History of the Detroit Red Wings The history of the Detroit Red Wings begins with the Detroit Red Wings joining the National Hockey League ( NHL ) in 1926 . With the demise of the Western Canada Hockey League ( WCHL ) , the rights to the players of the Victoria Cougars , were purchased by a Detroit group . The new NHL franchise began play as the Detroit Cougars . In 1930 , the Cougars changed their name to the Detroit Falcons , and would settle as the Detroit Red Wings in 1933 . Since joining the league in 1926 , the Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup eleven times , their most recent title being in 2008 . Thirty - four Red Wings players and four builders have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . Founding . At the April 18 , 1926 NHL meetings to discuss expansion of the NHL , five applications were received from Detroit along with three from Chicago , one from Cleveland , one from New Jersey , one from Hamilton and one from New York . The New York application , to become the New York Rangers was approved . The NHL decided to investigate all applicants before deciding at their next meeting . At the time , it was known that the Western Canada Hockey League was folding . Other than the Rangers , there was opposition to adding any other teams to the NHL . The NHL constitution required unanimous approval on adding new teams and the New York Americans were opposed to the plan to add one team in Detroit and one in Chicago , as the Americans favoured two teams in Chicago . This was overcome at the May 2 , 1926 NHL meeting by amending the NHL constitution , which required only a 2 / 3 approval , to allow a simple majority vote for the approval of new teams and it became expected that Chicago and Detroit would receive franchises . At the meeting , what were now two competing syndicates vying for the Detroit franchise , one from Townsend and McCreath , and one from Bierer , were ordered to amalgamate by the NHL . The next day , May 3 , it was announced by Detroit promoters Morris Caplan and Morris Friedberg that they had purchased the 1925 Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars in expectation of a NHL franchise being awarded to them at NHL meetings later that month . Similarly , the Portland Rosebuds were also purchased that day by Chicago interests . On May 15 , 1926 , Detroit was tentatively awarded a NHL expansion team to a group of investors led by Townsend , Seyburn and McCreath , not Caplan and Friedberg , on condition of the arena being ready for the upcoming season . At the time , the arena was expected to be ready for December 1 . The Victoria Club was sold by Lester and Frank Patrick to the Townsend group for $ 100 , 000 , of which $ 25 , 000 went to Caplan and Friedberg . Although the arena was not ready , the franchise was permanently approved by the NHL on September 25 , 1926 . The franchise was established as the Detroit Cougars , retaining the Victoria name . However , the NHL does not consider the Red Wings to be a continuation of the Victoria team . Early seasons . 1926 - 1932 : Cougars and Falcons . Without a Detroit arena , the new Cougars played their first season in Windsor , Ontario at the Border Cities Arena . Frank Patrick of Victoria did not come east to manage Detroit . The Cougars signed former Calgary Tigers player Art Duncan to play and coach the team , but the NHL , in its distribution of WHL players ordered Detroit to send players Art Gagne and Fraser to the Chicago Black Hawks for Duncan . The Cougars finished their first season with a record of 12 wins , 28 losses and 4 ties for 28 points , the worst record in the American division and NHL . The next year , the 1927 – 28 season , the team moved into the Detroit Olympia , playing their first game on November 22 , 1927 . This building would be the home arena for the team until 1979 . Jack Adams joined the team at the start of the season as coach and general manager . Adams would be general manager of the team until 1963 . The Cougars finished with a record of 19 - 19 - 6 , moving up to fourth place in the American division . The Cougars made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 1929 with Carson Cooper leading the team in scoring . The Cougars were outscored 7 – 2 in the two - game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs . In 1930 the team changed its name to the Detroit Falcons as a result of a promotion with a newspaper . They would reach the NHL playoffs for the first time in 1929 , losing the series to the Toronto Maple Leafs . However , the team continued to have financial difficulties , and had been placed into receivership in 1931 before being sold in 1933 . 