups with Detroit during his time. He finished his career with 456 goals and 1281 points in 1550 games. Delvecchio played with a grace that balanced out the aggression brought by Howe and Lindsay. And he etched his name as one of the greatest Red Wings ever in the process.
5. Ted Lindsay
Speaking of Ted Lindsay, he makes our top five greatest Red Wings. Lindsay's legacy of pioneering offensive play in the NHL is not the only legacy he left. The Ontario native was at the forefront of early movements to create a NHL Players Union. In fact, these efforts got him traded from the Red Wings in 1957.
With Detroit, Lindsay was a superstar. He won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings before the trade to the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished his Detroit career with 335 goals and 728 points in 862 games. When he called it a career, Lindsay left behind an incredible legacy both on and off the ice.
4. Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk is one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. He battled through a lot during his playing days. Sawchuk played in an era without backup goalies or masks. As a result, he played through brutal injuries such as facial lacerations, a collapsed lung, and various broken bones.
Sawchuk played parts of 14 seasons in Detroit across two stints. During that time, he won 245 games while recording a .904 save percentage and 85 shutouts. Those 85 shutouts still stand as a Red Wings record to this day. He won three of his four Stanley Cups in Detroit, and he set a bar that no goalie has been able to reach in Hockeytown's illustrious history.
3. Nick Lidstrom
Nick Lidstrom was a third-round pick in the 1989 NHL Draft. In 1990, he made his debut. As they say, the rest is history. Lidstrom emerged as the best defenseman in the NHL for years. He was a perennial Norris Trophy candidate during his playing career. In fact, only Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr has more Norris Trophies to his name.
Lidstrom spent his entire career in Hockeytown. “The Perfect Human” scored 264 goals and 1142 points in 1564 regular season contests. Lidstrom won four Stanley Cups during his time, and was the first European captain to raise the Cup. He is legitimately one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history. And he more than deserves his place among the greatest Red Wings ever.
2. Steve Yzerman
This is where a real debate begins. Steve Yzerman had a claim to the top spot on this list before 2019. However, his current work as Red Wings general manager is something that could tip the scales five years down the line. For now, though, Yzerman is a close second.
Yzerman was a first-round pick of the Red Wings in 1983. In hindsight, it was the perfect draft pick. Yzerman provided scoring, leadership, defense, you name it. If Detroit needed him, “The Captain” rose to the occasion more often than not.
Yzerman spent his entire 23-year career in Detroit. He scored 692 goals and 1755 points in 1514 regular season games. Stevie Y spearheaded three Stanley Cup championships, including back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. No Detroit player in the modern game has meant more to Hockeytown than Steve Yzerman.
1. Gordie Howe
In the end, there can only be one player at the top. In this case, that player is Gordie Howe. Howe began his career as an 18-year-old in the 1946-47 season. His storied career went on to span five different decades across 32 professional seasons. 25 of his 26 NHL campaigns were spent with the Red Wings.
Howe was as complete a player as you could get. In an era more violent than any other, the Saskatchewan native adapted to the physicality. He became one of the toughest players in the league. And he combined his fearsome physical ability with unbelievable skill and shooting ability.
In the end, Howe finished his Red Wings career with four Stanley Cups. “Mr. Hockey” scored 786 goals and 1809 points in 1687 regular season games in Hockeytown. Make no mistake, Howe is not just among the greatest Red Wings to do it. He is, at the very least, a top-10 player to ever lace his skates for an NHL franchise.
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