Detroit Red Wings (1926-Present)

Historical Moments:
1926/27: In 1925 the fledgling WCHL had one last gasp when the Victoria Cougars broke won the Stanley Cup breaking the NHL's stranglehold on hockey's most prestigious trophy. The Cougars would make the finals again in 1926 but the league was dead. A number of East Coast investors would buy the remaining WCHL teams moving them to Eastern Cities in the NHL. The Cougars were purchased by a group of 26 investors led by Charles Hughes who moved them to Detroit. However, an arena was not ready for the Cougars and they played their first season in the nearby town of Windsor Ontario. On November 18th the Detroit Cougars played their first game losing to the Bruins at Windsor's Border Cities Arena. That first year playing without a true home the Cougars would struggle finishing last in the American Division with a 12-28-4 record.

1927/28: The Cougars get a new coach and a new arena as Jack Adams takes over behind the bench at Olympia Stadium opens in Detroit. The Cougars would play much better in their first season in Detroit missing a playoff berth by just 2 points while finishing with a 19-19-6 record.

1928/29: The Cougars rise continues as they make the playoffs for the first time finishing in 3rd place with a 19-16-9 record. However, in the playoffs the Cougars are blown away losing a total goal series to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 7-2.

1929/30: The Cougars take a step backward missing the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 years with a disappointing 14-24-6 record.

1930/31: Seeking a new identity the Cougars are renamed the Detroit Falcons. However, the team still struggles missing the playoffs again with a 16-21-7 record.

1931/32: Despite another losing record the Falcons make the playoffs by finishing 3rd in the American Division with 18-20-10 record. In the playoffs the Falcons would have another quick exit losing to the Montreal Maroons 3-1 in a total goal series.

1932/33: James D. Norris purchases the team renaming the franchise again while borrowing the Winged Wheel insignia from a Montreal Athletic Association hockey team for which Norris once played with, and becoming the Detroit Red Wings. The new look would pay off as the Wings finished with a solid 25-15-8 record finishing tied for 1st place. After losing a tiebreaker for the Division the Wings would win their first playoff series beating the Montreal Maroons 5-2 in a total goal series. However, in the semi finals the Wings would lose a goal series to the New York Rangers 6-3.

1933/34: The Red Wings win their first division title claiming the American Division with a solid 24-14-10 record. In the semifinals the Wings would battle the Toronto Maple Leafs n bitter 5 game series winning the final game 1-0 to advance to their first Cup Final. In the Finals the Wings would be shut down by Chicago Blackhawks goalie Chuck Gardner who limits the Wings to just 2 goals in the first 2 games at Olympia Stadium. After exploding for 5 goals in Game 3 in Chicago to stay alive the Wings Cup hopes are ended in Game 4 as Harold March breaks a 0-0 tie 30 minutes in to extra time.

1934/35: The Wings would suffer disappointment coming off their Finals Appearance missing the playoffs by finishing last in the American Division with a 19-22-7 record.

1935/36: The Red Wings would bounce back and reclaim the American Division Title finishing with a league best 24-16-8 record. In the playoffs the Wings would make quick work of the Montreal Maroons sweeping them in 3 straight limiting them to just 1 goal. In the Finals the Red Wings would continue to fly high scoring 12 goals in the first 2 games to take a 2-0 series lead on the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the Leafs took Game 3 in Toronto the Wings claimed the first Stanley Cup with a 3-2 win at Maple Leaf Gardens.

1936/37: The Red Wings followed up their first sip from the Stanley Cup by repeating as Division Champions with a 25-14-9 record. In the playoffs the Wings would get off to a fast start beating the Montreal Canadiens by a combined score 9-1 in the first 2 games. However, the Habs would battle back taking the next 2 by twin 3-1 scores. However, with the Cup slipping form their grasps the Wings would win the decisive 5th game in overtime 2-1. In the Finals the Wings would get off to a shaky start losing 5-1 to the Rangers in New York. However, with circus coming to the big apple the Wings would have the benefit of playing the rest of the series at home. However the Rangers still put up a fight winning Game 3 to 1-0 to get one step from the Cup. However, Wings rookie goalie Earl Robertson would turn into a brick wall blanking the Rangers in the final 2 games as the Wings won the Stanley Cup for the 2nd year in a row.