1932 - 1942 : The new Detroit Red Wings . The Falcons would again change their name in 1932 . At the suggestion of new owner James E . Norris , the team became known as the Detroit Red Wings . Norris chose the name as an homage to the hockey team he had been affiliated with , the Montreal Hockey Club , who were nicknamed the Winged Wheelers . He also designed the first logo for the Red Wings . Under the new name Red Wings , the team began to improve . Carl Voss was named the inaugural recipient of the Calder Trophy as rookie - of - the - year in 1932 – 33 . The team as a whole also began to enjoy success . They reached the 1934 Stanley Cup Finals , losing to the Chicago Black Hawks . In 1935 – 36 the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup for the first time , defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs . En route to the final , they played in the longest overtime game in NHL history , winning the first game of a semi - final match against the Montreal Maroons in the sixth overtime frame . The match lasted 176 minutes and 30 seconds of game time , ending when rookie Mud Bruneteau scored , giving Detroit a 1 - 0 win . In 1938 , the Wings and the Montreal Canadiens were the first NHL teams to play in Europe , playing in Paris , France and London , England . The Wings played nine games against the Canadiens and went 3 - 5 - 1 . The Wings did not play in Europe again until the preseason and start of the 2009 - 10 NHL season in Sweden against the St . Louis Blues . Original Six era . 1940s . They made the Stanley Cup Finals in three consecutive years during the early 1940s . In 1941 they were swept by the Boston Bruins , in 1942 they lost a seven - game series against Toronto in the finals after winning the first three games , but in 1943 , with Syd Howe and Mud Bruneteau scoring 20 goals apiece , Detroit won their third Cup by sweeping the Bruins . They remained a solid team through the rest of the decade , making the playoffs every year , and reaching the finals three more times . In 1946 , one of the greatest players in hockey history came into the NHL with the Red Wings . Gordie Howe , a right - winger from Floral , Saskatchewan , only scored seven goals and 15 assists in his first season and would not reach his prime for a few more years . It was also the last season as head coach for Adams , who stepped down after the season to concentrate on his duties as general manager . He was succeeded by minor league coach Tommy Ivan . By his second season , Howe was paired with Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay to form what would become one of the great lines in NHL history — the " Production Line " . Lindsay ' s 33 goals propelled the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals , where they were swept by the Maple Leafs . Detroit reached the Finals again the following season , only to be swept again by Toronto . 1950 – 66 : The Gordie Howe Era . The Wings returned to the top in 1950 , with Pete Babando scoring the game winner in double overtime of game 7 to beat the Rangers in the Finals . After the game , Lindsay skated around the Olympia ice with the Cup , beginning a tradition that continues today . After being upset by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1951 semifinals , Detroit won its fifth Cup in 1952 , sweeping both the Leafs and the Canadiens , with the Production Line of Howe , Abel and Lindsay joined by second - year goalie Terry Sawchuk . Detroit would become the first team in 17 years to go undefeated in the playoffs . They also scored an amazing 24 playoff goals , compared to Toronto and Montreal ' s combined total of 5 . Abel left the Wings for Chicago following the season , and his spot on the roster was replaced by Alex Delvecchio . James E . Norris died in December 1952 . He was succeeded as team president by his daughter , Marguerite — the first ( and as of the 2006 – 07 season , only ) woman to head an NHL franchise . She made no secret of her dislike for Adams . While she could have summarily fired him , since he was still without a contract , she chose not to do so . Following another playoff upset in 1953 at the hands of the Bruins , the Red Wings won back to back Stanley Cups in 1954 ; over Montreal , when Habs defenseman Doug Harvey redirected a Tony Leswick shot into his own net ; and 1955 ( also over Montreal in the full seven games ) . The 1954 – 55 season ended a run of eight straight regular season titles , an NHL record . Also during the 1955 off - season , Marguerite Norris lost an intrafamily power struggle , and was forced to turn over the Wings to younger brother Bruce , who had inherited his father ' s grain business . Detroit and Montreal once again met in the 1956 finals , but this time the Canadiens won the Cup , their first of five in a row . In 1957 Ted Lindsay , who scored 30 goals and led the league in assists with 55 , teamed up with Harvey to help start the NHL Players ' Association and , along with outspoken young netminder Glenn Hall , was promptly traded to Chicago ( which was owned by James D . Norris , Bruce ' s elder brother ) after his most productive year . This was one of several questionable trades made by Adams in the late 1950s . For example , a year earlier , he had traded Sawchuk to Boston ; while he managed to get Sawchuk back two years later , he had to trade up - and - coming John Bucyk to do it . It was one of the most one - sided trades in hockey history ; Bucyk went on to play 21 more years with the Bruins . The Wings lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Bruins . In 1959 the Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in 21 years . Within a couple of years , Detroit was rejuvenated and made the Finals for four of the next six years between 1961 and 1966 . However , despite having Delvecchio , Norm Ullman , Howe and Parker MacDonald as consistent goal - scorers , Lindsay ' s sudden one - year comeback in 1964 – 65 , and Sawchuk and later Roger Crozier between the pipes , the Wings came away empty - handed . Adams was fired as general manager in 1963 . He had coached for 15 years and served as general manager for 31 years on a handshake , and his 36 – year tenure as general manager is still the longest for any general manager in NHL history . 