Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit , Michigan . They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The club is one of the Original Six teams of the NHL . The Red Wings are one of the most popular hockey franchises in North America , so much that Detroit is nicknamed " Hockeytown " by the fans and analysts . The Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships ( 11 ) of any NHL franchise based in the United States , and are third overall in total NHL championships , behind the Montreal Canadiens ( 24 ) and Toronto Maple Leafs ( 13 ) . They currently play home games in the 20 , 066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium . From 1933 – 34 to 1965 – 66 , the Red Wings only missed the playoffs four times . After almost two decades as an also - ran , the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 23 of the last 25 seasons , including the last 17 in a row ( including the current season ) . This is the longest current streak of post - season appearances in all of American professional sports . Franchise history . 1925 – 49 : Early years . When the Western Canada Hockey League folded after the 1925 – 26 WHL season , a deal was made , so that a new NHL expansion franchise in Detroit bought the rights to the players of one of the most successful of the teams in that league , the 1925 Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars . However , the NHL does not consider the Red Wings to be a continuation of the Victoria team . Since no arena in " Motown " was ready at the time , the new Detroit Cougars ( named in Victoria ' s honor ) played their first season in Windsor , Ontario at the Border Cities Arena . For the 1927 – 28 season , the Cougars moved into the new Detroit Olympia , which would be their home rink until December 15 , 1979 . This was also the first season behind the bench for Jack Adams , who would be the face of the franchise for the next 36 years as either coach or general manager . 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 Cougars were renamed the Falcons , but their woes continued , as they usually finished near the bottom of the standings , even though they made the playoffs again in 1932 . NHL president Frank Calder sought a way to extinguish this league , and convinced the other owners of the NHL to let grain merchant James E . Norris buy the Falcons . Norris had made two previous unsuccessful bids to buy an NHL team . Norris ' first act was to choose a new name - - the Red Wings . Earlier in the century , Norris had played on one of hockey ' s early powers , the Montreal HC , nicknamed the " Winged Wheelers . " Because of the team ’ s location in Detroit , the Motor City , Norris transformed the club ' s logo into the first version of the Red Wings logo as it is known today . He also gave Adams a year on his job on probation . The renamed franchise won its first playoff series in the NHL , over the now - defunct Montreal Maroons . They lost in the semi - finals against the New York Rangers . In 1934 the Wings made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time , with John Sorrell scoring 21 goals over 47 games and Larry Aurie leading the team in scoring . However , the Chicago Blackhawks had an easy time with Detroit in the finals , winning the best - of - five series in four games and winning their own first title . The Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 1936 , defeating Toronto in four games . Detroit repeated its championship season in 1937 , winning over the Rangers in the full five games . 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 , ironically , 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 – 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 , and to this day Red Wings fans consider his tenure ( known as the " Darkness with Harkness " ) to be the lowest point in team history . 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 – 93 : The Yzerman Era . In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman , a center from Nepean , Ontario . 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 made it to the semifinals for the first time in the modern era , losing in five games to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers . In 1988 they won their first division title in 23 years ( since 1964 – 65 , when they finished first in a one - division league ) , but lost to the Oilers in a five - game semifinal series . 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 netted 62 goals , but the team missed the playoffs for what turned out to be the last time to date . Rumors spread that maybe " Stevie Wonder " should be traded . But it was coach , Jacques Demers , who got the pink slip . The Red Wings have not missed the playoffs since . Yzerman was joined by Sergei Fedorov ( who defected from the USSR ) , 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 – 2004 : The Russian Five & 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 Viacheslav 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 St . Louis Blues in 6 games , Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Colorado Avalanche in the first 3 rounds , the Wings went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in 4 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 , both now retired , 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 playoffs Most Valuable Player . Bowman and Hasek both elected to retire after the season . 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 . This caused a problem for the Wings , as Joseph still had 2 years remaining on his contract . 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 . 