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Lidstrom: “I never imagined a night like this”

MiHockey Staff
Photo by Tom Turrill/MiHockey
Photo by Tom Turrill/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples –

Monday night, Nicklas Lidstrom was supposed to celebrate his own hockey accomplishments.

In fitting ‘Perfect Human’ fashion, however, he started his Hockey Hall of Fame induction speech by talking about Steve Yzerman, his former teammate who welcomed Lidstrom on stage and presented him with his plaque.

“Oh boy, that was a great captain,” Lidstrom said. “Thank you and thank you, Stevie, for presenting my plaque.”

It was just the latest in a long line of examples of how Lidstrom has remained humble and appreciative of everyone around him, despite being one of the best players to ever skate in the NHL.

“There’s an old saying in Sweden…in English it would translate to ‘things never turn out the way you imagined,’” Lidstrom said to start his speech. “It was a very true statement for me, because I grew up like most kids shooting pucks in my backyard or at the local rink, dreaming of scoring the big goal and winning championships. But for all the dreams I had playing hockey as a child, I never imagined a night like this.”

Lidstrom could have started imagining that night about 20 years ago, of course. By the mid-1990s, the Red Wings knew they had someone special in their locker room. Detroit’s third-round pick in 1989 played in 80 games in 1991-92 – his first NHL season – and promptly recorded 60 points. He was also an incredibly impressive +36 as a rookie.

Those remarkable numbers would continue, of course, as Lidstrom ended up recording 264 goals, 878 assists, 1142 points and a career +450 plus/minus. The seven Norris Trophies to his name almost feel like a slight for such a legendary defenseman. He never won the Hart Trophy for league MVP, a disappointment for his former boss.

“Nick had such incredible impact on our team, I just think because he made it look easy and it was always this perception that we had so many other great players, I guess that Nick never really got his due,” Red Wings GM Ken Holland said on NHL Live before the induction ceremony. “But in my opinion, he definitely was one of the most valuable players, not only best defensemen, but most valuable players in the league during his era.”

Yet true to form, the four-time Stanley Cup champion and first European player to capture the Conn Smythe said he felt a little uncomfortable accepting an individual honor Monday night.

“As kids, we learn to fall in love with the game all the way through being a professional. You play with one thing in mind: to win, win the medal, the Cup, the series, the game, the battles in the corners and in front of the net, the face-off – although I didn’t actually take any face-offs. But every night, you try your best to win. But you can’t win this. You can’t win the Hall of Fame. It’s an honor you have no control over and that you never would have imagined as a kid shooting pucks in the driveway.

“And because you can’t win this night, it feels a little uncomfortable being up here alone. I certainly didn’t get here by myself. It takes a team in all aspects of your life. Being a professional hockey player, you need people to teach you, to lead you, to make you better, to make you the best you can be, and I’ve had some of the greatest teammates, friends and family here right with me at every step of my career.”

Lidstrom reflected on his time in Hockeytown during his speech, remarking about how much he grew as a player and a person during his days wearing the Winged Wheel. A personal tale about asking for the wrong number during his first day with his new team seemed to once again sum up his humility.

“Too many to thank tonight, but I’m going to try to mention as many as possible in the time I have. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 24 years since I first walked into Joe Louis Arena. Even then, I wasn’t alone. My agent Don Meehan was with me, and he was there with me to sign my first contract. I was 21 years old, 4,000 miles from home and I knew very little about the Red Wings, so little that I first asked to wear No. 9. It’s one of the great things about hockey: if you make a mistake, there’s always someone there to point it out to you. In this case, the equipment manager set the rookie set, and I got my first lesson in Red Wings history.

“The player and person I was that day in ’91 was nowhere near the same as when I became captain of the Red Wings in 2006. I had a lot of learning to do, both on and off the ice, learning what it meant to be a pro, learning how to lead, learning what it takes to win, and I learned that from Steve Yzerman. His dedication and will was at a level I had never seen before. The lessons I learned from Steve are some of the biggest reasons why I was successful. It was both an honor and a tremendous responsibility that followed Steve, and I did my best to carry on that tradition and culture that he built.

“One of the most important parts of any team’s success is to have owners that are committed to winning, and I can’t imagine having better owners than Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch. Their commitment allowed me to be a part of four Stanley Cup championships, and just as important, they really cared about me and my family. It made us all part of their family. They not only made winning possible, they made it more special.”

Watch Lidstrom’s whole speech here: