Red Wings make SI.com's All-Decade Bests

by Christy on Dec 22, 2009 3:09 PM CST in News

A Sports Illustrated PR staffer gave me a heads up that SI.com just released its Best of 2000s lists and the Red Wings made it into a few categories as you can see below.

The Detroit Red Wings are the sixth-ranked franchise in all of sports this decade (by comparison, the Pistons come in at No. 19). The teams that finished ahead of them (in order) are the LA Lakers, New England Patriots, UConn women's basketball, San Antonio Spurs, and the NY Yankees.
Wings' GM Ken Holland sits second on the list of the top ten best GM/executives (the Pistons' Joe Dumars sits at No. 9). Only Scott Pioli of the New England Patriots finished above Holland.
SI.com also ranked captain Nicklas Lidstrom at No. 19 in the top 20 male athletes of the decade category.

This is what SI.com had to say about Lidstrom:

The NHL's most accomplished player, his excellence as a passer, power-play quarterback and defender (he averaged less than 40 penalty minutes per season while logging major ice time against top lines) precedes and survives the 2004-05 lockout that led to rules promoting offense. Lidstrom's six Norris Trophies (three pre-lockout; three after) place him behind only iconic Hall of Famers Doug Harvey (seven) and Bobby Orr (eight). His silverware haul this decade also includes two Stanley Cups -- the last, in 2008, made him the first European captain of an NHL champion -- and an Olympic gold medal with Sweden in 2006.

What do you think of their selections? Did they leave the Wings out of a category that they should have been in? You can view all the categories here at SI.com.

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Comments

Hmmmm...19 eh?

On purpose you think?

by 42jeff on Dec 22, 2009 4:25 PM CST reply actions

Preposterous!

Nik is amazing, but there will never be another Stevie Y!

by KBKen on Dec 22, 2009 9:09 PM CST up reply actions

Fitting though isn't it?

19?

Still I defnitely feel he should have been higher.

by 42jeff on Dec 23, 2009 9:10 AM CST up reply actions

Thought about the top 20 athletes

And I think Lidstrom should be number 16 instead of 19. In my book, NASCAR and PGA are in completely separate categories than the other sports like hockey, basketball, football, soccer, and baseball. Golf is a recreation and NASCAR is…just not even a sport. Anyway, that’s my own side tangent but good to see that SI gives the NHL some respect in comparison to ESPN.

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Dec 22, 2009 8:31 PM CST reply actions

I have a beef with UConn

Good as they are, UConn women’s basketball is not a “franchise.” They shouldn’t be on the list at all.

Back off man, I'm a scientist

by Ryan Weiss on Dec 23, 2009 12:43 AM CST reply actions

NHL Killing the Redwings Franchise

The NHL needs to stop giving Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Colorado, Nashville and Los Angeles preferential treatment on calls and scheduling. Molding the league to increase market share in places you should not be in against all rules of building markets!! Bettman is a fool if he believes that he will win fans by killing NHL franchises in cities where the NHL is the number one sport like Detroit!! Just look at the merchandise sales nationwide for Detroit versus Los Angeles. Detroit outsells LA in gear in LA!! Bettman you and your chronies are idiots!

by Marcmargolis on Dec 23, 2009 4:04 PM CST reply actions