24 replies to this topic

[Dimaline312000]

Ten years ago this season the Detroit Red Wings won what I feel is the greatest Cup of the Detroit Red Wings or at least the greatest Cup I've been alive to see. This was the year that the Red Wings took some huge steps in an attempt to win the Franchises 10 Stanley Cup. Getting The Dominator, Golden Brett, Lucky Luc and some other great players to help build an All-Star caliber team that did indeed win a Stanley Cup Championship. I call this the greatest Red Wings Cup becasue a lot of our players already on the team deferred alot of money to make room for these guys and even some of them took less money to come to Detroit. It was a somewhat bumpy road for this team late in the season after wrapping up the Prsident's Trophy and even in the playoffs losing the first two games Vs Vancouver and having a very grueling 7 game series Vs the Avs and even losing the first game of the Cup finals Vs Carolina in OT. The Red Wings fought through all of that and won their 10th Stanley Cup. This thread is for anyone and everyone who wants to share a memory our just a comment about that season and what it meant to you when the Wings Won!!

Edited by Dimaline312000, 11 October 2011 - 12:02 PM.

[Electrophile]

Considering we had at any one time, 6 HOF'ers on the ice, winning the Stanley Cup that season was a foregone conclusion. It was pretty anti-climactic, really. Not that it wasn't exciting, it's always exciting to win, just that it didn't have the same feeling that '97 did.

[GMRwings1983]

Considering we had at any one time, 6 HOF'ers on the ice, winning the Stanley Cup that season was a foregone conclusion. It was pretty anti-climactic, really. Not that it wasn't exciting, it's always exciting to win, just that it didn't have the same feeling that '97 did.

Try ten Hall of Famers total.

That was truly a memorable year. It was my first year in college, and I was probably a more obsessed Wings fan then than I am now. I guess when I was younger I didn't have as many worries in the world, and cheering for the Wings seemed to be one of the biggest things in my life then.

I also remember being extremely excited about the moves we made in the offseason. Only team that really scared were were the Avs. I knew we'd have to go through them eventually.

The playoffs was truly a stressful time, especially after each loss. I don't get as devastated now as I did then. You guys are lucky I didn't post on LGW in those days.

Edited by GMRwings1983, 11 October 2011 - 12:16 PM.

[Electrophile]

I said "on the ice". You can't have 10 skaters on the ice at one time.

[95MadeMeCry]

Edited by 95MadeMeCry, 11 October 2011 - 12:29 PM.

[haroldsnepsts]

Considering we had at any one time, 6 HOF'ers on the ice, winning the Stanley Cup that season was a foregone conclusion. It was pretty anti-climactic, really. Not that it wasn't exciting, it's always exciting to win, just that it didn't have the same feeling that '97 did.

Agreed.

2002 was fun, but nothing can touch '97.

[Ram]

Right. My rank is:

1. 1997
2. 1998
3. 2008
4. 2002

97 and 98 were simply magical years that I feel will be extremely difficult to top as far as how exciting the games were, and things like the rivalry with Colorado added to it. I do also sentiment with the idea that I was more enthralled during 97 and 98 than I will ever be, but the teams from '02 and '08, I think, were "due".

[number9]

Agreed.

2002 was fun, but nothing can touch '97.

When anyone mentions 1997 for any reason, or I see or hear the number 97 in any context, I Immediately think Red Wings. Greatest cup win and year in red wings history. It's just too perfect, almost winning it in 96...finally winning it in 97!...and winning it again in 98!!! That whole late 90's era was absolutely phenomenal. 10 year ago was probably the best NHL team ever assembled, but at that point we had a history of winning and were expected to win, in fact if we hadn't won that year i'm sure many other fans and teams would have made fun of us lol.

[GMRwings1983]

I don't think it was the greatest team ever assembled, though. Outside of Lidstrom, those other players were basically past their prime.

Now if you put all those Hall of Fame players together in their prime, including Datsyuk, then you'd have the best team in history.

[13dangledangle]

Every cup is obviously great and we as wing fans of the last 2 decades are very, very fortunate to be involved in such greatness. Being an hour from Toronto EVERYONE is a leafs fan (or habs fans but they don't even count) and these people havent seen there team even in the running for the last 7 years or so, and in the last 10 we've all as fans been involved in 4. Truely a unique team and I look forward to number 5th in here soon;)

.....Oh yeah 1997 and 2008 are tied for my favorite, 97 for obvious reasons and 08 because our boys who we drafted and saw grow as players lead the way to the cup just a little while after Yzerman retired leaving people wondering about our future. That one was sweet!

[dats13owns]

They were all special in their own way, 2008 was the most satisfying for me.

Given that it was post lockout, post Yzerman, Shanahan and Federov and the re-emergence of Osgood in the playoffs that season. It all but debunked the theory that the Wings only "buy championships." It was proof that the Wings are a well run organization that drafts well, treats veterans well and is indeed the true "Hockeytown."

[Shoreline]

Ten years ago this season the Detroit Red Wings won what I feel is the greatest Cup of the Detroit Red Wings or at least the greatest Cup I've been alive to see. This was the year that the Red Wings took some huge steps in an attempt to win the Franchises 10 Stanley Cup. Getting The Dominator, Golden Brett, Lucky Luc and some other great players to help build an All-Star caliber team that did indeed win a Stanley Cup Championship. I call this the greatest Red Wings Cup becasue a lot of our players already on the team deferred alot of money to make room for these guys and even some of them took less money to come to Detroit. It was a somewhat bumpy road for this team late in the season after wrapping up the Prsident's Trophy and even in the playoffs losing the first two games Vs Vancouver and having a very grueling 7 game series Vs the Avs and even losing the first game of the Cup finals Vs Carolina in OT. The Red Wings fought through all of that and won their 10th Stanley Cup. This thread is for anyone and everyone who wants to share a memory our just a comment about that season and what it meant to you when the Wings Won!!

I don't believe someone who saw the 1997 cup run could say this.

I have to agree with Beth, it was anti-climactic. While the comeback on the Canucks and the shelling of Roy in Game 7 following the statue of liberty hilarity the game before were nothing short of memorable, nothing in my lifetime will beat the intensity of seeing the Wings take on the Avs again following a huge disappointment the year previous and the emotion behind getting the Cup after so long.

[number9]

97 - OMG! after 40 years we finally did it! (people acknowledge the wings as a championship team/franchise)

98 - HO** SH** we did it again! back to back! were unstoppable! (confirms to the world that Detroit really is hockey-town. experts wonder if this could be the beginnings of the next dynasty)

02 - Superstar studded roster baby! were the yankees of hockey b*****s! (people acknowledge our superstar greatness, but say that we just buy our championships now)

08 - Damnnnn! we are the greatest hockey team of the last 10 years! (at last proves to the world that we dont buy championships and that we dont need to rebuild, were just that good)

each year was fantastic in different ways, and each year contributed uniquely, yet perfectly, to the growth of this team into the prestigious franchise it is today.

but really there's nothing like 97....its like heroin....winning is always good, but it's never as good as it was the very first time

Edited by number9, 11 October 2011 - 03:44 PM.

[Kira]

I have wonderful memories of all of the Cup wins in my lifetime, but there was something about '02...whether it was watching Nick score from center ice and telling my hubby, "This changes everything. We're gonna take it all."...or sitting up til 1AM watching the three overtime game...being in Sault Ste Marie for the 7-0 laugher and loving every minute of it...telling a Carolina fan, "Wings in five - you watch." - and being dead on correct.

Or maybe it was watching a shy, soft spoken young man begin to show just what magic he had up his sleeve...hearing people say, "Who is this guy?", and then hearing them say, "Who is this guy?" He had people turning heads from the very start...what a joy it's been to watch him.

'97 brought tears to my eyes, because it was the first time in my whole life that we had the Cup...'98 was tearful for different reasons...'02 was pride...'08 was even more so. I sure would love to see it happen again.

[ChelisChick]

Pat, I agree with everything you just said.

I didn't even start watching the game of hockey until after I married. Since hubby is from New England, it was assumed that we would be a hockey household. The year after we married, the Preds came to Nashville.

Needless to say, the hubby created a monster.

So seeing some "old" guy, as the media called Chris Chelios, win the Cup in '02 and '08 were special to me.

[VM1138]

Lidstrom scoring that goal from center ice was one of those iconic sports moments that you immediately knew you'd remember forever. That did, indeed, change everything.

There was a sense of inevitability to that season, up until the Vancouver series, but even so it was a lot of fun to watch. Just knowing you're watching a significant hockey team play was something special. You just knew you'd never see that again.

EDIT: I think 2009 should factor into this somehow. I know we lost, but losing by one goal in Game 7 when you weren't even trying should still be used as proof to show how amazing your team has been.

Edited by VM1138, 11 October 2011 - 05:27 PM.

[GoWings1905]

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is win when you are supposed to. I know we are all spoiled by the Stanley Cup or bust mentality the Red Wings have given us, but the 2002 team exemplified that.

2008 was my favorite championship team though. The puck possession that team displayed was absolutely magnificent. It was post-lockout too, which was extra satisfying in its own regard.

[GMRwings1983]

I said "on the ice". You can't have 10 skaters on the ice at one time.

Unless you're the Pens in the 2009 Finals.

[dats13owns]

Haha, for a full period no less.

[Barrie]

I can't believe anyone would call 2002 anti-climatic. There was so much pressure in 2001-02 to win the cup. We were down 0-2 to Vancouver in the 1st round, down 2-3 to Colorado in the Conference Finals, and down 0-1 to Carolina in the final. Imagine if we lost to Vancouver or Carolina?... Don't forget Yzerman's leg injury. We didn't know how long he'd hold up, or even play the next day.

If one of the Cup runs was anti-climatic, it's 2008. The only stressful part of that run was when we were tied 2-2 against Nashville and Game 5 went into OT. Franzen ended that one in a minute, and we dominated the rest of the way. Every round of the playoffs we won the first 2 games of the series. Stress was low that year from the beginning of the season to when we hoisted the Cup in Pittsburgh.

Edit: 2002 was my favorite cup. Winning that 3rd cup in 6 years put us in with the greatest teams of all time.

Edited by Barrie, 11 October 2011 - 07:35 PM.