1967 Expansion to 1993 . 1967 – 82 : The " Dead Wings " Era . Only a year after making the Finals , the Red Wings finished a distant fifth , 24 points out of the playoffs . It was the beginning of a slump from which they would not emerge for almost 20 years . Between 1967 and 1983 , Detroit only made the playoffs twice , winning one series . From 1968 to 1982 , the Wings had 14 head coaches ( not counting interim coaches ) , with none lasting more than three seasons . In contrast , their first six full - time coaches – Art Duncan , Adams , Ivan , Jimmy Skinner and Abel – covered a 42 – year : period . During this dark era in franchise history , the team was derisively known as the " Dead Wings " or " Dead Things " . One factor was the end of the old " development " system , which allowed Adams to get young prospects to commit to playing for Detroit as early as their 16th birthday . Another factor was Ned Harkness , who was hired as coach in 1970 and was promoted to general manager midway through the season . A successful college hockey coach , Harkness tried to force his two - way style of play on a veteran Red Wings team resistant to change . The Wings chafed under his rule in which he demanded short hair , no smoking , and put other rules in place regarding drinking and phone calls . Harkness was forced to resign in 1973 . In the " expansion season " of 1967 – 68 , the Red Wings also acquired longtime star left - winger Frank Mahovlich from the defending Cup champs in Toronto . Mahovlich would go on a line with Howe and Delvecchio , and in 1968 – 69 , he scored a career - high 49 goals and had two All - Star seasons in Detroit . But this could not last . Mahovlich was traded to Montreal in 1970 , and Howe retired after the 1970 – 71 season . Howe returned to pro hockey shortly after to play with his two sons Mark and Marty Howe ( Mark would later join the Red Wings at the end of his career ) in the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972 . Through the decade , with Mickey Redmond having two 50 – goal seasons and Marcel Dionne starting to reach his prime ( which he did not attain until he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings ) , a lack of defensive and goaltending ability continually hampered the Wings . During 1979 – 80 , the Wings left the Olympia for Joe Louis Arena . In 1982 , after 50 years of family ownership , Bruce Norris sold the Red Wings to Mike Ilitch , founder of Little Caesars Pizza . 1983 – 1993 : The Yzerman Era Begins . In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman , a center from Cranbrook , British Columbia , Canada . He led the team in scoring in his rookie year , and started the Wings ' climb back to the top . That season , with John Ogrodnick scoring 42 times and Ivan Boldirev and Ron Duguay also with 30 – goal seasons , Detroit made the playoffs for the first time in six years . Defenseman Brad Park , acquired from the Boston Bruins in the 1983 free - agent market , also helped the Wings reach the postseason and ended up winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy the same season . Later Park was asked to coach the Wings , but was sacked after 45 games in 1985 – 86 . He admitted , “ I took over a last - place team , and I kept them there . ” They did indeed end up in the basement with a 17 – 57 – 6 record for only 40 points . This was the same year that the Wings added enforcer Bob Probert , one of the most familiar faces of the Wings in the 1980s and 1990s . By 1987 , with Yzerman joined by Petr Klima , Adam Oates , Gerard Gallant , defenceman Darren Veitch and new head coach Jacques Demers , the Wings won a playoff series for only the second time in the modern era . They made it all the way to the conference finals against the powerful and eventual Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers , but lost in five games . In 1988 they won their first division title in 23 years ( since 1964 – 65 , when they finished first in a one - division league ) . They did so , however , in a relatively weak division ; no other team in the Norris finished above . 500 . As was the case in the previous season , they made it to the conference finals only to lose again to the eventual cup champion Oilers in five games . In 1989 , Yzerman scored a career - best 65 goals , but Detroit was upset in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks . The following season Yzerman scored 62 goals , but the team missed the playoffs . Rumors spread that maybe " Stevie Wonder " should be traded . But it was Demers , not Yzerman , who got the pink slip . New coach Bryan Murray was unable to get them back over . 