Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom highlight Red Wings’ NHL quarter-century team

The NHL unveiled the quarter-century team for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Featuring the top players to have worn the Winged Wheel over the past 25 years, the first team includes forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Steve Yzerman, and Henrik Zetterberg, defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Nicklas Lidstrom, and goaltender Chris Osgood.

Originally chosen in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL Draft, Datsyuk debuted with the Red Wings in 2001-02, beginning a 14-year run with the franchise that was underscored by Stanley Cup wins in 2002 and 2008. In all, Datsyuk amassed 314 goals and 604 assists for 918 points through 953 career contests. A defensive stalwart, Datsyuk was also a three-time Selke Trophy recipient with the Red Wings.

The second-highest scoring player in franchise history, Yzerman spent his entire career in Detroit, counting 1,514 appearances in which he amassed 692 goals and 1,063 assists for 1,755 points. Along the way, the Red Wings captain guided the franchise to three Stanley Cup championships, including back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.

Like Datsyuk, Zetterberg was a late choice in the NHL Draft, hearing his name called in the seventh round of the 1999 class. Upon arriving in Detroit, the Swedish-born forward spent 15 years with the franchise, making 1,082 career appearances in which he registered 337 goals with 623 assists to rank fifth in all-time scoring with 960 points. En route to the 2008 Stanley Cup win, Zetterberg took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after posting 27 points in 22 postseason appearances.

Among the top stay-at-home rearguards of his era, Kronwall spent 15 seasons with the Red Wings, totaling 953 appearances, the third-most among defensemen in franchise history. In his sophomore season, Kronwall helped the Red Wings capture the Stanley Cup, putting up 15 points in 22 games en route to the championship.

Arguably the greatest defenseman in NHL history, Lidstrom spent his entire career in Detroit, totaling 21 seasons and 1,564 appearances in which he amassed 264 goals and 878 assists for 1,142 points. Along the way, Lidstrom hoisted the Stanley Cup four times, while on seven occasions he took home the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s Defenseman of the Year. In 2002, Lidstrom was also named the playoff MVP after posting 16 points in 23 playoff outings. Today, Lidstrom remains the Red Wings’ all-time leader among defensemen in games played, goals, assists, and points.

The second-winningest netminder in franchise history, Osgood saw two separate stints with the Red Wings from 1993 to 2000 and again from 2005-11. Along the way, Osgood backstopped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup tites, coming in 1997, 1998, and 2008. Through 565 appearances with Detroit, Osgood recorded 317 wins. Osgood’s 67 playoff wins stand as a franchise record.

The Red Wings’ second team includes forwards Sergei Fedorov, Dylan Larkin, and Brendan Shanahan, defensemen Chris Chelios and Brian Rafalski, and goaltender Dominik Hasek.

Spending the first 13 seasons of his career with the Red Wings, Fedorov notched 400 goals and 554 assists through 908 career games. In all, he ranks sixth in franchise scoring with 954 points. In his fourth season, Fedorov was named the NHL’s regular season MVP after posting a career-high 120 points in 82 games. A three-time Stanley Cup winner with Detroit, Fedorov is the club’s third all-time leading scorer in the postseason with 163 points in 162 games.

Chosen 15th overall by Detroit in the 2014 NHL Draft, Larkin has spent his entire career with the Red Wings, where through 699 appearances he has recorded 232 goals with 317 assists for 549 points. Named the 37th captain in franchise history in 2021, Larkin has been a consistent offensive producer over his time in Detroit, already 12th in Red Wings’ all-time scoring.

Skating with the Red Wings from 1996 to 2002, Shanahan hoisted Lord Stanley on three occasions in Detroit. Through 716 career contests, Shanahan collected 309 goals with 324 assists to rank 10th in team scoring with 633 points, while his 74 points in 106 playoff appearances rank 12th all-time.

Patrolling the Red Wings’ blue line for nine seasons from 1998 to 2008, Chelios was a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Detroit. Along the way, the savvy rearguard made 578 total appearances in which he tallied 21 goals with 131 assists for 152 points. Chelios was also a plus-158 during his time in Detroit.

Spending the final four seasons of his career with the Red Wings, Rafalski began his time in Detroit on a high note, putting up 55 points in 73 regular-season appearances before adding another 14 points in 22 playoff matches to help the Red Wings hoist the Stanley Cup. A native of neighboring Dearborn, Mich., Rafalski’s four seasons in Detroit totaled 292 contests in which he collected 35 goals and 169 assists for 204 points, ninth all-time among Red Wings rearguards.

Spending two separate stints in the Red Wings’ crease from 2001-08, Hasek hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2002, putting together a dominant showing in the regular season in which he found the win column 41 times in only 65 outings before putting up a .920 save percentage alongside a 1.85 goals-against average en route to the Stanley Cup. Later returning to Detroit, Hasek took home one more Stanley Cup championship in 2008, a season in which he and Osgood also shared William M. Jennings Trophy recognition.