Detroit Red Wings' captain Nicklas Lidstrom to announce retirement on Thursday -NHL Update
In what could be one of the biggest shocks of the offseason and a major setback to not only the Detroit Red Wings, but the National Hockey League (NHL) in general, it is reported that one of the league’s most celebrated defensemen, Nicklas Lidstrom, is set
to announce his retirement on Thursday, May 31, 2012.
While the Red Wings’ captain had hinted at making the decision during the regular season, most observers just termed it to be a phase and since he was healthy and player better than ever, Lidstrom would not retire just yet.
At 42-years-old, the Vasteras, Sweden native, holds one of the most vast playing records in hockey history along with extreme loyalty to the Detroit Red Wings as he has spent his entire career with them since being picked up as the 53rd overall
player during the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.
"He's going to announce tomorrow his decision for next year. I'll let Nick, he's played 20 years, he can make his own announcement," Detroit general manager, Ken Holland, told reporters after the GMs meeting in New York.
With the news of his possible retirement spreading like wild fire around various circles, big named personalities have come out and expressed their distress over the issue, but also were happy for the player who has spent his life to give hockey a good image.
"If he does retire, he's going to go down as one of the all-time best defensemen ever to play," said Steve Yzerman, who was also Lidstrom’s teammate. "Having played with him and watched him closely from his first game in the NHL, people know about it now
and we said it all along, you have to watch him closely to appreciate how good he is, what a great athlete he is, because he makes the position look so easy. He is a special athlete."
Nicklas Lidstrom is definitely one of the best players to have ever graced this sport, with four Stanley Cup championships, a playoff MVP back in 2002, along with a 1,564 game career for 1,142 points (264 goals, 878 assists).
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