Hours
before Nicklas Lidstrom took a seat in front of the Detroit media to announce
his plans for retirement, the Detroit Red Wings tweeted this:
The purpose
of the link was to show the length of Lidstrom’s tenure with the organization
and the league; however, the song the link lead to was much more significant.
Neither commissioner Gary Bettman nor Detroit general manager Ken Holland can accurately
describe Lidstrom’s career, but Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch can. In a lyric,
“It’s such a GOOD VIBRATION.”
The 12-time NHL All Star defenseman
finished with four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies, and one Conn Smythe
Trophy. Internationally, the 42-year-old won gold medals in the Olympics and
World Championship. Lidstrom broke several records for the league and several
more for the Red Wings but more importantly, he garnered respect from teammates
and opponents for the way he carried himself on and off the ice.
In 20
seasons, Lidstrom was nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy six times.
The Swedish defenseman accumulated a mere 514 penalty minutes in more than 1,500
regular season games. The captain’s “C”
that he wore on his sweater for his final six seasons could have also stood for
“class,” something he never left home without.
His
teammates referred to him as the “perfect human.” Off the ice, the 42-year old
made one of the most difficult transitions appear as seamless as one of his
breakout passes from the defensive zone.
In 1991, when Lidstrom arrived in Hockeytown, he was forced to acclimate
himself with a new culture, new language, and new team. He did it, as he did
everything, to perfection.
Now, the
most decorated defenseman of his era must adjust to a new lifestyle yet again.
Detroit, on the other hand, is forced with the equally challenging and nearly
impossible task of finding a player to fill Lidstrom’s void.
Regardless
of who takes Lidstrom’s locker stall and fills his position in the lineup, the
Red Wings will never completely replace him. And for as long as Joe Louis Arena stands,
good vibrations will resonate to the rafters where his revered #5 will undoubtedly
hang beside the numbers of the greatest players to ever play the game.
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