1937/38: The Red Wings quest to win the Stanley Cup for the 3rd year in a row never got off the ground as they struggled all year missing the playoffs by finishing in last place with a 12-25-11 record.

1938/39: The Red Wings struggle again but make the playoffs by finishing 4th in the NHL with an 18-24-6 record. In the first round the Wings would overcome a Game 1 loss to beat the Montreal Canadiens in a 3 game series winning the final game in overtime. However in the semifinals the Wings would be clipped losing a wild 3 game series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, dropping the decisive 3rd game in overtime 5-4.

1939/40: The Red Wings continue to struggle but make the playoffs again with a 16-26-6 record. In the playoffs the Wings would once again advance beating the New York American in a 3 game series that went the distance. However, in the semifinals the Wings are beaten by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2 straight.

1940/41: The Red Wings end a string of 3 straight losing seasons by finishing in 3rd place with a solid 21-16-11 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings would knock off the defending Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers in a hard fought 3 game series. In the semifinals the Wings continued to fly high beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 2 straight. However, in the Stanley Cup Finals the Wings are swept in 4 straight by the Boston Bruins.

1941/42: Despite struggling with a 19-25-4 record the Red Wings make the playoffs by finishing in 4th place. In the playoffs the Wings would knock off the Montreal Canadiens in 3 games series that went the distance. Moving on to the semifinals the Wings continued their momentum beating the Boston Bruins in 2 straight. In the Finals the Wings continued to fly high taking a commanding 3-0 lead scoring 12 goals in the first 3 games. However the Toronto Maple Leafs would make an unbelievable comeback winning 4 straight games, a feat that has only been repeated other time, in all of professional sports.

1942/43: The Red Wings are able to shake their sudden finals collapse and win the regular season title by finishing with a solid 25-14-11 record. In the semifinals the Red Wings would exercises the ghost of their Finals collapse by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in 6 games. In the Finals the Red Wings would not let another Stanley Cup slip away sweeping the Boston Bruins in 4 straight as goalie Johnny Mowers blanked the Bruins in the final 2 games at the Boston Gardens.

1943/44: The Red Wings are among the best in NHL again finishing in 2nd Place with a 26-18-6 record. However, in the playoffs the Wings would stunned by a Chicago Blackhawks team with a losing record in 5 games.

1944/45: The Red Wings put together another solid regular season finishing in 2nd place with a 31-14-5 record. In the playoffs the Wings would survive a tough 7-game series with the Boston Bruins to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, in the Finals the Wings ran in to the hot goalie being shutout in the first 3 games by Toronto Maple Leafs net minder Frank McCool. However, the Wings would get off the mat with a 5-goal outburst and would rally to force a 7th game. In the 7th game McCool was strong again as the Wings fell 2-1.

1945/46: Despite playing mediocre hockey all season and finishing with a 20-20-10 record the Red Wings are among 4 teams that make the layoffs. However in the playoffs it would be a quick exit as they fall in 5 games to the Boston Bruins.

1946/47: Despite a losing record or 22-32-6, the Red Wings make the playoffs by finishing in 4th place in the season Gordie Howe made in NHL debut. In the Playoffs the Wings would be clipped right away losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games.

1947/48: The formation of the production line of Sid Abel, Gordie How and Ted Lindsay sees the Red Wings challenge for 1st place, before finishing a solid 2nd with a 30-18-12 record. In the playoffs the Wings would make the finals by beating the New York Rangers in 6 games. However, in the finals the Wings are swept away by a veteran laden Toronto Maple Leafs squad who won their 2nd straight Stanley Cup.

1948/49: The Red Wings rise continues as the finish as regular season champions with an impressive 34-19-7 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings made the finals for the 2nd year in a row battling off the Montreal Canadiens in a tough 7-game series. However, for the 2nd year in a row the Wings would be swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the finals.

1949/50: With Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, and Gordie Howe finishing in the top 3 in scoring the Red Wings continued soaring winning the regular season title with a 37-19-14 record. The playoffs would get off to a disastrous start as the Red Wings lost Game 1 of the semifinals to the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0, while losing Gordie Howe to a serious head injury he suffered sliding head first into the boards. The Wings would recover and would win the series in 7 games winning the last games on shutouts including a 1-0 overtime win in Game 7. In the finals the Red Wings found themselves down again after 5 games, but playing the entire playoffs on the road caught up to the New York Rangers as the Wings forced Game 7 with a 5-4 win. In Game 7 the Wings would go into overtime again before Pete Babando won the cup 8:31 into double overtime.

