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.
