Sporting News' NHL Player of the Decade: Nicklas Lidstrom, D, Red Wings
Our choices for seven athletes of the decade--one in each sport we cover--sparked some intense debate. You could make great arguments for Nicklas Lidstrom and Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, but Lidstrom's six Norris trophies in eight seasons were tough to beat.
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Thursday, Sep. 24, 2009 - 1:57 a.m. ET
Dependable, durable, determined: Lidstrom has been the total package through the years.
We say...
Dependable, durable, determined: Lidstrom has been the total package through the years.
Lidstrom is an anomaly—the first European-born player to win a Conn Smythe ( 2002) and the only one to captain a Stanley Cup champion ('08). But the Swedish defenseman's accomplishments cannot be trivialized. Twice in this decade—from 2001-03 and 2006-08—the 17-year veteran has three-peated as the winner of the Norris Trophy. In a word: ridiculous.
The numbers say...
Lidstrom: 127 goals, 447 assists, plus-232, six Norris trophies, two Stanley Cups
Brodeur: 356-194-48-23 record, 2.22 goals against average, four Vezina trophies, two Stanley Cups
You say...
Sportingnews.com voting
Nicklas Lidstrom 55%
Martin Brodeur 45%
They say...
Hall of Famer and former Red Wings center Steve Yzerman's case for Lidstrom: "Nicklas Lidstrom won the Stanley Cup in '02. He won the Cup in '08. I don't know how many Norris trophies he's won, but throughout that entire time, throughout the entire decade, where he's only missed a handful of games, he was the Red Wings' best player. He's one of the top defensemen on both ends of the rink. He's got really good instincts, and he's incredibly skilled. He's a really, really intelligent hockey player. Nick is your best player in training camp. He's your best player in preseason. He's your best player in the regular season. He's your best player in the playoffs. I'm not sure what else he could do."
Lidstrom says...
Our pick's memory of the decade: "The first thing you think of is the Stanley Cup wins, whether it's the one in '02 or the one (in '08). Those two were special. In 2002, I won the Norris and Conn Smythe as well. Winning those two trophies, along with the Stanley Cup, makes that year stand out. We had a heck of a team that season. We signed Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Dominik Hasek—you can go down the line with the great players on that team. We had a real strong team and then lost the first two games of the playoffs against Vancouver in the first round. It was a tough playoff run, but the team responded well. We had some pressure on us, and it was gratifying to win with that team. Really gratifying."
SN PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2000: Jaromir Jagr
2001: Joe Sakic
2002: Jarome Iginla
2003: Peter Forsberg
2004: Martin St. Louis
2005: None (lockout)
2006: Jaromir Jagr
2007: Sidney Crosby
2008: Alex Ovechkin
2009: Alex Ovechkin
--Contributing: Craig Custance, Steve Greenberg
A longer version of this story first appeared in the Sept. 28, 2009, edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.
Comments (10)
and well deserved. He epitomizes "class" The true team player, who cares about the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. We wing fans have been fortunate to have a number of 1st rate players at both Olympia and "the Joe" - Numbers 19, 9 , 7, to name a few. His name will soon join them up the rafters
He's the gold standard for D-men; he can shut your team down, and bury it like a top 3 forward. A great role model, and a class act on and off the ice, Lidstrom epitomizes everything great about the game of hockey.
I find it interesting that he was never named player of the year throughout the decade. There's not doubt that he deserves it, though.
If I had to pick one man to represent the NHL to the rest of the sporting world . . .
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Nick Lidstrom.
Great choice - on and off the ice.
You guys got this one right, Lidstrom is not only a great player, he is a great person as well.
Need to have the whole package to deserve this, and Lidstrom certainly is the whole package.
A no-brainer. I'd love to hate Lidstrom (I'm a Hawks fan), but I have too much respect for him. He's the only D-man in the game that can completely dominate both ends of the ice. Brodeur is a solid choice, but Lidstrom deserves this award.
Such a quiet force on the blue line, next stop Hall of Fame.
Go Wings!!
Lidstrom has won 4 Stanley Cups, not 2.
Two is correct; the totals are for this decade. Hence, "Player of the Decade."
player of the decade without ever being player of the year. makes me think that it should be the best hockey player in the world instead.