Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit , Michigan . They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL , along with the Toronto Maple Leafs , Montreal Canadiens , New York Rangers , Boston Bruins , and Chicago Blackhawks . , 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 play home games in the 20 , 066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium . The Red Wings are one of the most popular franchises in the NHL , and fans and commentators refer to Detroit and its surrounding areas as " Hockeytown " , which has been a registered trademark owned by the franchise since 1996 . Between the 1933 – 34 and 1965 – 66 seasons , the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times . Between the 1966 – 67 and 1990 – 91 seasons , the Red Wings made the playoffs only eight times in 25 seasons . During the last 11 years of this stretch , only five of the league ' s 21 teams did not make the postseason , yet the Wings still managed to miss the playoffs five times . This rough period for the team provoked the nickname of the " Dead Wings . " Near the end of that 25 - year period , however , the Red Wings advanced to the conference finals twice . Since then the Red Wings have been one of the most successful NHL teams in the last quarter century , with six regular season first place finishes , and winning the Stanley Cup four times in six Finals appearances . They have made the playoffs in 28 of the last 30 seasons ; their playoff streak currently stands at 23 in a row ( 1991 – 2014 ) , which is the longest current streak of post - season appearances in all of North American professional sports . Franchise history . 1926 – 49 : Early years . Following the 1926 Stanley Cup playoffs , during which the Western Hockey League was widely reported to be on the verge of folding , the NHL held a meeting on April 17 to consider applications for expansion franchises , at which it was reported that five different groups sought a team for Detroit . During a subsequent meeting on May 15 , the league approved a franchise to the Townsend - Seyburn group of Detroit and named Charles A . Hughes as governor . Frank and Lester Patrick , the owners of the WHL , made a deal to sell the league ' s players to the NHL and cease league operations . The new Detroit franchise purchased the players of the folded Victoria Cougars ( Winner of the 1925 Stanley Cup ) WHL club to play for the team . The new Detroit franchise also adopted the Cougars ' nickname in honor of the folded franchise . Since no arena in Detroit was ready at the time , the Cougars 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 27 , 1979 . This was also the first season behind the bench for Jack Adams , who would be the face of the franchise 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 . In 1932 , the NHL let grain merchant James E . Norris , who had made two previous unsuccessful bids to buy an NHL team , purchase the Falcons . Norris ' first act was to choose a new name for the team – the Red Wings . Earlier in the century , Norris had been a member of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association , a sporting club with cycling roots . The MAAA ' s teams were known by their club emblem and these Winged Wheelers were the first winners of the Stanley Cup in 1893 . Norris decided that a version of their logo was perfect for a team playing in the Motor City and on October 5 , 1932 the club was renamed the Red Wings . Norris also placed coach Jack Adams on a one - year probation for the 1932 – 33 NHL season . Adams managed to pass his probationary period by leading the renamed franchise to first ever playoff series victory over the Montreal Maroons . Despite this success , the team lost in the semi - finals to 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 Black Hawks defeated 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 as Stanley Cup champions in 1937 , winning over the Rangers in the full five games . In 1938 , the Wings and the Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL teams to play in Europe , playing in Paris and London . The Wings played nine games against the Canadiens and went 3 - 5 - 1 ; they did not play in Europe again until the preseason and start of the 2009 - 10 NHL season in Sweden against the St . Louis Blues . The Wings made the Stanley Cup Finals in three consecutive years during the early 1940s . In 1941 they were swept by the Boston Bruins , and in 1942 they lost a seven - game series to Toronto after winning the first three games . However , in 1943 , with Syd Howe and Mud Bruneteau scoring 20 goals apiece , Detroit won their third Cup by sweeping the Bruins . Through the rest of the decade , the team made the playoffs every year , and reached 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 won the Stanley Cup again 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 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 , beating the rival powerhouse Montreal Canadiens . Both of the Stanley Cup finals played between the two teams were decided in seven games . The 7th final game during the 1953 - 1954 finals was won with one of the oddest cup winning goals ever , when the pesky 5 ' 7 " left winger Tony Leswick , known more for his relentless checking than scoring prowess , shot a puck towards the Montreal goal from the middle of the ice . Habs defenseman Doug Harvey tried to gain control of the wobbly puck with his glove , but instead redirected it past Montreal goalie Gerry McNeil . The repeat of the series the season after was another nailbiter , as all of the games were won by their respective home teams , with Detroit taking the 7th game at home . Montreal was sorely lacking its all - star Maurice Richard , who was suspended after hitting a linesman during the regular season , and the Red Wings ' stars carried their team , as Lindsay scored four goals in a single game and Howe scored 20 points during the playoffs , 12 of which during the finals , all new records in the league . The 1954 – 55 season ended a run of eight straight regular season titles , an NHL record . During the 1955 off - season , Marguerite Norris lost an intra - family power struggle , and was forced to turn over the Wings to her 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 had scored 30 goals and led the league in assists with 55 , teamed up with Harvey to help start the National Hockey League Players ' Association ( NHLPA ) . As a result he , along with outspoken young goaltender Glenn Hall , was promptly traded to Chicago ( which was owned by James D . Norris , Bruce ' s elder brother ) after his most productive year . The Lindsay deal was one of several trades made by Adams , which showed his tendency to shuffle the roster regardless of whether the team had had success the previous season . In 1950 he had traded Harry Lumley , who had just backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup , to the Chicago Black Hawks in order to make room for Terry Sawchuk , who in turn would then make room for the future Hall of Famer Hall . Eventually he re - acquired Sawchuk in a trade for the young left winger Johnny Bucyk . Bucyk went on to play 21 more years with the Bruins . In 1959 the Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in 21 years , but within a couple of years the franchise was able to rejuvenate itself . The Red Wings made the Finals for four of the next six years between 1961 and 1966 . However , despite having Howe , Delvecchio , Norm Ullman , 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 in the Red Wings ' decline 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 ending the period colloquially referred to as , " Darkness with Harkness . " 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 early Yzerman era . In 1983 the Wings drafted Steve Yzerman , a center from the Peterborough Petes with their first - round pick . 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 , now the captain following the departure of Danny Gare , joined by Petr Klima , Adam Oates , Gerard Gallant , defenseman 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 ( which as of 2014 is the most recent time they did so ) . 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 – 98 : The Russian Five and Back to Back Stanley Cups . Former Montreal Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman got behind the Motown bench in 1993 . In his second season , the lockout - shortened 1994 – 95 NHL season . Bowman guided Detroit to its first Finals appearance in 29 years , only to be 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 1995 - 96 in an 82 game schedule . After defeating the St . Louis Blues in seven games the Wings would fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche . 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 , 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 1997 playoffs . Misfortune befell the Wings six days after their championship ; defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov , one of the Wings ' " Russian Five " , suffered a brain injury in a limousine accident , and his career came to an abrupt end . The Red Wings dedicated the 1997 – 98 season to Konstantinov . The Wings won the Cup finals in another sweep , this time over the Washington Capitals , and Konstantinov came out onto the ice in his wheelchair on victory night to touch the Cup . Despite his Conn Smythe Trophy in the 1997 playoffs , Mike Vernon had been replaced as the regular Wings goaltender during the season with the younger Chris Osgood . 1999 – 2004 : Superstar acquisitions and more success . 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 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 . With Colorado beating Detroit in the third round in 1996 , in the second round of both 1999 and 2000 , and the Red Wings beating the Avs in the third round in 1997 , the battles between these two teams had become one of the fiercest in the league . During a notorious game on March 26 , 1997 , a brawl ensued between Colorado goalie Patrick Roy and his Detroit counterpart Mike Vernon . 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 goalie Dominik Hasek ( the defending Vezina Trophy winner ) and forwards Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull . Russian prospect Pavel Datsyuk also joined the team . The Wings posted the league ' s best record in the 2001 - 02 regular season and defeated 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 Stanley Cup in five games over the Carolina Hurricanes , with Nicklas Lidstrom winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs ' MVP . Bowman and Hasek both retired 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 . Longtime Wing Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks as a free agent during the offseason after a long contract dispute . Furthermore , Dominik Hasek decided to come out of retirement and joined the Wings for the 2003 – 04 season . Joseph , despite being one of the highest - paid players in the NHL , spent part of the season in the minor leagues , but after Hasek was sidelined for the season with an injury , Joseph led the team to the top of the Central Division and the league standings . 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 . The teams split the first four games , and headed to Detroit for a pivotal Game 5 . The Red Wings lost that game 1 – 0 , and were eliminated two nights later 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 , resigning several players before the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout canceled the season . 