500 , but they returned to the playoffs . Yzerman was joined by Sergei Fedorov , who would be an award - winner and frequent all - star for the team in the 1990s . In 1992 , the team acquired Ray Sheppard , who had a career - best 52 goals two years later ; and in ' 93 , top defenseman Paul Coffey . Also joining the Red Wings around this time were draft picks like Slava Kozlov , Darren McCarty , Vladimir Konstantinov , and Nicklas Lidstrom . 1994 to present . 1994 – 2004 : The Russian Five and return to glory . The Yzerman trade rumors ended very soon after Scotty Bowman got behind the Motown bench in 1993 . In his second season , the lockout - shortened 1994 – 95 NHL season , he guided Detroit to its first Finals appearance in 29 years , only to be promptly swept by the New Jersey Devils . The Wings kept adding more star power , picking up Slava Fetisov , Igor Larionov , and goaltender Mike Vernon in trades and winning an NHL record 62 games in 1996 . After defeating the St . Louis Blues ( with a Game 7 , double - overtime goal by Yzerman ) , the Wings would fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche ( formerly Quebec Nordiques ) . The following year , Detroit , joined by Brendan Shanahan and Larry Murphy during the season , once again reached the Finals in 1997 . After defeating the St . Louis Blues in six games , the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Colorado Avalanche in the first three rounds , the Wings went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games in the Stanley Cup Finals . It was the Wings ' first Stanley Cup since 1955 , breaking the longest drought ( 42 years long ) in the league at that time . Mike Vernon accepted the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 1997 playoffs . Tragedy struck the Wings six days after their championship ; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov , one of the " Russian Five " , suffered a brain injury in a limousine accident , and his career came to an abrupt end . Wings trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov suffered similar injuries . Red Wings defenseman Slava Fetisov was also injured in the accident , but was released from the hospital the next day . The Red Wings dedicated the 1997 – 98 season , which also ended in a Stanley Cup victory ( another sweep , this time over the Washington Capitals ) , to Konstantinov , who came out onto the ice in his wheelchair on victory night to touch the Cup . Yzerman , who had won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason Most Valuable Player that year , immediately gave the Cup to Konstantinov after he hoisted it . He later reported that he had intended to pass it to goalie Chris Osgood for his stellar surprise performance . " Not very often does a moment in hockey transcend sports , " remarked Brendan Shanahan later . The following season , the Wings looked poised to " three - peat " for the first time in franchise history , acquiring three - time top blueliner Chris Chelios from his hometown Chicago Blackhawks in March 1999 , but it was not to be as they would end up losing the Western Conference Semifinals to Colorado in six games . The Wings had built up a fierce rivalry with the Avalanche in this time . With the Red Wings beating the Avs in the third round in 1997 , and Colorado beating Detroit in the second round in both 1999 and 2000 , the battles between these two teams had become one of the fiercest in sports . During a game on March 26 , 1997 , a brawl ensued between Colorado goalie Patrick Roy and his Detroit counterpart Mike Vernon . In a separate fight , Darren McCarty paid back Avalanche player Claude Lemieux for his hit from behind on Kris Draper the year before . Fittingly , it was Darren McCarty who scored the overtime goal to give the Red Wings the 6 – 5 victory in the game that became known as " Fight Night at the Joe . " In 2001 , Detroit , the league ' s second - best team in the regular season , were upset in the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings . During the summer that followed , they acquired legendary goalie Dominik Hasek ( the defending Vezina Trophy winner ) in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres . They also landed left - wing Luc Robitaille and right - wing Brett Hull through free agency . Rookie center Pavel Datsyuk joined the Wings from the Russian Super League the same year . The Wings became the hands - down favorite to win the Cup in 2002 . They did not disappoint , posting the league ' s best record in the regular season and defeating Colorado in seven games in the Western Conference Finals after beating the Vancouver Canucks and St . Louis Blues in rounds one and two . The Red Wings went on to capture another Cup in five games over the Cinderella - story Carolina Hurricanes , with Nicklas Lidstrom winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff ' s Most Valuable Player . Bowman and Hasek both elected to retire after the season . Yzerman , Hull , and Robitaille were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 . The 2003 season saw the Red Wings promote associate coach Dave Lewis to the head coach position after Bowman ' s retirement . Needing a new starting goaltender after Hasek ' s retirement , the Red wings signed Curtis Joseph from the Toronto Maple Leafs to a three year , $ 24 million deal . Also new to the lineup was highly touted Swedish prospect Henrik Zetterberg . The Red Wings finished the season second in the Western Conference and third overall in the NHL . The Red Wings were favored in their first round matchup against the 7th seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . But the Ducks shocked the hockey world by sweeping the Red Wings in four games , thanks in large part to the strong performance of Ducks goaltender J . S . Giguere . The Ducks later advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals , where they lost in Game 7 to the New Jersey Devils . Longtime Wing Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks as a free agent during the offseason , after a long contract dispute . More importantly , Dominik Hasek decided to come out of retirement , and joined the Wings for the 2003 – 04 season . The Wings also added defenseman Derian Hatcher from the Dallas Stars via free agency , as well as forward Ray Whitney from the Columbus Blue Jackets . Joseph , despite being one of the highest - paid players in the NHL , had to spend part of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins , Detroit ' s American Hockey League affiliate . The Wings attempted to trade him ; but , perhaps because of his large contract , there were no suitors . Ultimately , Hasek called it quits after just 14 games because of a groin injury , and Joseph became the Wings ' No . 1 goalie again , and helped lead the team to the top of the Central Division and the National Hockey League standings . Hatcher was also injured just a few games into the regular season with a torn MCL . Hatcher would not return until the end of the regular season . The Wings acquired veteran center Robert Lang from the Capitals at the trade deadline . The Red Wings eliminated the Nashville Predators in six games in the first round of the playoffs , which led to a second round matchup with the Calgary Flames . In Game 5 , with the series tied at two games apiece , a deflected puck struck Steve Yzerman in the left eye , sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs . The Red Wings lost that game 1 – 0 , and were eliminated the next game in Calgary by the same score in overtime . While the Red Wings have remained one of the NHL ' s strongest franchises with regard to finances , it was estimated that they could only be profitable if they advanced to the Conference Finals in the playoffs . During the 2004 offseason , the Wings focused on keeping players they already had instead of being active on the free agent market . They re - signed Frank J . Selke Trophy - winning forward Kris Draper , who had just had a career season , to a four - year deal , and captain Yzerman to a one - year deal . They also re - signed Brendan Shanahan , Jiri Fischer , Jason Williams , and Mathieu Dandenault as well head coach Dave Lewis . Deals were not reached with veteran defensemen Chris Chelios and Mathieu Schneider or star forward Pavel Datsyuk before the NHL owners triggered their lockout on September 15 . There also was a parting of ways with veteran forward Brett Hull , who signed with the Phoenix Coyotes as did forward Boyd Devereaux . 2005 and beyond : New era for Detroit . On July 15 , 2005 , Mike Babcock , former head coach in Anaheim , became the new head coach for the Wings . On August 8 , the Wings brought back goaltender Chris Osgood , who had spent time with the New York Islanders and St . Louis Blues since his last stint in Detroit , by signing him to a one - year contract . Approximately fourteen minutes into a game on November 21 , 2005 against the Nashville Predators , defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered a seizure and collapsed on the bench . His heart had stopped , and he was resuscitated by CPR and an AED . The game was canceled because of his injury , and was made up on January 23 , 2006 . This was the first time in NHL history a game had been postponed by injury . The game was played for the full 60 minutes ; however , the Predators were allowed to maintain their 1 – 0 lead from the original game and won , 3 – 2 . For the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino , Italy , the NHL again agreed to allow players to participate for their home countries . The Red Wings sent 10 players to the competition . Gold medal winners from Team Sweden included Lidstrom , Henrik Zetterberg , Mikael Samuelsson , Tomas Holmstrom , and Niklas Kronwall . Robert Lang represented the Bronze medal winning Team Czech Republic . The Red Wings won the Presidents ' Trophy with a 58 – 16 – 8 record , earning them 124 points . ( NHL Standings ) , and secured home ice advantage for the entire playoffs . The Detroit Red Wings opened the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers with a 3 – 2 overtime victory at Joe Louis Arena . However , the Oilers won 4 of the next 5 games to take the series . After the playoffs , Detroit management informed goaltender Manny Legace that he would not be a part of the team next season , while Chris Osgood and Nicklas Lidstrom signed 2 – year extensions . Continuing the shakeup of the Red Wings roster , July 9 brought the signing of alternate captain Brendan Shanahan to a free agent deal with the New York Rangers after spending the previous 9 seasons with the club . Shanahan turned down equal offers from the Wings and Montreal Canadiens to sign with the Rangers , stating that he felt he was part of the Red Wings past , not future . July 31 brought the re - signing of Dominik Hasek to a one - year deal from the Ottawa Senators , marking the beginning of his third stint with the Wings . Perhaps the biggest change to the roster in the off season was the announcement that Steve Yzerman would retire from playing hockey after playing 23 seasons with the Wings . He subsequently was offered the job of Vice President of Operations , and remained with the team . Not long after , it was announced that Yzerman ' s number 19 would be retired during the following season . Yzerman retired with the distinction of having been the longest serving team captain in NHL history . The Red Wings opened the 2006 – 07 season with Steve Yzerman " passing the torch " to Nicklas Lidstrom when Lidstrom was named Captain for the 2006 – 07 season . The Red Wings retired Steve Yzerman ' s jersey number 19 on January 2 before a game with the Anaheim Ducks . The Red Wings hold the longest current playoff streak of all professional North American sports teams , at 19 consecutive seasons . At the 2007 NHL trade deadline , the Wings acquired forwards Kyle Calder and the injured Todd Bertuzzi . Calder came to Detroit in return for Jason Williams . Bertuzzi was acquired from the Florida Panthers for conditional draft picks and prospect Shawn Matthias . That April , the Wings signed Pavel Datsyuk to a seven - year contract extension , along with re - signing gritty forward Kirk Maltby to a three - year deal . The Wings finished first in the Western Conference and tied for first in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres , but the Sabres were awarded the Presidents ' Trophy by virtue of having the greater number of wins . Game 1 of the opening round saw the Red Wings ' 452 – game home sellout streak ( dating back to December 10 , 1996 ) come to end with an announced crowd of 19 , 204 . They advanced to the third round of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs after defeating the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks both in six games , coming back three straight after the Sharks ' 2 – 1 series lead . The Red Wings lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winning team - the Anaheim Ducks , in the Western Conference Finals four games to two . In doing so , the 2007 Playoffs marked the most successful run for Detroit since their 2002 Stanley Cup Championship , finishing two games away from a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals . On July 1 , free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider signed a deal with the Ducks . However , Detroit filled the void by immediately signing former New Jersey Devil and Dearborn , Michigan native Brian Rafalski to a 5 – year deal . A short time later , Todd Bertuzzi followed in Schneider ' s footsteps to a free agent deal with Anaheim . Kyle Calder signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Kings and Robert Lang signed with the Chicago Blackhawks . The Red Wings then signed former St . Louis Blues captain Dallas Drake to a 1 year deal . Drake was originally drafted by Detroit in 1989 and played for them from 1992 – 1994 before being traded to Winnipeg . To start the 2007 – 2008 campaign , Henrik Zetterberg recorded at least a point in each of Detroit ' s first 16 games , setting a club record . At the 2008 trade deadline , the Red Wings announced that they had signed former Wing Darren McCarty to a one year contract for the remainder of the season . The Red Wings also acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a second - round pick in 2008 and a fourth - round pick in 2009 . Nearing the end of the 2007 – 2008 season , Detroit signed Michigan State University senior Justin Abdelkader to a three - year contract . The Red Wings won their eleventh Stanley Cup on June 4 , 2008 , against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 3 - 2 . This was their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years . Henrik Zetterberg scored the Stanley Cup winning goal and was also named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European Captain to win the Stanley Cup . On July 2 , 2008 , the Detroit Red Wings announced the signing on unrestricted free agent Marian Hossa to a one year deal worth approximately $ 7 . 