Within the lengthy historical past of the Detroit Purple Wings group, many notable names have come by and worn the winged wheel. However who has been the very best to don the Purple Wings jersey primarily based on their nationality?
*The international locations talked about have had 5 or extra gamers spend time with the Purple Wings group*
Canada
In consideration: Alex Delvecchio, Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, Steve Yzerman
The choice: Gordie Howe
Within the group’s historical past, nearly 800 gamers have hailed from Canada (789). The title that resonates probably the most with followers throughout the hockey world is the person often known as “Mr. Hockey,” Gordie Howe. Whereas Yzerman’s profession accolades are nothing to sneeze at, Howe was a notch above the remaining. The Saskatchewan native was the very best of his time, and several other information stood for years. He held the document for many video games performed (1,767, together with his time within the WHA after which the Hartford Whalers), finally damaged by Patrick Marleau in 2021. He additionally held the objective document (801) till “The Nice One” Wayne Gretzky surpassed him in 1994 and has since seen Alex Ovechkin move him.
Associated: ‘Mr. Hockey’ Gordie Howe
The all-time statistics are the headliners, clearly, for Howe, however he additionally received the Artwork Ross (most factors within the common season) and Hart Trophies (league’s Most worthy participant) six occasions every in his profession. In his time in a winged wheel jersey, he additionally hoisted the Stanley Cup 4 occasions and was a fan favourite lengthy after his taking part in days ended, each in Detroit and throughout the hockey world.
Czechia
In consideration: Dominik Hasek, Jiri Hudler, Petr Klima, Václav Nedomanský
The choice: Dominik Hasek
Whereas he solely performed 4 seasons with the Purple Wings in two stints, Dominik Hasek made a powerful impression in his time in Detroit each within the common season and postseason. After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2001, he helped lead the Purple Wings to the Stanley Cup and was a driving power for the group. The “Dominator” let his outside-the-box type of goaltending excite Purple Wings followers over the 4 seasons he was with the crew and helped cause them to the 2008 Stanley Cup in addition to profitable the William Jennings Trophy (fewest objectives allowed) alongside Chris Osgood.
General, he ranks within the prime 5 in each goals-against common (GAA) and shutouts in Purple Wings playoff historical past and was one of many extra thrilling goaltenders to observe as a member of the crew.
Finland
In consideration: Valterri Filppula, Olli Määttä
The choice: Valterri Filppula
The Purple Wings have solely had six gamers from Finland go well with up for them, so this one appeared simple to select. Between the mid-2000s and the early 2010s, Valtteri Filppula was a reputation that Wings followers acquired accustomed to listening to and attending to know fairly a bit. Whereas he could not have lit the scoresheet on fireplace constantly, he was relied upon as an energizer kind of participant who is also known as upon to win faceoffs when want be (he received 50% of his faceoffs with the Purple Wings). Between his two stints with the Purple Wings (2005-2013, 2019-2021), he tallied 287 common season factors, was additionally a powerful contributor within the playoffs with 57 factors, and received the 2008 Stanley Cup.
Russia
In consideration: Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov
The choice: Sergei Fedorov
It was a tough selection between Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Fedorov, and it might get flack from some, as each gamers have been magicians on the ice and left an enduring impression on the Purple Wings group. Nonetheless, going with Fedorov comes all the way down to his further playoff success in comparison with Datsyuk in his profession. Not solely did Fedorov win yet another Stanley Cup than Datsyuk, however he additionally recorded 50 extra factors in solely 5 extra playoff video games.
Fedorov was among the many most enjoyable gamers to observe throughout his time with the crew. His mixture of silky easy skating, puck dealing with, and two-way recreation earned the respect and reward of his friends within the league, resulting in him profitable the Hart, Selke (greatest defensive ahead), and Ted Lindsay (most excellent participant chosen by the Participant’s Affiliation) Awards for the 1993-94 season. He additionally added one other Selke Trophy within the 1995-96 season. He was one of the vital outstanding gamers throughout his 13 seasons in Detroit and is the final Purple Wing to win the Hart Trophy as of 2023-24. Whereas his exit from Detroit was a troublesome tablet to swallow and left many with a nasty style of their mouth, the 2015 Hockey Corridor of Fame inductee sits on the prime of the checklist of Russian-born gamers to go well with up for the Purple Wings.
