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Are you guys joking? Sawchuk is one of the 5 greatest goalies of all time. Osgood isn't even close to being as good as him. Whether Ozzie should be in the rafters has nothing to do with Sawchuk. You guys talk about Sawchuk as if he's just another solid goalie. I say if Red Kelly isn't in the rafters, then Ozzie shouldn't be either. Same with Fedorov. Both those players were better Wings than Osgood, and neither will likely get a banner.

I get the feeling that some of the anti-Osgood sentiment around the NHL is just runoff from the anti-Red Wings sentiments out there.

Puck don't lie. Yes.

When it comes to the Hall of Fame I don't go by stats alone. They are an important criteria. However when I think of Osgood's career, to me it is not Hall worthy. When I think of the Hockey Hall of Fame, I think of players such as Gretzky, Messier, Lemieux, Roy, Orr...to name a few. No question with those guys. Their careers speak for themselves. Osgood played on some great teams and benefitted from it. But he still won those games and won those Cups. However I don't think you can look at Cups by itself. Draper won 4 Cups. Does this mean he is a better player than Marcel Dionne who won none? Of course not. 400 wins is 400 wins. But to me, Osgood was a good goaile but not great. To me you have to be great to be in the Hall of Fame. Andreychuk and Gartner to me were not great but they are in because of their numbers. Myself, I don't think either should be in. Likewise I don't think Osgood should be in.

This is a valid question, and one I've been pondering since discussion came up about this. If it is agreed that Osgood is better, then he belongs up with Terry. If not, I really don't think so. I can't come to a good conclusion. The eras were different. Terry played with no back-up and through all sorts of pain and injuries and troubles. Terry's life was tragic, as was his death. All of this makes it hard to have an objective comparison as to which is better, and if Ozzie belongs there. My heart says yes. My head says no. My stomach says go cook some spaghetti.

Couldn't agree more. I can't believe something hasn't been done about it yet, it's so obviously wrong it's SCARY and stems into many issue's I wont get into on this thread...This must be so hard on the family, such an insane situation to be in, I feel so bad.

Seems like the the story was written about Detroit Sports as a whole! most of you taking it that he did not like just the Wings? I don't understand how one guy gets his thoughts published and some take major offense like he was talking to you... oh wait! maybe he was! I am not saying he is totally right, But he has a couple of valid thoughts in there.

Very few players have played as long for the Wings as Osgood has. Even fewer have been top players for the Wings as many years as Osgood was. So the "so many guys, so few numbers" argument is invalid. With that argument, you could have two teams that are both twenty years old, both have won two Cups in that time and have had similar success. One has constantly changed its roster, six or seven new guys per year, while the other typically sticks to the sme roster, maybe one or two tweaks at most. Which team is more likely to retire a player's number?

If you put the standard as Yzerman and Lidstrom and applied it to other teams, you'd have to tear down a lot of numbers. If you put the standard as Osgood for goalies, you'd have to tear down some numbers. What is significant? You have to go back to 1973-74 season to find a player other than Yzerman, Lidstrom, or Sergei Fedorov who has played more than a decade in Detroit, started his career in Detroit, and was a key player and top player for as long as Osgood was. The player in 1973-74? Alex Delvecchio. Before that, it's 1971 and Gordie Howe. Norm Ullman in 1968 is deserving, and should have a banner - especially since his number is already retired anyway. But that probably won't happen. Osgood is definitely a Hall of Fame goalie. A 400-game winner with six 30-win seasons, two Cups, three finals appearances, one of the best winning percentages of all-time, and his only losing season was his second-to-last year, when he was fighting injuries the whole season on a team with the second-most man-games lost to injury that season. There is a major difference between the unofficial retirements of Fischer, Aurie, and Konstantinov's numbers. Fischer and Konstantinov only played here a few years. Konstantinov may have deserved retirement had he not had his accident. Fischer likely not, although he was very good and on the verge of becoming an elite defenseman. Aurie's number was retired by the club, but no banner was ever hung and it now is not considered retired; it is simply not available for use. Osgood's contributions to the team were greater than any of those three. At which point, naturally, comes the Shanahan argument. Why shouldn't Shanahan's number be retired? Shanahan wasn't as important as Yzerman or Fedorov, for one. He also didn't begin his career as a Red Wing, which does seem to have an effect on consideration. Finally, would you consider the third-best forward or the starting goaltender more important to a team, whether that team be good or bad? I vote goalie. Very few dominant teams in history, if any, have been so with a bunch of star forwards, one or two good defensemen, and a mediocre goalie. Edmonton is the closest example I can think of, and both Fuhr and Moog were among the better goalies in the league. The team was so stacked they could have kept Gretzky, and started trading some of the less important assets around him for cash, picks, and inferior players. Why not trade Messier and Fuhr instead of Gretzky? Retire #30.