4 million . Hossa was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that the Red Wings defeated in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final . Hossa reportedly turned down several other longer termed and higher paid offers from other teams to join the Red Wings , stating that he felt Detroit gave him his best opportunity to win a Stanley Cup . The Red Wings also re - signed free agents Brad Stuart and Valtteri Filppula to four and five year deals , respectively . The Red Wings also signed goaltender Ty Conklin to a one year deal upon the retirement of Dominik Hasek ; Conklin was also a member of the Penguins the previous season along with Hossa . Winger Dallas Drake announced his retirement in July , and in early August it was announced that former coach Scotty Bowman had taken a senior advisor position with the Chicago Blackhawks , citing the opportunity to work with his son ( Chicago assistant GM Stan Bowman ) was too good to pass up . From the beginning of the 2008 – 09 season to New Year ' s Day , the Wings enjoyed success , although second to the San Jose Sharks . On January 1 , 2009 , the Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks in the third NHL Winter Classic at Chicago ' s Wrigley Field , beating them 6 - 4 . Ty Conklin was the starting goaltender for the Red Wings ; he also started in net for the 2003 and 2008 Winter Classic . In those games , he played for the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins , respectively . It was announced in February 2009 that the Red Wings would start the 2009 – 10 season in Stockholm , Sweden against the St . Louis Blues inside the Globe Arena . At the time of the announcement , 8 of Detroit ' s players were from Sweden : Jonathan Ericsson , Johan Franzen , Tomas Holmstrom , Niklas Kronwall , Mikael Samuelsson , Andreas Lilja , Henrik Zetterberg and team captain Nicklas Lidstrom . On March 15 , 2009 , the Red Wings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets to became the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons , breaking a tie with the Montreal Canadiens ( 1974 – 75 through 1981 – 82 ) . The Red Wings entered the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference , second only to the San Jose Sharks , as well as heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup for a second consecutive year . They were matched up with the Columbus Blue Jackets , appearing in their first ever postseason . The Red Wings handily won the first three games of the series and , in a back and forth Game 4 , swept Columbus out of the playoffs with a 6 - 5 win . With the series win , the Red Wings become the first defending Stanley Cup champions to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs since the Colorado Avalanche in 2002 . The Red Wings next matchup were the 8th seeded Anaheim Ducks , who had upset the first seeded San Jose Sharks in six games . The teams split the first two games in Detroit before Anaheim took a 2 - 1 series lead in Game 3 , which featured a controversial non - call on a would - be tying Detroit goal by Marian Hossa with under a minute remaining in regulation . Detroit would bounce back to tie the series with a Game 4 win , and then took a 3 - 2 series lead in Detroit after a win in Game 5 . Anaheim was able to avoid elimination with a victory in Game 6 , which set up the deciding Game 7 in Detroit . With the teams tied 3 - 3 , Detroit ' s Daniel Cleary scored the winning goal with three minutes remaining to eliminate Anaheim and send Detroit to the Western Conference Finals against their fellow Original 6 rivals , the Chicago Blackhawks . Through the first four games of the series , Detroit achieved a 3 - 1 lead setting up the potential game - deciding Game 5 in Detroit , where the Red Wings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 2 - 1 overtime victory , the winner being scored by Darren Helm . The Red Wings would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Finals for a second consecutive year , but this series would feature a different outcome . Detroit missed a chance to win the Stanley Cup on Pittsburgh ice in Game 6 , setting up a Game 7 showdown at Joe Louis Arena . Pittsburgh defeated the Red Wings by a score of 2 - 1 , becoming only the 2nd NHL team to lose The Cup at home in Game 7 . During the 2009 offseason , the Red Wings were unable due to league salary cap restrictions to re - sign forward Marian Hossa who signed 12 year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks . The Red Wings decided to give Jimmy Howard a chance as NHL goaltender so they did not resign Ty Conklin who departed to the St . Louis Blues . The Wings would sign Patrick Eaves and three former Red Wings Andy Delmore , Jason Williams and Todd Bertuzzi to deals as well as resigning Ville Leino . The Red Wings began the 2009 - 10 NHL Season in Stockholm , Sweden , falling in both games to the St . Louis Blues by scores of 4 - 3 and 5 - 3 , respectively . During the first month of the season , the Red Wings would lose three of their top players to injury as Johan Franzen would have a knee injury in their home opener at Joe Louis Arena , Valtteri Filppula with a broken wrist at Rexall Place in Edmonton and Jason Williams to a broken leg in Toronto . However aside from all the injuries the Red Wings have maintained a winning record , they also claimed Drew Miller off of waivers in November 2009 . Against the Canadiens on November 21 , the injury - riddled Wings would lose 2nd line defenseman Nicklas Kronwall to a sprained MCL as a result of a knee - on - knee hit by Montreal enforcer Georges Laraque . This resulted in a five game suspension for Laraque