Nicklas LidstrÃ¶m

Nicklas Lidstrom Erik ( born April 28, 1970 in Västerås ) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player who was active for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League from 1991 to 2012.

3.1 International

Career

Nicklas Lidstrom began his career at VIK Västerås HK, where it was first used in the 1987/88 season with the professionals in the sub-prime Allsvenskan and helped in the rise in the Elitserien. In the following season he belonged to the tribe of Västerås squad and could make the North American teams attention with his performance, so he was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round at position 53 in the NHL Entry Draft in 1989.

Lidstrom played two more years in Sweden and was able to improve his skills especially on the offensive. He also won in 1990 at the Junior World Championships and won the silver medal a year later with the Swedish national team the gold medal at the World Championships for seniors.

Only a few months later he was in the autumn of 1991 his debut in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings. Lidstrom sat through immediately in the team and in the league. Especially in the offensive began, the Swedish defender with eleven goals and 49 templates accents, the Calder Memorial Trophy for the best rookie of the season but went to the Russian striker Pavel Bure. Lidstrom finished second in the election and was elected team in the NHL All- Rookie.

He played it two more good seasons at the side of his experienced defender colleague Paul Coffey for the Red Wings and returned in the fall of 1994 returned to his hometown club Västerås IK, since the beginning of the NHL season 1994/95 was delayed due to a lockout, was in January 1995 but again the squad of Detroit. This season, he also showed his qualities first time in the playoffs and was one of the best scorers in the final, as the Red Wings lost in the final of the Stanley Cup against the New Jersey Devils.

1995/96 continued Lidstrom with 67 points and had a personal high score by his defensive play in ensuring that the Red Wings conceded the least goals in the league. In the playoffs, but were beaten in the final of the Western Conference of the Colorado Avalanche. The following year, then finally achieved his great success. In the Stanley Cup finals, the Detroit Red Wings faced the Philadelphia Flyers and Nicklas Lidstrom scored after only three won games, the 1-0 lead in the fourth game, which the foundation stone for the 2-1 win against the Flyers and for the first Stanley Cup Triumph of the Red Wings for 42 years presented.

At the beginning of the season 1997/98 he was appointed alternate captain of the Detroit Red Wings. He was able to continue with the team on the successful preseason, again won the Stanley Cup and had six goals and 13 assists fourth- best scorer in the playoffs. In addition, he was first nominated for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defender in the NHL, but Rob Blake won and was elected to the NHL First All -Star Team.

Lidstrom established himself henceforth among the best defenders in the league, was elected in the following two seasons back in the First All -Star Team and was nominated both times for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. However, the mannschaftliche success was for the time being. In addition, there have been rumors that he will leave North America so that his sons can go to school in Sweden.

But Lidstrom remained in Detroit and played with 71 points, scored one of his best seasons and was the second best scorer of the Red Wings. In the playoffs, he failed with his team already but surprisingly in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings. Nevertheless, he was first honored as the best defender in the NHL with the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

In the 2001 /02 season, the Detroit Red Wings dominated the NHL in the regular season and ended with 15 points ahead of second-placed Boston Bruins from. Lidstrom was doing, as in previous years, the central figures of the team and had 50 assists best Torvorbereiter the Red Wings. Also in this year's playoffs, he continued his good performance on the defensive and on the offensive. The Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and their arch-rivals, the Colorado Avalanche before they met in the Stanley Cup finals to the Carolina Hurricanes. After they had started with a home defeat in the final round, they won the next game and thus the third Stanley Cup since 1997. Lidstrom drove in the 23 playoff games five goals and eleven originals and became the first European with the Conn Smythe Trophy awarded the most valuable player of the playoffs. Added to this was his second James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defender and the fifth call to the First All -Star Team in a row.