Slovakia
In consideration: Marian Hossa, Tomas Tatar
The choice: Tomas Tatar
Though Marian Hossa was a giant motive that the Purple Wings have been ready to win back-to-back Stanley Cups within the 2008-09 season, longevity is the explanation that Tomas Tatar earned the title of “Greatest Slovak-born Purple Wing.” Tatar, very like Filppula, didn’t gentle the world on fireplace together with his stats however was nonetheless a key a part of the group within the elements of seven seasons he spent in Detroit. He was not the largest man on the ice, however as a Wing confirmed no hesitance to get entangled within the recreation by any means. Being a relentless presence within the lineup with a little bit of an underrated shot, he tallied round 0.54 factors per recreation within the common season for the Purple Wings.
Sweden
In consideration: Tomas Holmstrom, Nick Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg
The choice: Nick Lidstrom
The person often known as “The Good Human,” Nick Lidstrom, was just about simply that on the ice for the Purple Wings for 20 seasons. It appeared like he was by no means out of place in opposition to whoever was coming down the ice in opposition to him and was seemingly one step forward of his opponents. Essentially, Lidstrom was as sound as a defenseman may get. What stands out the largest with regards to his general defensive recreation is his profession plus/minus within the common season, sitting at a plus-450, tagged together with an astonishing seven Norris Trophies for the league’s greatest defenseman (second behind Bobby Orr’s eight).
He was a bit underrated relating to his shot from the purpose, however he nonetheless finds himself within the prime 10 all-time amongst defensemen in profession objectives. The 11-time All-Star was as clutch and impactful within the playoffs as he was within the common season and has, thus far, a few of the larger moments within the latest playoff reminiscence for Purple Wing followers. Lidstrom took his rightful place within the Corridor of Fame with fellow teammates Chris Chelios and Fedorov within the 2015 class and, like lots of the names listed above, remains to be an enormous fan favourite.
United States
In consideration: Jimmy Howard, Dylan Larkin, Reed Larson
The choice: Dylan Larkin
Whereas there have been a handful of American-born gamers who’ve had Corridor of Fame careers (Chris Chelios, Mike Modano) who suited up for the Purple Wings, none of them put up the kind of numbers and longevity that Dylan Larkin has had with the crew. The Michigan-born 2014 first-round decide got here into the group with excessive hopes of turning into a participant who might be constructed round, and he has confirmed to be simply that. Whereas the crew has not been capable of finding any success attending to the playoffs exterior of his rookie season (2015-16), he has proven to be the kind of participant who can deliver a mixture of offense, power, and a little bit of grit to his recreation that has helped seemingly rejuvenate the group and for awhile was one of many few vibrant spots the crew had going for them.
To date, within the 9 seasons he has performed within the NHL, Larkin has been just below a 0.80 point-per-game participant with 506 factors in 652 video games. He has crammed the captaincy function nicely since incomes it in January 2021. Out of the gamers drafted within the 2014 class, he finds himself sixth amongst all gamers in factors and continues to get higher as time has gone on. Time will solely inform how a lot of an enduring impression he’ll go away on the Purple Wings group.
Loads of Greatness Over the Years
As an Authentic Six crew, there shall be fairly just a few names that all the time resonate with hockey followers of all ages. The Purple Wings have seen loads of gamers have immense success in a winged wheel jersey through the years (4 on this article are Corridor of Famers and members of the High-100 All-Time checklist from 2017). The hope is that the brand new technology of gamers (Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and so on.) construct off the wealthy historical past of the group and might go away their mark as nicely.
