It may be hard to imagine when walking through Little Caesars Arena, the state-of-the-art home to the Detroit Red Wings but when the franchise first came into existence, the Motor City was bereft of a suitable hockey arena.
The Red Wings were actually born in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars when ownership purchased the roster of the Victoria Cougars from the defunct Western Hockey League. The club made history in that first season. With no suitable arena in Detroit, they played all their home games across the border in Canada at Border Cities Arena in Windsor, Ont.
Olympia Stadium, the team’s home until 1979, opened in 1927. The Cougars were renamed the Falcons and finally were christened the Red Wings in 1932.
Strong Points
The Red Wings draw their strength from consistency at the top. Two families have owned the franchise during its most productive eras.
It was James Norris who took ownership of the team in 1932 and renamed the team the Red Wings. Under the Norris family tutelage, the Wings won seven Stanley Cups between 1935-36 and 1954-55. The Wings established an NHL record that is likely to stand forever, finishing atop the league standings for seven successive seasons from 1948-49.
The Norris family sold the Wings to the Ilitch family in 1982 and another era of Red Wings greatness would soon be launched. Between 1994-95 and 2008-09 the club would play in six Stanley Cup finals and win four more titles.
Weak Points
Detroit’s strength ultimately became the team’s weakness. Staying on top of the NHL, making the playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons from 1990-91 through 2015-16.
However, all those years of selecting later in the draft caught up to the Wings, especially once the NHL went to a salary cap format in 2005. Unable to throw money at problems, the cash-rich Wings were not left to try to solve problems from within. Years of making moves to win now also played a role in their eventual slide to the bottom of the NHL standings.
The Wings are currently in a rebuilding mode as they seek a path back to the status as Stanley Cup contender the team held for most of a generation.
Detroit Red Wings Best Players Of All Time
Gordie Howe was the club’s and the NHL’s most dominant player for a quarter of a century. He was a six-time winner of the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
The era of the 1950s saw the Wings led by Howe, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay, Detroit’s famous Production Line. Red Kelly was the first winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. Terry Sawchuk was considered the game’s finesst goaltender.
Later, the Wings counted on the on-ice leadership of captain Steve Yzerman for over two decades from 1982-2006. When Yzerman retired, Nicklas Lidstrom followed him as captain. Lidstrom also played 20 seasons and was a seven-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman.Sergei Fedorov was another star of this era and won the Hart Trophy.
Where To See Red Wings Schedules
The surest place to find out when the new Red Wings game is will be by going directly to the source at the club’s website. Another popular place to locate all the latest news on Detroit’s upcoming games is NHL.com.
Best Sports Betting Sites in Michigan to bet on Detroit Red Wings
If you’re already a fan of the Red Wings, why not get in on the action whil watching the team. Top online betting sites such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and William Hill all offer the latest odds on the next Red Wings game.
These sites will offer competitive odds on the moneyline, puckline and total for every Red Wings game. There’s also prop wagers available. Perhaps you think the Wings have a worthy contender for the Calder Trophy. Might you be willing to risk a future book bet on Detroit’s odds to win the Stanley Cup?
Best Bet On The Wings
Taking into consideration that Detroit is in the midst of a rebuild, perhaps betting on the Wings to win is not currently going to be a successful long-term strategy. However, live betting is an option that can always pay dividends.
For example, in recent seasons the Wings have been slow starters. Betting on their opponent to score the first goal of the game wouldn’t be a bad in-play wager.
What To Consider When Predicting Red Wings Games
Detroit hasn’t been a very good road team in recent seasons. They’ve especially struggled in Boston and Philadelphia, for example.
Look for trends in the schedule that lend themselves to both positive and negative options. If Detroit’s next opponent are near the end of a long road trip, they might be more susceptible to defeat. Is Detroit’s upcoming game against a team playing the second night of a back-to-back scenario? That can also be taxing on a team.
