Who Are These Detroit Red Wings?

Often we forget what we have, we forget that an elite franchise in sports is in Detroit’s own backyard and has been since 1927. We’re stuck in the moments we savor and forget the moments that hurt the most. Detroit Red Wings fans have been spoiled, they have had down years known as the “Dead Wings” era and they’ve had great moments throughout history.

This year experts believed the Detroit Red Wings would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1991, In an interview on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit, Mike Babcock was asked “Most believe you won’t make the playoffs, what do you have to say to that” Babcock responded “We’ll get in” and hung up.

Flash forward to January, Red Wings sit 3rd in the Atlantic and our only five points back in the standings of East leading Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit wasn’t heavily thought of after sneaking into the playoffs the past couple years, most thought “It’s the end of Detroit as we know it” EJ Hradek said before the season.

Problem is, you can’t count Detroit out. If there is any franchise in professional sports that continues to be a prominent contender since 1991, it’s the Red Wings.

Ken Holland is usually the talk of Detroit, not for the good he’s done, but for what he hasn’t done. Holland has been conservative at the deadline the past few years, and if anything that’s why the Red Wings are where they sit now. Holland is the one of the greatest General Managers in the team’s history. Many believe he took over a well oiled machine and that’s true, but often times fans want actions for short-term success. Holland was killed by local Detroit media for not being active at the trade deadline the past couple years, most saying he “lost a step of the person he once was” the fact is the NHL has changed and so have the Red Wings.

In the early 2000’s the Wings were active in Free Agency, trades and often made deals to compete for Stanley Cup’s, as the salary cap soon took over the NHL the league had to evolve as did the Red Wings. There was no signing free agents like they did in 2002, there was no mammoth trades and it didn’t make fans happy that Holland wasn’t improving the Wings even for the short-term.

Now, Red Wings fans are reaping the benefit of Holland’s conservative actions. If Holland did what most fans pulled for at the time, there be no Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Riley Sheahan or Tomas Jurco. The Red Wings fans are finally seeing why Detroit was the way they were those prior seasons, developing talent is a key to being an NHL contender.

The Red Wings symbolic way is what most major franchises do, it’s not always the pretty or fan favorite way to do things, but it gets the job done.  Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock deserves some credit for the revamp of the Red Wings, as he said on 97.1 days before their home opener “I’ve learned to coach better with the kids, they bring a style I have to match it simple as that”.

Like the city the Wings reside in, they’re always looking to be among the best in July. The Wings unveiled a plan in Detroit for a brand new arena,  which will cost $450 million to construct, and will succeed Joe Louis Arena as the home of the Red Wings. The new stadium will be located near the Cass Corridor near Ford Field and Comerica Park.

With rising stars like Nyquist and Tatar the Red Wings will most likely enter their new arena has NHL contenders. The Red Wings way isn’t always the pretty way, but often it’s the only way.