Detroit Red Wings

About the Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings were founded in 1926 and are one of the NHL's most historic franchises.

Detroit entered the league as the Detroit Cougars for the 1926-27 season. The franchise changed its name to the Detroit Falcons in 1930 before adopting the Red Wings name in 1932.

The Red Wings later became one of the teams associated with the NHL's “Original Six” era. From 1942-43 through 1966-67, the league consisted of Detroit, the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Over nearly a century of NHL hockey, Detroit has built one of the league's most successful traditions, highlighted by 11 Stanley Cup championships.

Division History

When Detroit entered the NHL in 1926, the Cougars were placed in the American Division alongside teams including Boston, Chicago and the New York Rangers.

Following the NHL's expansion in 1967, the six established franchises formed the East Division. Detroit remained there until another league reorganization in 1974 placed the Red Wings in the Norris Division.

The NHL realigned again in 1981, with Detroit remaining in the Norris Division but moving into the Campbell Conference.

When the league adopted geographic conference and division names in 1993, the Norris Division became the Central Division and the Campbell Conference became the Western Conference. Detroit remained in the Central Division for another 20 seasons.

Another major realignment in 2013 moved the Red Wings to the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division, where they remain today.

The exception was the shortened 2020-21 season, when the NHL temporarily reorganized its divisions and Detroit competed in the Central Division.

Championship History

The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, more than any other U.S.-based NHL franchise.

Detroit captured its first championship in 1936 and successfully defended the Stanley Cup the following season. The Red Wings added another championship in 1943 before becoming one of the NHL's dominant teams of the early 1950s.

Led by stars including Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, Alex Delvecchio and goaltender Terry Sawchuk, Detroit won Stanley Cups in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955.

A lengthy championship drought followed, but the Red Wings eventually returned to the top of the NHL during another remarkable era in the 1990s and 2000s.

Detroit won consecutive Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998, ending a 42-year wait for another championship. The Red Wings won again in 2002 with a veteran-heavy roster featuring Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, Dominik Hasek and several other established stars.

The franchise captured its 11th Stanley Cup in 2008, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European-born captain to lead a team to the Stanley Cup.

Detroit returned to the Stanley Cup Final against Pittsburgh the following season but lost the 2009 series in seven games.

The Red Wings also produced one of the longest periods of sustained postseason success in North American professional sports, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 25 consecutive seasons from 1991 through 2016.

Home of the Red Wings

The Red Wings play their home games at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit.

The franchise actually spent its first NHL season across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. With Olympia Stadium still under construction, the Detroit Cougars played their 1926-27 home schedule at Border Cities Arena.

Olympia Stadium opened for the following season and became the franchise's home from 1927 until 1979. It was at Olympia that the Cougars became the Falcons and eventually the Red Wings, and the arena hosted seven Detroit Stanley Cup championship teams.

The Red Wings moved to Joe Louis Arena in December 1979. Commonly known as “The Joe,” the building became home to another highly successful period in franchise history, including Stanley Cup championship teams in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008.

Detroit played its final season at Joe Louis Arena in 2016-17 before moving to Little Caesars Arena for the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

Notable Red Wings

Gordie Howe became the defining player of the Red Wings' championship teams during the middle of the 20th century and remains one of the most celebrated players in hockey history.

Known as “Mr. Hockey,” Howe played 25 seasons with Detroit and remains the franchise's all-time leader in games played, goals and points. He recorded 786 goals, 1,023 assists and 1,809 points in 1,687 regular-season games for the Red Wings.

Howe helped Detroit win four Stanley Cups and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP six times. His No. 9 was retired by the Red Wings.

Steve Yzerman became the centerpiece of another great era in Detroit after the Red Wings selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 1983 NHL Draft.

Yzerman recorded 692 goals, 1,063 assists and 1,755 points during his entire 22-season NHL career with Detroit. He remains second in franchise history in goals, assists and points.

Named captain in 1986 at age 21, Yzerman served in the role for 19 playing seasons. He captained the Red Wings to Stanley Cup championships in 1997, 1998 and 2002 and remains the franchise's all-time leader in playoff scoring with 185 points.

Alex Delvecchio spent his entire NHL career with Detroit and became one of the franchise's greatest players during its Original Six era.

Delvecchio recorded 456 goals, 825 assists and 1,281 points in 1,550 regular-season games. He helped the Red Wings win Stanley Cups in 1952, 1954 and 1955 and later served as team captain.

Nicklas Lidstrom became the defining defenseman of Detroit's modern championship era.

The Swedish defenseman spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the Red Wings, recording 1,142 points in 1,564 regular-season games. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman seven times and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during Detroit's 2002 Stanley Cup run.

Lidstrom won four Stanley Cups with Detroit and served as captain for the final six seasons of his career. In 2008, he became the first European-born captain to lead an NHL team to the Stanley Cup.

Other prominent players in Red Wings history include Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, Terry Sawchuk, Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Chris Osgood.