1950/51: With Gordie Howe returning from injury and leading the league in scoring, the Red Wings win the regular season title for the 3erd year in a row with a 44-13-13 record. However in the playoffs the Wings would be clipped right away losing to the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games.

1951/52: By scoring 47 goals Gordie Howe captures his first Hart Trophy as the Red Wings continue to dominate the regular season inning their 4th league title in a row with a 44-14-12 record. In the playoffs the Wings started flying right away as goalie Terry Sawchuk blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the semifinals 3-0. Following the game a few fans had the idea of throwing an octopus on the ice being that it had 8 arms and to win the Stanley Cup you need to win 8 games. The Wings would go on to sweep the series in 4 straight as the octopus tossing began to catch on. In the finals the Wings won the first 2 games on the road in Montreal and came home where Terry Sawchuk blanked the Canadiens with twin 3-0 scores to complete the sweep. With the Red Wings winning 8 straight they became the first team to sweep through the playoffs ensuring the octopi tossing would become a tradition for years to come.

1952/53: Gordie Howe narrowly missies becoming the first player in league history to score 50 goals in a season as he captures the Hart Trophy for the 2nd straight season with 49 goals. The Red Wings would go on to capture their 5th straight league title with a 37-19-14 record. However, in the playoffs the Wings would be stunned in 6 games by the Boston Bruins.

1953/54: The Wings fly high again winning the league title for the 6th straight season with a 37-19-14 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings would reach the finals by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games. In the finals the Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens would alternate victories setting up a decisive 7th game at Olympia Stadium. For the Red Wings it was deja vu in Game 7 as the game went into overtime when Tony Leswick won the Cup with a goal 4:29 in to the extra session.

1954/55: The Red Wings continue to dominate the NHL winning their 7th straight league title by holding off the Montreal Canadiens with a 42-17-11 record. In the playoffs the Wings would stay red hit as the swept away the Toronto Maple Leafs in 4 straight. In a rematch with Montreal Canadiens the Red Wings and Habs each won high scoring games on their own home ice setting up a 7th game at Olympia Stadium. In game 7 the Wings would keep the home fire burning as they knocked off the Canadiens to win their 2nd straight Stanley Cop with a 3-1 record. In the finals Gordie Howe was the star scoring 12 points to set a new Finals record.

1955/56: The Red Wings lose their grip on first place settling for 2nd with a 30-24-16 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings once again knock off the Toronto Maple Leafs n 5 games for a trip to the finals against the Montreal Canadiens. However in the finals the Wings are tripped by the Habs falling in 5 games.

1956/57: With Gordie Howe winning the Hart Trophy for the 3rd time the Red Wings reclaim the regular season title with a 38-20-12 record. However in the playoffs the Wings would be stunned losing to the Boston Bruins in 5 games.

1957/58: Despite Gordie Howe winning his 4th Hart Trophy the Red Wings fall into 3rd place with a mediocre 29-29-12 record. In the playoffs it would be a quick exit for the Red Wings as they are swept by the Montreal Canadiens in 4 straight.

1958/59: The Red Wings would struggle on defense all season allowing 218 goals as they miss the playoffs for the first time in 21 years by finishing in last place with a 25-37-8 record.

1959/60: Gordie Howe recaptures the Hart Trophy as the Red Wings rebound and make the playoffs by finishing in 4th place with a 26-29-15 record. However, in the playoffs the Wings would be knocked off in 6 games by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1960/61: The Red Wings make the playoff again despite a losing record at 25-29-16. However in the playoff the Wings would hit another gear stunning the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games. However in the finals the Red Wings are defeated in 6 games by the Chicago Blackhawks.

1961/62: After a surprise trip to the finals the Red Wings struggle all year and fail to even make the playoff finishing in 5th place with a 23-33-14 record.

1962/63: Gordie Howe captures the scoring title and wins his 6th and final Hart Trophy as the Red Wings finish in 4th place with 32-25-13 record. In the playoffs the Wings would survive a 7-game war with Chicago Blackhawks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the finals the Red Wings would be beaten by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games.

