Goodbye and Thank You: Nick Lidstrom

Nick Lidstom: 7 Time Norris Memorial Winner

 I didn’t grow up watching Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe. Wayne Gretzky retired when I was 8 years old. My memories of Mario Lemiuex are filled with cancer, comebacks and retirements rather than scoring titles. But there is one player I had the pleasure to spend most of my life watching, and that is Nicklas Lidstrom.

This morning on May 31, 2012, my pick for the second best defenceman of all time announced his retirement from a 20 year NHL career that saw him compile stats that wowed, win both individual and team trophies, and become the first European born and trained player to captain a team to a Stanley Cup.

If it was there for him to do, Nick Lidstrom did it. And his reputation and likeability throughout the league is obvious with the amount of press this announcement is generating; not to mention the now famous plea from Barry Trotz to “please don’t retire” after the end of this year’s Red Wings and Predators series. So here is a look back at the career of one of the all time greats: Nicklas Lidstrom.

Lidstrom was drafted in the third round, 53^rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 1989 entry draft and made his debut with the Wings in the 1991-92 season. In his career that spanned from 1991 until this moment today Nick Lidstrom played in 1,564 regular season games – until today it was a record amongst active players (and a record for active players with a single team) while scoring 264 goals, 878 assists and an astounding 1,142 points. Talk about producing for a defenceman. However, the most amazing statistic in my mind is the fact that in his 20 years in the NHL, Nick Lidstrom was a career +450 and only had one season in the negatives. Combine this with the fact that he was playing against the other teams’ best forward lines night in and night out and you’ve got a huge reason for a hall of fame career. Additionally, Lidstrom played 263 career NHL playoff games and totaled 54 and 129 for a great 183 points. These on ice stats tell only half the story though.

First European Player to Win Conn Smythe (2002)

Nick Lidstrom was a 12 time NHL All-Star, a 7 time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner (second only all time to Bobby Orr’s 8 Norris Trophies), a 4 time Stanley Cup Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, World Champion Gold Medalist, and a Conn Smythe Trophy Winner.

Speaking of these awards; Nick Lidstrom was the first European player to win the Conn Smythe in 2002, and in 2008 became the first European player to captain a team to the Stanley Cup. Some may say that these are superficial accolades, but they only speak to the legend and career that Mr. Lidstrom put together.

First European Captain to Win the Stanley Cup (2008)

This is an emotional day for me. Like I said, I had spent most of my 21 year old life as a AAA defenceman watching and trying to emulate (unsuccessfully I might add) the play of one of the greatest all time players in this league. To the Hockey Hall of Fame: induct this man on his first go around. To Nick Lidstrom: Thank you so much for being such a pleasure to watch for the last 20 years. You will be missed.