2005 – 12 : Nick Lidstrom and the ' Swedish Connection ' era . On July 15 , 2005 , Mike Babcock , former head coach in Anaheim , became the new head coach for the Wings . During a November 21 , 2005 , game against the Nashville Predators , defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered a heart arrhythmia and collapsed on the bench . 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 . The Red Wings won the Presidents ' Trophy with a 58 – 16 – 8 record , earning them 124 points , and secured home ice advantage for the entire playoffs . The 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 . Continuing the shakeup of the Red Wings roster , the offseason saw the departure of Brendan Shanahan and the return of Dominik Hasek , while Steve Yzerman announced his retirement after a 23 - season Hall of Fame career with the Wings , at the time having played the second most games in history all with a single team ( behind fellow Red Wing Alex Delvecchio , and later also surpassed by Nicklas Lidström ) . Yzerman retired with the additional distinction of having been the longest - serving team captain in NHL history . The Red Wings opened the 2006 – 07 season with Nicklas Lidström as the new captain . The team retired Steve Yzerman ' s jersey number 19 on January 2 . 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 . 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 . To start the 2007 – 08 campaign , Henrik Zetterberg recorded at least a point in each of Detroit ' s first 16 games , setting a club record . The Wings cruised to the playoffs , where they faced the Nashville Predators . After goalie Dominik Hasek played poorly in Games 3 and 4 of the series , both losses , head coach Mike Babcock replaced him with Chris Osgood . Osgood had departed the Wings earlier in the decade , only to be re - acquired as a backup in 2005 . Osgood never left the net for the remainder of the playoffs , as the Red Wings came back in that series on their way to winning their 11th Stanley Cup . The final victory came in Game 6 on June 4 , 2008 , against the Pittsburgh Penguins , by a score of 3 – 2 . This was the Wings ' fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years . Zetterberg scored the winning goal in the decisive game , and was also named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . It was the first time a team captained by a non - North American player ( Nicklas Lidström ) won the Stanley Cup . On July 2 , 2008 , the Detroit Red Wings announced the signing of Marian Hossa . From the beginning of the 2008 – 09 season to New Year ' s Day , the Wings enjoyed success . Although they finished second in the conference to the San Jose Sharks , the Wings became the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons . 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 . The Wings entered the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference . The Red Wings handily swept the Columbus Blue Jackets , then beat the 8th - seeded Anaheim Ducks in a hard fought seven - game series . They took on the vastly improved Chicago Blackhawks in the Conference Finals , winning in five games . The Red Wings would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Finals for a second consecutive year , but this series would feature a different outcome . Pittsburgh defeated the Red Wings in seven games , Detroit becoming only the second NHL team to lose the Cup at home in Game 7 . 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 . They were plagued by injuries throughout the season and lost the second most man - games to injury , with only the last place Edmonton Oilers losing more . The beginning of the season was a struggle for the Wings , with key players out of the lineup including Henrik Zetterberg , Tomas Holmström , Johan Franzen , Valtteri Filppula , and Niklas Kronwall . After the Olympic break , Detroit posted a record of 13 – 2 – 2 and earned 28 points , the most by any team in the NHL in the month of March . This run helped them secure the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference . Detroit won their first - round playoff series over the Phoenix Coyotes in seven games . In the second round , they fell behind the San Jose Sharks three games to one , before being knocked out of the playoffs in five games . All four games that the Red Wings lost that series were decided by one goal . The lone game that they won ended with a final score of 7 – 1 . A healthier Red Wings team finished the 2010 – 11 NHL season with a 47 – 25 – 10 record and 104 points to win the Central Division title . They earned the # 3 seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup playoffs ( extending their professional sports record of post - season appearances to 20 seasons ) , finishing behind the Vancouver Canucks ( 117 ) and San Jose Sharks ( 105 ) . The Wings again faced the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs , this time sweeping them 4 – 0 — making them the only team in the 2010 - 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs to sweep the first round — and again moved on to play the Sharks in Round 2 . After losing the first three games of the series against the Sharks , the Red Wings won three consecutive games to force a Game 7 , becoming just the eighth team in NHL history to accomplish the feat ( the Chicago Blackhawks became the seventh team to do so earlier in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs , against the Vancouver Canucks ) . The Red Wings lost Game 7 to the Sharks by a score of 3 – 2 , and were eliminated . During the 2011 offseason , Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski retired , citing injuries as the main reason behind his decision . Detroit soon signed free - agent defenseman Ian White to take his place . Longtime Red Wings Kris Draper and Chris Osgood also announced their retirement from hockey , with both soon taking positions within the club . Detroit signed goaltender Ty Conklin for his second tour of duty with the team . Tragedy struck the organization and the rest of the National Hockey League upon the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl air disaster , which claimed the lives of former Red Wings assistant coach Brad McCrimmon and defenseman Ruslan Salei , who had joined the KHL team during the summer . Stefan Liv , a former Red Wings goaltending prospect , was also among the fatalities . The Red Wings then added a patch to the left arm of their uniforms with the trio ' s initials . On Tuesday , February 14 , 2012 , the Red Wings set the NHL record for most consecutive wins at home in a single season by winning their 21st home game with a 3 – 1 victory over the Dallas Stars , and on Sunday , February 19 , 2012 , defeated the San Jose Sharks to record their 23rd consecutive home victory , breaking the overall record previously held by the Boston Bruins over two seasons from 1929 to 1930 . The Red Wings also made the NHL playoffs extending their streak of 21 straight playoff appearances as the 5th seed . They were defeated in five games by their opening - round opponent , the Nashville Predators . On Thursday , May 31 , 2012 , Nicklas Lidström retired after his 20th consecutive NHL season , and sixth year as captain of the Detroit Red Wings . 2013 – present : The Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk era . Henrik Zetterberg succeeded Nicklas Lidström as team captain . On July 1 , 2012 , the Detroit Red Wings signed Swiss forward Damien Brunner to a one year entry - level contract . In addition , the Red Wings signed Canadian forward Jordin Tootoo to a three - year $ 5 . 7 million contract . They also signed goaltender Jonas Gustavsson to a two - year $ 3 million deal . The Red Wings won their final four games of the 2012 - 13 season to take the seventh seed of the playoffs . The Red Wings ' 3 – 0 victory over the Dallas Stars on April 27 , 2013 clinched a playoff appearance - they would have missed the playoffs by one point if they had lost in regulation . This win preserved the Wings ' streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances , extending their North American professional sports franchise record . As the # 7 seed in the 2013 NHL playoffs , the Red Wings faced the # 2 seeded Anaheim Ducks . The Wings survived a fierce battle that included four overtime games , winning the series 4 – 3 after a 3 – 2 Game 7 victory in Anaheim . The next round pitted the Red Wings against the # 1 seeded and eventual Stanley cup winners , Chicago Blackhawks , and also went seven games . On May 29 , the Wings were eliminated from the playoffs in a 2 – 1 overtime loss to the Hawks in Game 7 . On July 5 , 2013 , the Red Wings signed long time Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson to a one - year contract and long time Florida Panther Stephen Weiss to a five - year contract . In the 2013 - 14 season , the Red Wings moved to the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . On April 9 , 2014 , the Red Wings clinched their 23rd consecutive playoff appearance , and were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins . Team information . Uniforms . " The Hockey News " voted the Red Wing ' s " winged wheel " logo as one of the best in the league in 2009 . 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 ( the change was necessitated by the stitching of the sweater ) , 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 . Other than the minor changes , the Red Wings uniform design have remained basically the same since the early 1930s , with the vertical arch lettering for the player ' s name and block numbers unchanged since the 1983 – 84 season . 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 . Those jerseys were based on the uniforms worn by the team ( then the Detroit Cougars ) in 1927 – 28 . The throwbacks are primarily white with five red horizontal stripes on the body , the broadest middle stripe bearing " DETROIT " in bold letters , and three red stripes on the sleeves . The striped throwbacks have been a popular design , as replicas continue to be marketed by the NHL . This jersey was also a basis for the uniforms worn by Wayne Gretzky ' s team of NHLPA All - Stars , nicknamed the " 99ers " , for their exhibition tour in Europe during the 1994 – 95 NHL lockout ; a picture of Gretzky in this jersey was used for the cover art of a video game bearing his name . Alternate jerseys for the RBK Edge system were made for 2008 – 2009 and continues today , but Detroit has thus far opted not to use alternates . The Red Wings wore alternative " Retro " jerseys for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic in Chicago . The one - time jerseys were based on the uniforms worn by the then - Detroit Cougars during their inaugural season of 1926 – 27 . These jerseys were white , with a single bold red stripe on the sleeves and chest , and a uniquely styled white Old English " D " ( a Detroit sports tradition , but formerly used by the Wings , Detroit Lions , and the University of Detroit Titans ) centered on the chest stripe , but not to be confused with the Old English " D " used by the Detroit Tigers . These jerseys were also worn for their final 2009 regular season home game , again against the Chicago Blackhawks . The Red Wings again used an alternate jersey mimicking throwback jerseys for the 2014 NHL Winter Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium . Fan traditions . The " Legend of the Octopus " is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings 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 are 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 . 