1963/64: The Red Wings coast through the regular season making the playoffs by finishing 4th with a 30-29-11 record. In the playoffs the Wings would turn it up a notch beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games for a finals rematch with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In each of the first 3 games the winning goal was scored in the final minute. The Wings looked poised for victory playing Game 6 in Detroit, but a heartbreaking loss in OT would lead to a 4-0 defeat in Game 7 as the Leafs won their 3rd straight cup.

1964/65: The Red Wings were flying high all season capturing the regular season title with a 40-23-7 record. However in the playoffs the Wings would lose a heartbreaking 7-game series to the Chicago Blackwash losing the final 2 games by a combined score of 8-2.

1965/66: After winning the regular season title and losing in the first round the Red Wings make the playoffs again as the 4th seed finishing with a 31-27-12 record. In the playoffs the Wings would exact revenge on the Chicago Blackhawks knocking them off in 6 games. However, in the finals the Wings would fall to the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games. Despite the loss Goalie Roger Crozier is named playoff MYVP winning the Conn Smythe award with a 2.17 GAA in 12 games.

1966/67: In the final season before expansion the Red Wings struggle all season missing the playoffs with a disappointing 27-39-4 record.

1967/68: The Red Wings are non-factor in the playoff race finishing in last place with a 27-35-12 record that was worse then all but 1 of the 6 new expansion teams, the Oakland Seals.

1968/69: Despite finishing with a winning record that was better then 3 of the Western Conference Playoff teams the Red Wings finish in 5th place with a 33-31-12 record and miss the playoffs.

1969/70: After missing the playoffs 3 years in a row the Red Wings make back into the postseason by finishing in 3rd place with a 40-21-15 record. However, in the playoffs the Wings would be swept in 4 straight by the Chicago Blackhawks.

1970/71: In Gordie Howe's final season the Red Wings struggle all season finishing in last place with a terrible 22-45-11 record. Howe would retire holding all major goal-scoring record. However, it would not be Gordie Howe's final season after being enshrined in the Hall of Fame right away he would play in the WHA, and would eventually make a return to the NHL with Hartford Whalers.

1971/72: The Red Wings miss the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 years by finishing in 5th place with a 33-35-10 record.

1972/73: Despite a solid 37-29-12 record the Red Wings miss the playoffs finishing 5th in the Conference.

1973/74: The Red Wings miss the Playoffs for the 4th straight year and the 7th time in 8 years by finishing in 6th place with a 29-39-10 record.

1974/75: The Red Wings continue to struggle finishing out of the playoffs again with a 23-45-12 record that landed them in 4th place in the Norris Division.

1975/76: The Red Wings struggles continue as they continue to be among just 6 teams missing the playoffs finishing in4th place with a 26-44-10 record.

1976/77: The Red Wings go from bad to worse finishing with worst record in the entire league at 16-55-9.

1977/78: The Red Wings double their win total finishing in 2nd place with a 32-34-14 record to end a 7-year playoff drought. In the playoffs the Red Wings quickly douse the Atlanta Flames beating them in 2 straight games. However in the 2nd round the Red Wings are crushed by the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games.

1978/79: The Red Wings take a step backward falling back into last place with a 23-41-6 record, while missing the playoff for the 11th time in 13 years.

1979/80: The Red Wings change addresses playing their final game at Olympia Stadium on December 15th and their first game at the brand new state of the art Joe Louis Arena 12 days later. However, the Wings struggles continue as they are 1 of just 5 teams missing the playoffs while finishing in last place with a 26-43-11 record.

1980/81: In their first full season at Joe Louis Arena the Red Wings continue to be one of the worst teams in the NHL finishing in last place again with a horrid 19-43-18 record.

1981/82: The once great Red Wings franchise now firmly supplanted as one of the league doormats misses the playoffs for the 14th time in 16 years by finishing with a 21-47-12 record, as 5 decades of Norris ownership comes to an end when the team is sold to Pizza kingpin Mike Ilitch.

1982/83: The Red Wings continue to struggle missing the playoffs again with a 21-44-15 record, that see them finish in last place in the Norris Division.

1983/84: With a solid rookie season from C Steve Yzerman the Red Wings end their playoff drought by finishing in 3rd place with a 31-42-7 record. However, in the playoffs the Red Wings are bounced right away losing 3 games to 1 to the St. Louis Blues.

1984/85: Despite a poor 27-41-12 record the Red Wings make the playoffs for the 2nd straight season by finishing in 3rd place. However, in the playoffs the Red Wings are swept in 3 straight by the Chicago Blackhawks.

1985/86: With injuries limiting Steve Yzerman to 51 games and 14 goals the Red Wings hit rock bottom finishing in last place with a franchise worst record of 17-57-6 record.

1986/87: At the age of 21 Steve Yzerman is named the youngest captain in team history by new Coach Jacques Demeres. The move would work as the Red Wings double their win total finishing in 2nd place with a 34-36-10 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings would make quick work of the Chicago Blackhawks sweeping them in 4 straight to reach their first Norris Division Final. In a Norris Division Final match up of resurgent teams the Red Wings overcome a 3-1 deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in 7 games to reach their first Conference Finals. In the Campbell Conference Finals the Red Wings take Game 1 by a score of 3-1 stunning the Oilers in Edmonton. However, the superior Oilers would roar back winning 4 straight on the way to their 3rd Stanley Cup in 4 years.

1987/88: The Red Wings win their first division title in 23 years topping the Norris Division with a solid 41-28-11 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings would knock off the Toronto Maple Leafs in 6 games to make the Norris Finals. In the Division finals the Red Wings would tally 21 goals in 5 games dispatching the St. Louis Blues to reach their 2nd straight Conference Finals. However, once again the Edmonton Oilers were too much to overcome as they fell in 5 games to arguably the greatest team in NHL history.

1988/89: Despite a mediocre 34-34-12 record the Red Wings win their 2nd straight Division Title as Steve Yzerman finishes 3rd in scoring. However, in the playoffs the Red Wings are beaten by the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games.

1989/90: The Red Wings suffer through a season and poor play as they miss the playoffs by finishing in last place with a 28-38-14 record. Following the season Coach Jacques Demers is fired and replaced by Bryan Murray.

1990/91: Red Army star Sergei Federov makes his debut, scoring 31 goals as the Red Wings rebound and make the playoffs by finishing in 3rd place with a 34-38-8 record. In the Playoffs the Red Wings were a goal scoring machine scoring 17 goals while jumping out to a 3-1 series lead over the St. Louis Blues. However, the Wings would only score 3 goals the rest of the way as they fell in 7 games.

1991/92: The Red Wings continue to raise among the NHL elites winning the Norris Division with an impressive 43-25-12 record. However in the playoffs the Red Wings would find themselves in 3-1 hole to the Minnesota North Stars. In a reversal of last year the Wings would rally to win next 3 outscoring the Stars 9-3. However, there would be no rally in the division finals as the Red Wings are swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in 4 straight.

1992/93: The Red Wings hit the 100-point make for the first time in 41 years as they finish in 2nd place with a 47-28-9 record. However, in the playoffs the Red Wings are knocked off in 7 games by the Toronto Maple Leafs losing the final game in overtime. Following the season the Wings would fire Coach Bryan Murray as they brought in legendary Coach Scotty Bowman.

1993/94: With a 46-30-8 record the Red Wings finish with best record in the Western Conference, as Sergei Fedarov wins the Hart Trophy. However, in the playoffs the Red Wings would be stunned by the San Jose Sharks in 7 games.

1994/95: In a season shortened to 48 games by a 4-month lockout the Red Wings capture the President's Trophy marking the best record in the NHL at 33-11-4. In the playoffs the Red Wings continued to soar beating the Dallas Stars in 5 games. In the 2nd round the Wings made up for their slip up the year before by sweeping the San Jose Sharks in 4 straight scoring 6 goals in each game to outscore the Sharks 24-6. In the Western Conference Finals the Red Wings remained the dominant force in hockey beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games to advance to their first final in 29 years. However, in the finals the Wings would be frustrated by the neutral zone trap employed by the New Jersey Devils, as they are swept in 4 straight.

1995/96: The Red Wings have one of the finest season in NHL history winning a record 62 games on the way to claiming their 2nd straight President's Trophy with a 62-13-7 record. In the playoffs the Red Wings would beat the lame duck Winnipeg Jets in 6 games. In the 2nd Round the Wings would be taken to the limit by the St. Louis Blues needing an overtime goal in Game 7 to win the series. However, the Red Wings lose the first 2 games in the Conference Finals at home to the Colorado Avalanche and never recover, falling in 6 games.

