After twenty amazing seasons in the National Hockey League, Nicklas Lidstrom has decided to call it quits. Lidstrom will go down as one of the best defensemen in the league’s history due to his leadership, ability to win, and intelligence on the ice.
You know you must be pretty good at something when your two nicknames are Mr. Perfect and The Perfect Human. Over his career Lidstrom won four Stanley Cups, seven James Norris Memorial Trophies (awarded to the league’s best defenseman), the Conn Smythe Award (playoff MVP), one gold metal (in which he scored the game winning goal), and was voted to twelve all-star games. Now let all of that soak in for a second. In nearly half of the seasons he played, he was picked as the league’s best defenseman. Also keep in mind that I’m not mentioned in the fact he owns most defensive Red Wing records and has only missed the playoff once in his entire career (his rookie year), and that every year he didn’t win the Norris, he was still top six in the final voting.
In the city of “Hockey town,” Lidstrom was hockey, playing alongside too many Red Wings greats to count. He has been captain of the team since the 1997-1998 season and served as an assistant captain before that.
Although Red Wing fans will be disappointed Lidstrom will not be suiting up in the Red and White next year, he went out like a true champion. He will never have to suit up for any other team and will be remembered as a consistently amazing hockey player throughout his career by the Red Wings and NHL alike. At 42 years young, expect Lidstrom to still be involved with hockey whether it is working for the NHL or the Red Wings.
The man. The myth. The legend. Mr. Perfect. Nicklas Lidstrom.
-Langer
