"THE DETROIT RED WINGS ARE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!" is what the broadcaster exclaimed on June 7, 1997. This was the day that the Detroit Red Wings ended their 42 year drought and brought Lord Stanley's prize back to Michigan.
Since that day, the Red Wings have won three more Stanley Cups: 1998, 2002, and most recently, 2008.
Many of the players from eleven seasons ago still remain with the men in red. To name a few: Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, and Kris Draper. Chris Osgood spent some time between the New York Islanders and the St. Louis Blues before winning his third Cup with the Wings, and fan favorite Darren McCarty moved back to Hockeytown less than two months ago after a failed stint in Calgary.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Guys like Chris Chellios, Pavel Datsuyk, and Henrik Zetterberg have also had successful tenures in Detroit, but there were many new faces in the last couple of years that rocked the Motor City. Names like Johann Franzen, Mikhail Samuellson, and Andres Lilja are far from household names anywhere else but Detroit, but they all have their names on the Stanley Cup. They are now in the same league as Steve Yzerman and Sergei Federov, two former Red Wings/future hall-of-famers. Dallas Drake has been in the league for quite some time, and can finally have something to show for it.
So what does a Stanley Cup victory mean to this team of Red Wings? For many, it's just another ring to add to their sock drawer, but for others, it shows that with a little hard work, anything is possible.
The Red Wings will have a summer to prepare for their next attempt to win the Cup. Who knows, the Red Wings may be able to repeat a double victory, like they did between the 96-97 season and the 97-98 season.
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