1996/97: After 2 straight President's Trophies the Red Wings finish in 2nd place in the Central Division with a 38-26-18 record. In the first round the Wings would beat the St. Louis Blues in 6 games. The Red Wings would pick up a full head of steam in the 2nd round sweeping the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as Mike Vernon established himself as the hot goalie. In a reversal of last year's Conference Finals the Red Wings take the first 2 games from the Avalanche in Colorado and would go on to win the series in 6 games. In the finals the Red Wings took command early beating the Flyers in the first 2 games in Philadelphia. As the series shifted back to Hockey Town USA the Wings went in for the kill completing the sweep to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. While Goalie Mike Vernon who out played Chris Osgood, to end the rotating goalie tandem was rewarded with Conn Smythe award for Playoff MVP. However the celebration would be short lived as star defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov are critically injured in a one-vehicle limousine accident following a team party. The limo driver was stoned on pot when he crashed the limo, but he would never face serious charges. Konstantinov would remain in a coma for months when he emerged he was left severely brain damaged, as was Mnatsakanov.

1997/98: Dedicating the entire season to Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov the Red Wings put together another solid season finishing 2nd place with a 44-23-15 record. With Mike Vernon traded before the season the Red Wings turned to Chris Osgood who played shaky in previous playoff tests. In the first round he showed a little of his shakiness as the Red Wings needed 6 games to knock off the Phoenix Coyotes. In the 2nd round Osgood played stronger as the Wings beat the ST. Louis Blues in 6 games. Facing the Dallas Stars who won the Presidents Trophy the Wings landed in the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2nd straight season as they knocked off the Stars in 6 games. With wheelchair ridden Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov on hand the Red Wings turned it up a notch crushing the Washington Capitals in 4 straight to win their 2nd straight Stanley Cup. Longtime fan favorite Steve Yzerman would be presented with the Conn Smythe. Also serving as Captain Stevie Y. when presented with Stanley Cup skated over and placed it in Konstantinov's lap as the entire team joined in for an emotional scene that touched fans throughout the sports world.

1998/99: In a quest to win a 3rd straight Stanley Cup the Red Wings finish in first place with a solid 43-32-7 record that lands them in first place in the Central Division. In the playoffs the Red Wings would get off to a fast start sweeping the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 4 straight. However, the Wings reign would be ended in the 2nd round as they fall in 6 games to the Colorado Avalanche.

1999/00: The Red Wings once again are one of the best team's in the NHL finishing 2nd in the Central Division with the 2nd best record in the NHL at 48-24-10 record. In the playoffs the Wings got off to a flying start again as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in 4 straight. However, the Wings would fall apart in the 2nd round losing in 5 games to the Colorado Avalanche.

2000/01: The Red Wings put together another solid season winning the Central Division with a 49-20-9-4 record. However, as the season ended the Red Wings aging veterans would go through string of injuries. As the playoffs began the injuries continued to mount up even claiming Steve Yzerman, as the Red Wings are beaten in 6 games by the Los Angeles Kings.

2001/02: After falling in the 1st Round the Red Wings retooled adding future Hall of Famers, Luc Robitalle, Brett Hull, and Dominick Hasek to a team already laden with future Hall of Famers. The Red Wings would get off to a fast start and would never look back easily establishing the best record in the NHL by the Olympic Break. After the Olympics the Wings put it to cruise control allowing injured players to rest up as they won the President's Trophy with a 51-17-10-4 record. However, in the playoffs the Wings remained in cruise control as they lost their fist 2 games to the Vancouver Canucks. However, in Game 3 Nicklas Lidstrom slap shot from center ice gave the Wings a lead and turned the entire series around; as the Wings went on to win in 6 games. In the 2nd Round the Wings really got rolling beating the St. Louis Blues in 5 games. In the Conference Finals the Wings found themselves in trouble again trailing the Colorado Avalanche 3 games to 2. Facing elimination the Wings would rally to win Game 6 on the road. IN Game 7 the Red Wings buried Colorado in Avalanche of goals winning 7-0 to advance to their 3rd finals in 5 years. In the Finals the Wings would suffer a setback losing Game 1 to Carolina Hurricanes in overtime. However, the Wings would shake it off and would win the next 4 games to win the Stanley Cup. Nicklas Lidstrom whose goal got the Wings started was named Conn Smythe, as legendary Coach Scotty Bowman retired during the on ice celebration. Following the season Goalie Dominick Hasek would also retire, but the Red Wings would quickly sign Curtis Joseph to replace him keeping them as the team to beat for the Stanley Cup.

