Detroit Red Wings: 1990-99 All-Decade Team
By Mike Rizzo
Second Line
Center – Sergei Fedorov: For as dominant as Fedorov was in the 2000s, he was even more dominant in this decade. In the 1993-94 season, he won the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the NHL, scoring 56 goals and totaling 120 points. No Red Wing has won the Hart Trophy since. When Fedorov held out in the 1997-98 season the Carolina Hurricanes made an offer to him and thankfully the Red Wings matched it. He ended up staying in Detroit and had a great playoff run. He very nearly won the Conn Smythe that year and it’s my opinion the Red Wings don’t repeat if Fedorov leaves.
Right Wing – Dino Ciccarelli: Dino came to the Red Wings in the 1992-93 season and although he never won a cup here, he was a very gritty forward who could score. Ciccarelli scored 41 goals in his first year in Detroit. He also famously said “I can’t believe I shook that guy’s freakin hand” after Claude Lemieux‘s cheap shot on Kris Draper back in the 1996 playoffs.
Left Wing – Vyacheslav Kozlov: A very underrated player in his time with the Red Wings. In his seven full seasons in Detroit, he never finished a season negative in plus/minus. He only scored less then 20 goals in two of his ten years with the Red Wings. He was also very clutch in the 1997-98 playoffs as four of the six goals he scored were game winners. Kozlov may go down as one of the most underrated Red Wings in this era.
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