greenrebellion 415 Report post Posted December 16, 2016 As reality begins to set in across Red Wing land that this season is most likely the end of the playoff streak (barring an unlikely miraculous turnaround). I just want to say thanks to what the Red Wings have personally provided me over the past 20+ years. My earliest memories of watching the Wings are from 23 years ago watching the 1993 / 1994 season with my Dad. That of course was the year the Wings lost in in the first round in seven games to the San Jose Sharks. As a 9 year old boy, my feeble mind could simply not understand how a first seed could lose to the lowly Sharks. That was followed by a devastating lost to the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals which was equally devastating for me. But good things were soon to follow and that has led to a lifelong passion of all things Red Wings. I want to personally thank the following: Illitch's - thanks for being great hockey owners and supporting the team throughout the years Holland - While I think its time to move on, Its incredible the success you were able to bring this organization since 1997 including 3 cups (2 if you don't give him any credit for the '98 win). Classy players who were World Class - Yzerman, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg...thanks for all the sacrifices you made over the years and for being such classy players who always gave it their all. Joe Louis Arena - A great Arena with many personal memories. You will be missed. Babcock - I think he is one of the greatest coaches of all time and is a big reason why the Wings stayed as perennially contenders well into the cap era. Mickey Redmond - Since I was 9 years old, I've listened to Mickey night in and night out. Please never retire! Four Cups - Four cups in 23 years of watching in a league of 30 teams and increasing parity in the later years...incredible stuff! The road ahead may be tough for a while, but I'll stick by these Wings. I believe that brighter days will once again return to this iconic original six franchise. It may take longer than we all would like, but I recognize how spoiled I have been as a Wings fan and am truly lucky to have identified with them for as long as I have. THANK YOU!!! 18 marcaractac, puckloo39, kliq and 15 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hockeymom1960 5,107 Report post Posted December 17, 2016 Hear, hear! I love this team and will stick by them through thick and thin. 1 greenrebellion reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kliq 3,755 Report post Posted December 17, 2016 This is a really cool post greenrebellion! Its nice to see something that is not doom and gloom around here. My 4 teams are the Red Wings, Lions, Blue Jays, and Raptors and since 1991 (also 9 years old, and the first year I started following sports) no team has come close to giving me as much enjoyment as the Red Wings, its really not even close. They were contenders pretty much every single year between 1994 and 2011 give or take a year on both ends. Other then maybe the SA Spurs, what team can say that? 3 Hockeymom1960, krsmith17 and greenrebellion reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoalieManPat 1,007 Report post Posted December 17, 2016 Positive posts are not allowed. THREAD LOCKED .....not really. 3 thegerkin, greenrebellion and ChristopherReevesLegs reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amato 3,210 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 to be honest, i read "A Big Thanks!" and thought this was going to be a sarcastic post with how toxic wings fandom has been this season. This was a refreshing change of pace; thank you for that. and I'll always stick with the wings as well. Cheers! 3 kliq, krsmith17 and thegerkin reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joesuffP 1,746 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 How is this positive the season isn't even half over and we're 4 points out of a playoff spot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AtlantaHotWings 984 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 15 minutes ago, joesuffP said: How is this positive the season isn't even half over and we're 4 points out of a playoff spot duh it's reverse psychology like complimenting a goalie on a shutout jinxes him. Thanking the Wings for the past flips the karma switch and they make the playoffs. If the karma switch doesn't flip then it's still a nice thought. So win/win 1 Hockeymom1960 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amato 3,210 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 2 hours ago, joesuffP said: How is this positive the season isn't even half over and we're 4 points out of a playoff spot It could've been more positive, sure. But this post was still a lot nicer to read than many of them lately. Sucks that I'm already kind of at a point of cheering for other teams in our division to lose but it is nice that we're not too far out of the division race. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greenrebellion 415 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 Hey look, if we make the playoffs, then fantastic. But this is the first time in the entirety of my Red Wing watching career that I don't have any confidence that they will make it. And as I've posted elsewhere, I think keeping the streak going has in many ways hurt management's desire or ability to make necessary changes in the name of keeping the streak alive...so if they do end up missing the playoffs (as I suspect they will), it may end up being a long run positive. 1 puckloo39 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LeftWinger 4,953 Report post Posted December 19, 2016 I agree with most of it.....Holland was not GM until July of 1997. So he did not bring them that Cup neither. I don't give him credit for 98, even though he was there as GM. In 99, I give him credit for trying to get the ever elusive triple Cup win. I believe the NHL screwed the Wings that year. I actually do not give him credit for 2002 either. Sure, he made the deals and signed the papers, but Bowman got what Bowman wanted. He built that team with Holland's signature and Mike's wallet. I give him some credit for 08. I do give him credit for listening to his scouts and inner circle. To me, Holland is not and was not anywhere near the best GM in the NHL. I thank Scotty Bowman, Jim Devellano, Bryan Murray, Steve Yzerman, Bob Probert, Sergei and the Russian 5. I also thank Shawn Burr, Dino Ciccarelli, Paul Coffey, Nick Lidstrom, Brad McCrimmon for being Nick's first nhl regular partner and teaching him the nhl game. Thank you Dominator. Thank you Patrick Roy for game 7 and making ABC look like the biased jack assess they are when they didnt give Detroit a chance and made all the news about you and still had to run all the pieces on how you've never lost a game 7, even after you were down 4-0 in the 1st. Thank you Holmer. Thank you KFC for many,MANY early nineties nights of Hot Wings and Red Wings. Thank you Stash, for my 27th b-day gift of a little old hockey game on March 26th, 1997. To quote him, after the goalie brawl, "I don't even care if they lose, this is the best game I've ever been to in my life!" If any of you were there live with us, I'm sure you totally concur with his statement...but hey, they even won. My God, where has the time gone? 2 puckloo39 and chaps80 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaps80 1,591 Report post Posted December 21, 2016 Nice to see a thread like this. With the way some post around here, you'd think all this past success and history was long forgotten. These achievements are what makes these bad times easy to take, for me at least. So they may not make the playoffs this season, or a few seasons. Big deal. This was expected for a long time and it's the nature of the league now. It will take awhile to solve the problems that making the playoffs 25 years in a row creates concerning drafting and roster and contract management, especially in the era of a salary cap. There's no quick fixes, as much as some want there to be. Roll with it, enjoy the memories, and try not to drive yourself crazy as the losses mount. It'll get fixed. One day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickazz 5,459 Report post Posted December 21, 2016 (edited) A nice positive thread (nice post greenrebellion) turning into Ken Holland too? Come on guys. Leave it where it belongs... Edited December 21, 2016 by kickazz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted December 22, 2016 All I want for Christmas is Red Wings run in the playoffs again. 1 amato reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barrie 900 Report post Posted December 22, 2016 I became a Wings fan as a kid in the late 1980's, so I've been around for all the fun. With reality setting in, that the playoff streak will end, and we need to rebuild, I've been thinking, I really can't ask for anymore from this team. I've seen it all! I've seen more then 2 lifetimes of success, and despite something out of my control, I still have more then half my life to live. I'm actually looking forward to a few years of high level draft picks, so we can reload and win more Championships. 1 hour ago, frankgrimes said: Leafs, Rangers and even the Habs had higher payrolls back then. Buying the cup to me means: The cup has a price and you pay it without playing. Even if a team has the best roster by far the players still need to go out and do it, they need to be a team and not just a collection of very well paid superstars. Best example of that would be team Canada I mean Bergeron as a fourth line center? And yet everybody buys in. Tldr: there is no buying the cup Right, if there was a team that was bought in the early 2000's, it was the Leafs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ami 273 Report post Posted December 22, 2016 17 hours ago, HadThomasVokounOnFortSt said: All I want for Christmas is Red Wings run in the playoffs again. All you need then is a faith ... that Santa exists! this is your only hope at this moment, I'm afraid... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