2002/03: Under new Coach Dave Lewis the Red Wings remained a top contender in the NHL despite missing Steve Yzerman for the first 80% of the season, and a mediocre season from new goalie Curtis Joseph, posting a record of 48-20-10-4, good enough to win the Central Division. Along the way Brett Hull became the 6th player in NHL history to score 700 career goals in February 10th game against the San Jose Sharks at the Joe. In the playoffs the Red Wings were matched up against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, most thought it would be a cake walk for the defending champions, but after losing Game 1 in triple overtime 2-1, despite 64 shots on goal it was apparent the Wings were facing a tough task in Ducks goalie Jean-Sebatien Giguere. Game 2 would bring more frustration as the Ducks rallied to win 3-2 and take a 2-0 series lead to Anaheim. A year after rallying from 0-2 against the Vancouver Canucks the Red Wings hole would get deeper as they lost Game 3, by a score of 2-1 despite peppering Giguere with 37 shots. The Wings would not recover as they would lose overtime again 3-2 in Game 4, becoming the first defending champion in 52 years to be swept in the first round.

2003/04: The return of Goalie Dominick Hasek from a one year retirement had the Red Wings crowded in the net with 3 quality net minders, but the inability to trade Curtis Joseph forced them to send the one time star to the minors. Despite their solid net minders and solid team the Red Wings would get off to a slow start as they held a 6-7-1 record on November 8th. The Wings would begin to turn it around as November wore on but they would end up doping so with out Hasek who would end up being lost for the season after playing just 14 games to a groin injury. With the situation in the nets cleared up the Red Wings began to play better as Manny Legace slowly began to establish himself as the number one goalie with 23 wins and a 2.12 GAA as the Red Wings rose to the top of the NHL winning the President's Trophy for the second time in 3 years with a 48-21-11-2 record. Helping to lead the way was Kris Draper who with 40 goals and a +/- of +22 won the Selke Trophy as the game's top defensive forward. In the playoffs the Red Wings would avoid the home ice stagger of the previous two years winning the first two games against the Nashville Predators. However as the series shifted to the Music City the Wings would struggle losing both as the Predators in their first ever playoff appearance battled back to even the series. Seeking to give the Wings a jump start Legace was benched for CuJo in Game 5 and played solid in a 4-1 win as the Wings regained control of the series. Joseph would remain in the net for the remainder of the postseason as the Wings won the series in Game 6 with a 2-0 win. In the second round the Wings faced the Calgary Flames and were stunned in Game 1 as they lost in overtime 2-1.The Wings would rebound to win Game 2, and would split the next 2 games in Calgary as the series stood tied 2 apiece with Game 5 in Detroit. Gamer 5 would bring frustration for the Wings as they out shot the Flames 31-21, but could not get the puck in the net as they lost 1-0 on a 2nd Period goal by Craig Conroy. Game 6 in Calgary would be more of the same as the Wings were blanked again as the game went into overtime scoreless. In OT the Wings would suffer more heartbreak as they were eliminated 19:13 into extra time on a goal by Martin Gelinas.

2004/05: Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out

2005/06: Coming out of the Lock Out the Red Wings had a new coach in Mike Babcock, but the roster remained intact, as Steve Yzerman decided to return for one final season as the Red Wings Captain. The Wings jumped out of the gate fast and never looked back winning 12 of their first 13 games, as they spent the season in their familiar first place perch in the Central Division. November would see some bumps in the road and a scary moment as Defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered a seizure on the Wings bench and needed CPR with a defibrillator to be revived in a November 21st game against the Nashville Predators that was stopped just seven minutes of the game and later rescheduled. Fischer would not return, but the veteran Red Wings continued to roll using a balanced attack four players toped 80, including Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom who had a team high 64 assists while winning the Norris Trophy for the fourth time in five seasons. However, it was while the NHL was off for three weeks that Lidstrom played perhaps his best hockey as he dazzled during the Torino Olympics while leading Sweden along with fellow Wings Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Holmstr�m, and Niklas Kronwall to a Gold Medal. As the season wound down it was time to focus on Steve Yzerman who got standing ovations every game including on the road who scored 14 goals and ended his career with 692 goals all while playing for the Wings, where he served as Captain an incredible 20 years, while the Red Wings won the President's Trophy with a terrific record of 58-16-8. However, it would turnout to be the kiss of death as needed overtime to beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in Game 1 of the first round despite taking 57 shots. The Wings would pepper Oilers Goalie Dwayne Roloson all game, but they could not solve him, as the Oilers went on to win the next two games to take control of the series as the Wings were stunned in six games.

