Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the all-time greats. Where exactly he ranks among the league’s great defensemen is up for debate, but there is no question that his name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque, Doug Harvey, and the like. A player that Dallas Stars fans became all to familiar with during his prime years, Lidstrom will see his #5 hanging from the rafters of Joe Louis Arena this year.
The Wings will retire his number in a ceremony on March 6th in a game against the Colorado Avalanche, the same week that the Dallas Stars plan to retire the #9 that was famously worn by Lidstrom’s one-time teammate in Detroit, Mike Modano. Lidstrom won 7 Norris Trophies as the league’s top defenseman, all in a 10 year span. He retired after the 2011-2012 season, after playing 20 years with the Red Wings franchise. [TSN]
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The San Jose Sharks are one of many teams that are utilizing analytics and advanced stats in their scouting department, to find the right pieces to bring them their first Stanley Cup. Fear the Fin takes a look at how the concept of CORSI has shaped the Sharks scouting strategy in recent years. [Fear the Fin]
The goal of every franchise during free agency is to find a player that can help bring the Stanley Cup to their city. The Toronto Maple Leafs have done just that, albeit in a more literal sense than most expected. The newly acquired center, who scored the Stanley Cup clinching goal for the Chicago Blackhawks this year, used his day with the Cup to bring it to Toronto… his boyhood team, and new employer. [Associated Press]
Sports Illustrated lays out their list of players they believe should rebound from sub-par performances in the coming season. The new prized centerman of the Dallas Stars, Tyler Seguin, is obviously included. [SI]
A study was recently conducted explaining what percentage of Canadian youth are not involved in the sport of hockey, as well as the reasoning behind their decision to abstain from the game. The results apparently took Mark Messier aback, and thinks more needs to be done to keep the kids without NHL potential interested in playing the game for fun. [The Canadian Press]
All the talk about NHL expansion of relocation has been around the city of Seattle, but I’ve always thought Portland would be a better location, given their passion for the Winterhawks, and tradition as an American hockey town. Apparently the city of Portland doesn’t want to be left out of the discussion, as Paul Allen was willing to drop a hefty chunk of change for the Phoenix Coyotes franchise this summer. [Vancouver Sun]
Will Ilya Kovalchuk be a trend-setter, after leaving the NHL behind to pursue his career back in Russia? Evgeni Malkin says Kovalchuk is the exception and not the rule, and that he is dedicated to his career in the NHL. [NBC]
Think you’re having a bad week? At least you’re not Nikolai Zherdev. [Puck Daddy]