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 ( Lidstrom Era ) . On July 15 , 2005 , Mike Babcock , former bench boss 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 automated external defibrillator ( 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 17 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 1st , 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 17 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 . 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 . In 2012 , Lidstrom retired , Henrik Zetterberg is the new Captain . Team information . Uniforms . The Red Wings , like all NHL teams , updated their jerseys ( traditionally known in hockey as " sweaters " ) to the new Rbk Edge standard for the 2007 – 08 NHL season . The Red Wings kept their design as close as possible , with a few exceptions : On the road ( white ) jersey , there is more red on the sleeves as the color panel begins closer to the shoulder . The white sleeve numbers on both jerseys were also moved up a bit , creating more red space between the bottom of the number and the wraparound white trim . The letters of the captain and alternate captains were moved to the player ' s right shoulder ; Detroit is the only team in the league that made this change , although the 2008 NHL All Star jerseys featured this as well . All teams now have an NHL shield panel on the front of the jersey near the collar , and a rounded hemline at the bottom of the jersey which goes up at the hips , providing more mobility . The Red Wings have not used any alternate logos or uniforms since the trend became popular in the 1990s , the sole exceptions were select games of the 1991 - 92 season commemorating the league ' s 75th Anniversary , and for a commemorative game in 1994 at Chicago Stadium . Alternate jerseys for the RBK Edge system are expected for 2008 - 2009 , but Detroit has thus far opted not to use alternates . Fan tradition : The Octopus . The " Legend of the Octopus " is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings home playoff games , in which an octopus is thrown onto the ice surface for good luck . During the playoffs , Joe Louis Arena is generally adorned with a giant octopus with red eyes , nicknamed " Al " after Joe Louis Arena head ice manager Al Sobotka . The 1952 playoffs featured the start of the tradition — the octopus throw . The owner of a local fish market , Peter Cusimano , threw one from the stands onto the ice . The eight legs were purportedly symbolic of the eight wins it took to win the Stanley Cup at the time . The Red Wings went on to sweep both of their opponents that year en route to a Stanley Cup championship . The NHL has , at various times , tried to eliminate this tradition but it continues to this day . There is a certain etiquette that must be followed for fans that wish to throw octopuses onto the ice . The most appropriate time to throw an octopus onto the ice is after the national anthem is sung or after the Red Wings have scored a goal . Under these circumstances , the eight - legged creature must be thrown onto the ice surface in an area that is clear of all players . It is never acceptable to aim for opposing players . Beforehand , octopuses are usually boiled in by fans to reduce the amount of " slime " coating and facilitate the time it takes to clean up the ice and prevent further delay . Since Joe Louis Arena does not condone the throwing of any foreign objects onto the ice , fans often sneak the sea creatures in wrapped around their bellies in trash bags . The boiling process also lessens the odor and allows the fans to get past security . Tactics are also used to protect the identity of octopus - throwers from arena security . It is common practice for the hurler to ask the surrounding people to stand up with him to shroud the task in anonymity . Al Sobotka is the man responsible for removing the thrown creatures from the ice . He is known for swinging the tossed octopuses above his head when walking off the ice . On April 19 , 2008 , NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell sent a memo to the Detroit Red Wings organization that forbids Zamboni drivers from cleaning up any octopuses thrown onto the ice and that violating the mandate would result in a $ 10 , 000 fine . Instead , it will be the linesmen who will perform this duty . In an email to the Detroit Free Press NHL spokesman Frank Brown justified the ban because " matter flies off the octopus and gets on the ice " when Al Sobotka does it . This ban , however , was later loosened to allow for the octopus twirling to take place at the zamboni entrance . Radio and television . The flagship radio stations are WXYT - AM 1270 and WXYT - FM 97 . 1 . Games are carried on both stations unless there ' s a conflict with Detroit Lions football or Detroit Tigers baseball . There are several affiliate stations The television rights are held by FSN Detroit . Broadcasters : During many home games on FSN Detroit where Ken Daniels in the booth as play - by - play , and Larry Murphy provides analysis " between the benches " during games . Table key . < noinclude > Notable players . Team captains . < br clear = " all " > Honored members . " Hall of Famers " : Players < br clear = " all " > Staff " Retired numbers " : First - round draft picks . < br clear = " all " > Franchise scoring leaders . These are the top - ten point - scorers in franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season . " Note : Pos = Position ; GP = Games Played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; P / G = Points per game ; * = current Red Wings player " Franchise individual records . " This is a partial list . For the more franchise records , see Detroit Red Wings Records "