2006/07: After their playoff disappointment the Red Wings, made a goalie change, bringing back Dominick Hasek who back stopped the Wings 2002 Stanley Cup run, as Steve Yzerman passed the torch to Nicklas Lidstrom, who became the first new captain in 20 years. After a 3-4-1 start the Red Wings started flying winning nine in a row, as they battled the Nashville Predators for the top spot in the Central Division all season. At 24-9-5 the Wings entered 2007 as one of the top teams in the NHL, as longtime Captain Steve Yzerman returned January 2nd for a touching number retirement ceremony, with the a C added to the banner. Down the stretch the Wings, would get some extra help acquiring Todd Bertuzzi and Kyle Calder for the playoff run. The Wings would once again win the Division, and have the best record in the West as they barely missed the President's Trophy via tiebreaker with a 50-19-13 record, with Nicklas Lidstrom again winning the Norris Trophy for the fifth time in six seasons. Hoping to avoid another postseason letdown the Red Wings came out flying in Game 1 of their opening round series with the Calgary Flames winning 4-1 as they held a 46-20 Shot on Goal advantage. Game 2 was more of the same as they out shot the Flames 51-15 and took a 2-0 lead with a 3-1 win. However, as the series shifted to Calgary the Red Wings slipped losing the next two games 3-2, as they returned home in a must win Game 5. Returning to the Joe rejuvenated the Red Wings, as they again dominated from start to finish winning 5-1, as Henrick Zetterberg scored two goals. Game 6 would see the Wings get another big shot advantage as they peppered Miikka Kipprusoff with 55 shots. However, the Flames all-star goalie was able to keep the game tied 1-1 deep into overtime, where the Wings finally got out of the first round with a goal by Johan Franzen in double OT. In the second round against the San Jose Sharks, the Red Wings again out shot their opponent 34-19. However, on the scoreboard it did not register as Wings were shutout by Evegni Nabokov losing the opener 2-0. Game 2 would bring more frustration for the Red Wings as they trailed 2-1 entering the third period. However, the Wings would turn things around on a short handed goal by Daniel Cleary early in the period to tie the game, as Pavel Datsyuk scored the game winner with 1:24 left to even the series. After losing Game 3 in San Jose the Wings were in danger of falling behind in the series 3-1 as they trailed late in the 3rd period 2-1, when Robert Lang tied the game with 34 second left with the goalie pulled. In overtime it would be more heroics as Matthieu Schnieder scored on a power play to even the series at two games apiece. The win in Game 4 would be the jump start the Wings needed as they won the next two games easily to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals against the Anaheim Ducks. Things started well for the Wings as they took the opener 2-1 on a goal by Tomas Holmstrom with 4:54 left in the game. Game 2 would be a seesaw affair as both teams traded leads before the game went into overtime tied 3-3. However, the Wings would be clipped on a goal by Scott Niedermayer as the Ducks evened the series going back to Anaheim. In Game 3 the Red Wings were able to silence the crowd early as they dominated the game for start to finish winning 5-0. However, the Ducks would rebound to even the series again with a 5-3 win in Game 4. Leading 1-0 in Game 5 the Red Wings looked poised to take back control of the series when Pavel Datsyuk got called for interference with 1:47 remaining, the Ducks would take advantage of the situation tying the game on a goal by Scott Niedermayer with 48 seconds left. In OT it would be more frustration for Detroit as Teemu Selanne took the puck away from Andreas Lilja to win the game 2-1. The Wings would not recover as they lost Game 6 in Anaheim 4-3 to the Ducks who would go on to claim the Stanley Cup.