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 . Typically during the last minute or two of games that the Red Wings are winning , especially around the end of the season and during the playoffs , the fans at Joe Louis Arena are known to start singing along to Journey ' s " Don ' t Stop Believin ' " . The song is played over the PA system and continues until it is muted while the crowd sings the words " Born and raised in South Detroit , " then the song resumes over the speakers in the arena . Broadcasters . The Red Wings ' flagship radio stations are Detroit sister stations WXYT - AM 1270 and WXYT - FM 97 . 1 . Games are carried on both stations unless there is a conflict with Detroit Lions football , Detroit Pistons basketball or Detroit Tigers baseball . There are several affiliate stations throughout Michigan , Northwestern Ohio , and Southwestern Ontario . The Red Wings ' exclusive local television rights are held by Fox Sports Detroit . Announcers : Hall of Fame broadcasters . Three members of the Red Wings organization have received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award : Lynch called the first locally televised game at Olympia for the original WWJ - TV in 1949 . He has remained with the organization for over 60 years , serving as Director of Publicity from 1975 to 1982 , and was the public address announcer from 1982 until his death in 2012 . From 2008 - 12 , a second PA Announcer was added to work alongside him , first John Fossen , and Erich Freiny ( Freiny is the now the full - time PA announcer for the team since Lynch ' s passing ) . Lynch passed away in the offseason following the 2012 season . Season - by - season record . " This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Detroit Red Wings . For the full season - by - season history , see List of Detroit Red Wings seasons " " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , OTL = Overtime Losses , ROW = Regulation + OT Wins , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against " Players . Honored members . Many members of the Red Wings organization have been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame over the course of the team ' s history . The first such selections came in 1958 when former players Alec Connell , Frank Foyston , Frank Fredrickson , George Hay , and Duke Keats , as well as former owner James E . Norris , were all inducted . In 1959 they were joined by long - time coach Jack Adams and former player Tiny Thompson , both inducted as players . Since then many more Red Wings have been inducted , including James D . Norris , Jack Stewart , Syd Howe , Ted Lindsay , Sid Abel , Red Kelly , Terry Sawchuk , Gordie Howe , Alex Delvecchio , Viacheslav Fetisov , Mike Ilitch , Mark Howe , Steve Yzerman , Chris Chelios , and Brendan Shanahan . Red Wings radio broadcaster Budd Lynch was named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 1985 for his years of service as the radio play - by - play announcer for the team . Lynch also served as Detroit ' s public address announcer from 1985 until his death in 2012 . In addition to Lynch , Bruce Martyn and Mickey Redmond have also won the award . The Detroit Red Wings have retired seven numbers . The first number the Red Wings retired was # 9 in 1972 in honor of Gordie Howe who played right wing for the team from 1946 to 1971 . Howe won both the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy six times each and won the Stanley Cup as a Red Wing four times . In 2007 the Red Wings retired Steve Yzerman ' s # 19 . During Yzerman ' s career he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy , the Conn Smythe Trophy , the Frank J . Selke trophy , and the Ted Lindsay Award . Yzerman served as Detroit ' s captain for 19 seasons , a league record , and won the Stanley Cup three times as a player with the Red Wings . The most recent retired number is Nicklas Lidstrom ' s # 5 , which was retired on March 6 , 2014 . Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy seven times , the Conn Smythe trophy once , and the Stanley Cup four times during his career in Detroit . Retired numbers . Larry Aurie ' s number 6 and Vladimir Konstantinov ' s 16 are unofficially retired . Wayne Gretzky never played for the Red Wings , but his number was league retired by the NHL . Team captains . All the players who have served as team captain with the Detroit franchise . Franchise leaders . All−time leading scorers . These players rank in the top ten in franchise history for goals , assists , and / or points as of the end of the 2013−14 season . Since it is possible to rank in one category but not others there are more than ten players listed in each table . Figures are updated after each completed NHL season . " Note : Pos = Position ; GP = Games Played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; P / G = Points per game ; * = current Red Wings player " All−time leading goaltenders . These players rank in the top ten in franchise history for wins as of the end of the 2012−13 season . There is a four way tie for ninth place in post season wins , resulting in 12 players listed in that table . Figures are updated after each completed NHL season . " Note : GP = Games Played ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; T = Ties ; OT = Overtime losses ; SO = Shutouts ; GAA = Goals against average ; * = current Red Wings player "