Red Wings claim 2 spots on 'Top 10 Greatest NHL Teams' list

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have had at least two of the best 10 teams in NHL history, as voted by fans.

The list has been trimmed down to the Top 10. On the list of Top 50, the Detroit Red Wings claimed six spots on the list.

Recommended Videos



  • 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings
  • 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings
  • 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings
  • 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings
  • 1954-55 Detroit Red Wings
  • 1951-52 Detroit Red Wings

Those are all teams which won the Stanley Cup, of course. 

The new top 10 list has two Detroit Red Wings teams included, both of more recent memory.

No. 6: 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings: With a four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals, the Detroit Red Wings became the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991 and 1992) -- and the most recent -- to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Red Wings were led by Steve Yzerman, who became just the fifth player to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs while captain of his team. Scotty Bowman equaled Toe Blake's NHL record of eight Stanley Cup coaching victories.

No. 10: 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings: Boasting a lineup laden with future Hockey Hall of Famers, the Detroit Red Wings took an unconventional route to Stanley Cup glory, becoming the first team in NHL history to win the championship after starting the playoffs with two losses at home.

After losing the first two games to Vancouver, the Red Wings won 16 of their next 21 games en route to their third Cup win under head coach Scotty Bowman. Bowman established a new coaching record with his ninth Cup victory, surpassing the mark he held with legendary Montreal coach Toe Blake. The Cup win was the first for many veterans on the team, including goaltender Dominik Hasek, forward Luc Robitaille and defensemen Steve Duchesne and Fredrik Olausson. It also marked the second Cup win for 40-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, 16 years after he first won the Cup as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 1986, and 37-year-old right wing Brett Hull, who won the Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.