Tane

The only thing worse than internet people who believe their post count validates their opinions, are the people that POINT to their post count in order to validate their opinion. I was around in the 80's and the 90's, and it's a completely different game than it was then. Size of the players, coaching strategies, Goalie skill and equipment, rule changes. Being old enough to compare todays game with the game played in the 80's and 90's pretty much UNvalidates your opinion.

Talked to a buddy of Corey Perry a couple years ago when the rumors were him getting traded to Toronto. His buddy said not in a million years would he go there, and he'd retire before suiting up in Toronto. Strictly due to the media.

0% chance Datsyuk and Zetterberg Don't get their numbers retired. I'm sick of all this "We're the Red Wings, and our standards of retiring numbers is so much higher than anyone else" Crap! The reason our numbers retired are few and far between, is because we fail to recognize our pre production line cups, and we were absolutely dreadful for about 30 years! It's just now that our guys from our good teams are retired, and have had lengthy careers. Excuse me, but hank and Pavel have both spent long, eventful, trophy winning, cup winning careers with this franchise. It's not like we've had a plethora of players winning selkes and Byngs and Conn Smythes left and right, but they wern't "Elite enough to sit up there with Gordie and Steve" Shut up with that Garbage. We've just been terrible. Now that the 90's teams are all retired, it's a new decision as to who gets up there and who doesn't. Hank and Pavel make it. Fedorov, will most likely make it. Osgood deserves it. Sorry, he's never had a losing season, even with the garbage Islanders and the Blues when they wern't very good. He started a cup run, and absolutely put the team on his back in another. He's amongst the all time leaders in every major goaltending stat, and even higher when it comes to playoff stats. It's not like we've always had goalies like this that "Arn't elite enough to sit next to Sawchuck" News Flash, Sid Abel didn't have a Gordie Howe or Steve Yzerman like career either. Played 9 full seasons with the team, won 3 Stanley cups, won a hart trophy. Fedorov, wow, sounds insanely similar. But add the Selkes, and an extra year or two. Both players iconic of a very successful championship era. Both deserve to have their numbers retired. The Red Wings don't have a lot of numbers in the rafters because we don't have this great, long history of elite players, like some Red Wing fans like to pretend we did. If Kronwall plays 15-20 years with us as a number 1 D-man, then yes, that qualifies him to get his number retired. No, he is not Lidstrom. But you don't exactly get 15-20 year number 1 defencemen every year in the draft. Other than Lidstrom and Kelly, who are our best defencemen? Chelios? Reed Larson? Chaisson? Coffey? Murphy? Vlad? Pronovost? All made impacts in detroit, But none a big enough impact for a long enough period of time to be considered retiring. I agreed with "honouring" Vlad, and make it official in some way. Hell, I wouldn't be upset if they DID retire it. No one's going to ever wear it again anyway, might as well. We've seen jerseys get retired due to deaths during a career, lets be happy it wasn't that serious, but give him the same honour. 40 13 91 30 55 16 6 Look at the Canadiens. A legendary player is a legendary player. They've retired a million numbers, and all it does is show every team that walks into that building how amazing their history has been. Our History has been amazing for the last 25 years. Let's not be too jaded to appreciate it.

When you go to a newer arena......newer as in the last 15 years, you realize what a Dump the Joe is........Great memories....always a good time....but a dump.

Thoughts? For a team to have so many draft picks to win a cup, good job on building a team. To have to Dismantle that team and literally lose all your depth and start over from just your key pieces and come back to an elite level, They have an opportunity to be a model Franchise, if they can win a cup with that much turnover. It'd be like us Holding on to Datsyuk, Howard, Z, Kronner and a couple of prospects, and clean house and come back and win another cup.......Kinda what we tried to do, it's just that Chicago did a better job. Mad Respect. I'd rather see an original 6 rival like Chicago doing well over some BS franchise like Nashville or Florida dominating.

7/8 team "conferences" with the top 4 teams making the playoffs is the absolute best scenario. Long term for the league, you have to understand they'll add 2 more teams. This is what I've been dying for since 93, Divisional playoffs. I want the first 2 rounds of the playoffs to be nothing but rivalry games. This is what creates rivalries Not playing the same team 8 times a year. but playing the same couple teams in the playoffs EVERY year. Imagine your first round opponent's going to be Montreal, Toronto, Boston every year. I get goose bumps thinking about this. I'd take having to go against 1 extra team every year. Perfect scenario, 4 Conferences of 8 teams, You play the other 3 home and home, and the rest is against your conference. Give me Montreal, Toronto, Boston 4 times a year at home, an I'm a 41 game season ticket holder next year. Wild card or Not, Make divisional Playoffs happen. I fear a top 3 team in each division plus 4 wild card team 1-16 seeding scenario. the playoffs lost luster when we had first rounds against non rivals like Edmonton, Anaheim, Calgary, San Jose, I loved when we knew we're going to war with Chicago, St.Louis, Toronto or Minnesota for the first 2 rounds every year. That's how Rivalries happen. 4 divisions, Divisional playoffs, Divisional Championships, and Switch the Damn jerseys back to whites for the home teams, and Hockey will be back to being perfect for me.

Hate it. Gustavsson's sucked since he came over. Couldn't hold a job for the Leafs. Joey MacDonald was amazing last year when needed. Nothing short of amazing. what happened to earning your spot?

any internet TSN feeds?

I've been asking for them to return to divisional playoffs since 1994. Rivalries arn't made by playing the nashville predators 8 times a year during the regular season. Rivalries are made when you're constantly playing against the same handful of teams every year in the playoffs. I'd love for the first two rounds to be against the same group of 6 teams every year. If the Leafs, Canadians and Bruins can be a part of those 6 teams, I've got a semi. It makes the 1st 2 rounds of the playoffs more interesting. It gives the 2nd round the Divisional Championship, which will mean something again. It makes the Conference Finals Champion vs. Champion. I love it. I love it so much, that I can almost guarentee it won't happen.

1 - Yzerman 2 - Lidstrom 3 - Datsyuk 4 - Fedorov 5 - Zetterberg 6 - Konstantinov 7 - Holmstrom 8 - Franzen 9 - Osgood 10 - (potentially) Jimmy Howard gotta point out a terrible accuracy flaw in the article though He didn't break into the league until 03 and when he did, he took over for Boyd Devereaux, who was one of the original 2 kids with Datsyuk. That Is all.

Love it. Just ranked Yzerman ahead of Gretzky for an 8 point swing, to put Orr into first ahead of Gretzky. Got some tough ones though... Who's better, based on YOUR criteria - Jagr or Crosby Joe Mullen or Mark Recchi Trevor Linden or Kirk Muller Modano or Sittler. It's really fun, and I think, for the most part, you're going to get a true list of ranked players. I'll bump most Red Wings ahead, but for the most part, I'm being honest with my answers.

Teams I want Anyone in our time zone. Teams I don't Anyone west of Dallas. The way I see it, A Champion should be able to beat anyone put in front of them. If we cant' beat San Jose, then we're not 2011 Champs. I'm sure San Jose doesn't want to play us. If they can't beat us, they don't deserve to be champions. A lighter than normal travel schedule would be ideal. If we don't end up going to the east, I'd settle for at least going back to 4 divisions, and having the first 2 rounds the divisional playoffs. That would at least keep us palying teams like Chicago, Nashville, Columbus, Dallas, St.Louis, etc. for the first 2 rounds.

I don't hate them. But...... I probably like the Lighting Jersey the best out of all the age of Reebok redesigns. I think the Tampa Bay white jersey is in my top 5 favs right now. Oh well, hopefully I can pick up a cheap Hedman, Lecavalier or St. Louis Age of reebok jersey cheap in the fall

WE used to do it. Every team used to do it, and the best times/scores/ records from around the league would then compete at the ASG Skills competition. So, you'd have the hardest shots in the league, the fastest skaters, best stickhandlers etc. I went to the wing's Skills comp during the 95-96 season. It costa canned good to get in, and we sat lower bowl. Upper bowl was empty. Hardest shot was actually won by, gulp, Stu Grimson. That was his 2nd year in a row he won it, and pretty sure he shot it a bit under 95. I was 11 when I went, and it's too bad they don't have it anymore....Cause what a great experience... Just like the Red Wings Fan Fest / Red Wings Rally. Got tons of autographs during those. Never was atthe right place right time for Yzerman and Fedorov, but I did manage to Get Draper, Osgood, Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Kozlov, Primeau, Dandenault, Cicarrelli, Bob Errey, and What would I do without my coveted Yan Golubovsky Auto?