Lid's number is next to be retired, that is a given... I do feel the Wings should retire #30 as he has been a crucial part of their success for 3 Stanley Cups, and main reason for winning 2 of them.

What Oz has done for this franchise and the others he's played for has been remarkable. His numbers and accolades speak for themselves, but as much as it will piss off some...I don't see him making up in the rafter, HOF'er or not. You look at how many guys have played for the Winged wheel yet only 6 guys currently have their number retired. Detroit is beyond stingy with the players they decide to have their numbers retired (which I completely agree with) and I truly believe #5 will be the next rather than #30. It's no knock on Ozzie, IMHO guys like Fedorov don't deserve to be up there as well and guys like Z and Dats have a hell of a long way to go to even be in the discussion as well. I'm ultra picky about who gets up there because the more players they retire, the less of an honor it becomes....and in Detroit, that's what it deserves to be. That being said, I can't imagine he wouldn't make the Hall. He's most certainly worthy of it and deserve to be there.

I don't think he needs to make the Hall to qualify for his number being retired. It would be strange seeing someone else in Detroit wear #30, and I think the front office would agree.

Then Heaten might be Big E's spin doctor

If in saying that Detroit fans are getting uglier, he meant this: Then I might agree with him

I guess New Jersey is too far of a DRIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Thanks for all the great years Chris! I still remember feeling so excited when Hasek came here and yet so sad that Ozzie was leaving. I also remember how glad I was to be right when I said he'd be back. Cheers to a great career!

Congrats to Chris Osgood on an amazing career and for everything he brought to the Red Wings. He is a class act and I hope he makes the hall...he certianly deserves it!

Retiring Ozzie's number and sending him to the HOF is the only reasonable thing's ahead for him. Will miss the guy. Under appreciated, under rated.

I have yet another thing to remind me that I'm old. It seems like yesterday that Ozzie was a kid backing up Mike Vernon. Ah man... Goodbye to another Detroit classic.

Here's to you, Ozzie. Since I was in 1st grade, you were our dependable home-town goalie, through thick and thin. A true Red Wing if I ever saw one. Good thing Nick didn't retire this year because that would just be too much to take.

Thanks for all the memories, Ozzie. You'll always be my hero.

I never thought i'd see it since I started watching hockey, Ozzy has been a part of this organization(Besides his short journeys in St. Louis and Long Island). Thanks for everything you've contributed to the organization, Oz. Guy always seemed like a class act and a great guy off the ice. In my opinion, #30 should be in the rafters at the Joe. He could be one of the most underrated goaltenders of all-time. That said, he was never the flashiest. He never blew you away with the stats. He just got s*** done. Bottom line. His jersey is next on my wish list. Best of luck the rest of the way, Ozman. You will be missed in Hockeytown and by Red Wings fans all over the world. Good to see he is sticking around with the organization. Seriously gonna look for an Ozzy chant ringtone

Is #91 there? It wouldn't bother me at all. Eventually, I think it will be worn again, but it will be a while, certainly not this generation.