Detroit Red Wings All-Time Team and Line Combinations
Viacheslav Fetisov
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Viacheslav Fetisov has made this list. Prior to joining the Detroit Red Wings, Fetisov was widely considered to be one of the greatest defenders in the world. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to spend his prime years in the NHL, due to the fact that he was a citizen of the Soviet Union; a country which barred its players from joining the NHL.
In 1989, Fetisov would create history, by becoming one the first ever Soviet players to defect from the Soviet Union and join the NHL.
Fetisov spent his most of his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils, but his most memorable years were definitely with the Detroit Red Wings. Though he was in the twilight of his career, the Russian defenseman’s arrival to the Red Wing’s helped change the entire culture of the franchise.
Joining the team during the 1994-95 season via trade, Fetisov helped the Red Wings make it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1966. Unfortunately they would be upset that season by Fetisov’s former team the New Jersey Devils.
Fetisov would go out as a winner though, winning back to back cups with the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998, before retiring at the age of 39. While he did not earn any major individual hardware at the NHL level, Fetisov did make the NHL all star team once in 1997, and also has been the recipient of just about every major Russian hockey award.