The following season, the Red Wings were again among the best teams in the regular season, but the title defense failed in the playoffs in the first round with a 0-4 defeat in the series against the Anaheim Ducks. Lidstrom was in the regular season, although only the third- best scorer among the defenders behind Al MacInnis and Sergei Gonchar, but brought it to a plus / minus value of 40 and again won the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

2003/ 04 played Lidstrom the weakest season of his career. Although the Red Wings took first place in the NHL, but the Swede could not keep up with the best defenders in the league. After switching off in the second playoff round, he joined the Swedish national team at the World Cup and played his first game in the semi-final victory over the United States. However, in the final they failed to Team Canada.

After the World Cup Lidstrom playing for Sweden at the World Cup of Hockey in 2004, then put but due to the failure of the entire NHL season 2004/ 05 due to a lockout a one-year pause.

For the 2005/06 season he returned to the Red Wings, again dominated the league, but failed early in the playoffs. Lidstrom set a personal high with 80 points in 80 games, led the defense as best scorer and has already been awarded for the fourth time as the best defender in the NHL. In February 2006 he took part in the Winter Olympics in Turin and won the gold medal. In the final against Finland, he scored at the beginning of the last third of the 3-2 winning goal.

In the summer of 2006 end of his career was the longtime captain of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom known and succeeded him.

As captain of the Red Wings, he led the team to a good regular season down to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Anaheim Ducks. With four goals and 14 assists in 18 games, he was the best scorer of Detroit in the playoffs. After the season, the NHL awarded him for the fifth time with the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenders of what was previously only Doug Harvey, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque succeeded.

In the 2007 /08 season he won with the Red Wings became the first European captain of the NHL Stanley Cup history.

Nicklas Lidstrom is considered due to its all-round abilities on the defensive and on the offensive as one of the best defenders in the NHL history. In addition, he was nominated from 1999 to 2003 five times in a row for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which gets the player who has a high sporting standard in combination with fairness. Lidstrom has been disputed 1412 games in 18 seasons and missed due to injury so far only 32 encounters.

Since winning the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Lidstrom belongs to the small circle of the Triple Gold Club, whose members are the players who could win the World Cup, Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup.

In early June announced the Detroit Red Wings that Lidstrom would renew his contract again for one year. Previously, the defender had left open for a future after the early playoff from his team. On 15 December 2010 he scored in the game against the St. Louis Blues for the first time in his career a hat-trick. After finishing the regular season 2010/11, which ended Lidstrom with a record of 62 scorer points and thus the oldest defender of NHL history was more than 60 points, he got together with Loui Eriksson and Martin St. Louis once again nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

In June 2011, the defender signed a one year contract again with the Detroit Red Wings. On 31 May 2012 Lidstrom gave after 20 seasons in the National Hockey League end of his career known.

In August 2013, the Detroit Red Wings announced that the number of Nicklas Lidstrom 5 will be locked during the game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 6, 2014.

Awards and achievements

2002 NHL First All -Star Team
2003 NHL All-Star Game
2003 James Norris Memorial Trophy
2003 NHL First All -Star Team
2004 NHL All-Star Game
2006 James Norris Memorial Trophy
2006 NHL First All -Star Team
2006 Viking Award
2007 NHL All-Star Game
2007 James Norris Memorial Trophy
2007 NHL First All -Star Team
2008 NHL All-Star Game
2008 Stanley Cup win with the Detroit Red Wings
2008 James Norris Memorial Trophy
2008 NHL First All -Star Team
2009 NHL Second All-Star Team
2010 NHL Second All-Star Team
2011 NHL All-Star Game
2011 James Norris Memorial Trophy
2011 NHL First All - Star Team

Internationally

2006 All- Star team for the Olympic Winter Games
2006 Inclusion in the Triple Gold Club
2014 admission into the IIHF Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Internationally

Represented Sweden at:

U18 European Junior Championships 1988
U20 Junior World Cup 1990
World Cup 1991
Canada Cup 1991
World Cup 1994
World Cup of Hockey 1996

1998 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
World Cup 2004
World Cup of Hockey 2004
2006 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )

511959