Nicklas Lidstrom

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Over his 20 NHL seasons, Lidström won four Stanley Cup championships, seven James Norris Memorial Trophies, named to twelve NHL All-Star teams (ten First Team and two Second Team selections), was voted into 12 NHL All-Star Games, and received one Conn Smythe Trophy (the first European to win the trophy) as the playoffs most valuable player. The Red Wings never missed the playoffs during his career, tied with Larry Robinson for the longest streak of playoff appearances for a player in league history. Lidström was the first European-born-and-trained captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team. Lidström is also the all-time leader in games played with a single NHL team by a European-born player. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Hockey Hall of Fame on 9 November 2015. In 2017, Lidström was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.

In Their Own Story

The 2008 Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins showcased Lidström's resilience. After a triple-overtime loss in Game five that staved off elimination for Pittsburgh, Lidström and his teammates secured the championship in Game six on home ice. He was one of only five players to be part of all four Red Wings title teams from 1997 to 2008, alongside Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and Darren McCarty. Earlier that season, on October 30, Lidström had assisted on a goal by Johan Franzén to tie Luc Robitaille for 42nd in all-time NHL assists with 726. His leadership was solidified after Steve Yzerman's retirement, when Lidström became the first European captain in franchise history, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals in his first year as captain before capturing the Norris Trophy for a fifth time.

Reader's Guide

Lidström played his entire 20-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, finishing his career with the second-most Stanley Cup playoff games played in NHL history, with 263 appearances (Chris Chelios ranks first with 266). He was a member of four Stanley Cup-winning teams, in 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02 and 2007–08. Save for the cancelled 2004–05 season lockout year, Lidström played in the playoffs for an NHL record 20 consecutive seasons (an honour he shares with Larry Robinson). Known for his durability, he averaged 28:07 minutes in the 2005–06 season, a career-high. In the 2003–04 season, he played in the 1,000th game of his career, having missed only 17 games in 12+1⁄2 seasons. At the conclusion of the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lidström was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the postseason, becoming the first European to ever be awarded the honor.

Did You Know?

• Lidström was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings 53rd overall in the 1989 NHL entry draft.
• He scored 60 points in his rookie season, finishing fourth in voting for that year's Calder Trophy.
• Lidström was named captain of the Red Wings after Steve Yzerman retired, becoming the first European captain in franchise history.
• He won the Norris Trophy for the third-straight season and the sixth time in seven seasons in 2008.
• Lidström and teammates Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper, and Kirk Maltby were the only players to be part of all four Stanley Cup-winning Red Wings teams between 1997 to 2008.