Lidstrom, Nicklas

▪ 2009

born April 28, 1970, Västerås, Swed.

      In his 16th season in the National Hockey League (NHL), Swedish-born Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings again demonstrated why many ice hockey fans considered him one of the greatest defensemen in the history of the game, and on June 4, 2008, he completed the season by leading his team to victory in defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Lidstrom's poise and skill were credited as key to Detroit's success, and this latest championship—his fourth on the Wings' roster—made him the first player born and trained in Europe to captain a Cup-winning team. Soon after, the 10-time NHL All-Star was awarded his sixth Norris Trophy for best defenseman—his third in as many years—which placed him just two shy of the record set by the legendary Canadian Bobby Orr.

      Lidstrom played on several Swedish ice hockey clubs before being selected by Detroit as the 53rd overall pick in the 1989 NHL draft. After winning a gold medal with Sweden at the 1991 International Ice Hockey Federation world championships, Lidstrom made his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 1991. He finished the 1991–92 season as runner-up for the Calder Trophy for best rookie player. A scoring defenseman, Lidstrom earned notice for his consistency and durability—he typically logged the most ice time on the team and was rarely injured. In the 1994–95 season, he appeared in his first Stanley Cup, but Detroit was defeated by the New Jersey Devils.

      In 1997 the Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 42 years. Lidstrom led all defensemen in points as the Wings repeated as champions in 1998. He won his first Norris Trophy in 2001. The next season he helped Detroit defeat the Carolina Hurricanes for a third Stanley Cup; for his dominating performance in the postseason—he scored 5 goals, including 2 game winners, and had 11 assists—Lidstrom became the first European to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the play-offs. He capped the 2002–03 season with his third consecutive Norris Trophy. He recorded his 800th career point in 2006, and after Steve Yzerman retired as captain following the 2005–06 season, Lidstrom was named to succeed him. In Lidstrom's first season as team leader, the Wings reached the conference finals but lost to the eventual champions, the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit responded in 2007–08 by posting the best record in the league en route to the franchise's 11th Stanley Cup.

      In addition to his NHL play, Lidstrom continued to compete on the Swedish national team. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, he scored the game-winning goal in the final against Finland to win the gold medal for Sweden.

Amy Tikkanen

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