The Red Wings’ 10 Hall of Famers on the 2002 Stanley Cup Team – Hockey Writers – Detroit Red Wings

The 2001-02 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings were a sight to behold. Their league-best 116 points were 15 more than any other team that season, and the roster was filled with NHL legends who helped capture the 10th championship in franchise history. Our countdown to Christmas continues with a look at 10 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees who played on that legendary team.

Scotty Bowman Leads the Way

Success starts at the top, with former Red Wings coach Scott Bowman leading by example. Bowman was the only member of the 2002 team already in the HHOF, which was established in 1991. His hockey career was cut short due to a head injury, so he turned to coaching, where he began playing with the St. Louis Blues in 1967.

Bowman won nine Stanley Cups in his career, with the Montreal Canadiens (5), Pittsburgh Penguins (1) and Red Wings (3). At 87, he is still active in the league and has had a consulting role with the Chicago Blackhawks since 2008. His 1,244 wins as an NHL coach is a league record.

The offense was a star-studded affair

Consider this: The 2001-02 Red Wings could field two full scoring lines and names that will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and that’s not counting young Pavel Datsyuk, who may hear his name called when he becomes eligible. Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, and Igor Larionov star on a team that often imposes its will on the opposition. Combined, the top six forwards have amassed 347 points (152 goals, 195 assists) during that tournament.

Shanahan was inducted into the HHOF in 2013 after a career that included 1,524 games, 656 goals, 698 assists, and a plus-151. He wasn’t one to back down from the challenge – although he led the 2002 team in points with 75, he was also second on the team in penalty minutes with 118. He won one King Clancy Memorial Trophy (awarded for his leadership qualities on the ice and in the Detroit community), was selected to the first or second All-Star team three times, and won three Stanley Cups in his career.

Yzerman, the captain, was the heart and soul of the team. His performance in the 2002 Playoffs was an inspiration as he played the entire postseason on a knee that required surgery while still leading the team with 23 points. Yzerman finished his career with three Stanley Cups, one Ted Lindsay Award (formerly the Lester B. Pearson Award), one Bill Masterton Memorial Award, one Selke Trophy, one Conn Smythe Trophy, and received a first-team All-Star selection.

Fedorov, released in 2015, was second on the team in points that season with 68. Also a three-time Stanley Cup winner, he won two Selke Trophies, one Ted Lindsay Award, and one Hart Memorial Trophy. In the 1993-94 season, Fedorov was named a first-team All-Star while also winning the Hart, Lindsay, and Selke awards, while finishing fourth in voting for the Lady Byng Trophy.

Larionov, affectionately nicknamed “The Professor,” was inducted in 2008, and was incredibly productive in the 2002 Playoffs for a 42-year-old. A three-time Stanley Cup winner, Larionov had 11 points in 18 playoff games that season and scored a triple overtime goal in the all-important Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup finals. He finished his 14-year NHL career with 644 points in 921 games.

Hull, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, was inducted into the HHOF in 2009. He also had a hand in Game 3 against the Hurricanes, tying the game with just over a minute left before Larionov won it three overtimes later. She won the Hart and Lindsay awards in the 1990-91 season and the Lady Byng Trophy last season. A three-time first- or second-time All-Star, he finished his career with 1,391 points in 1,269 games.

Robitaille, another 2009 inductee, won his only Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2002. Although he doesn’t have the championship rings of some of the top players on this list, he earned first- or second-team All-Star honors eight times in his career and won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1986-87 after scoring 784 points. He finished his career with 1,394 points in 1,431 career games.

Lidstrom, Chelios Highlight Defense

Nick Lidstrom is one of the most decorated Red Wings in franchise history. A 2015 inductee, he won seven Norris Trophies, four Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe Trophy, and was selected as a first or second team All-Star 12 times. He became the first European-born captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2008 and finished his career with 1,142 points in 1,564 games and a plus-450 average.

Chris Chelios, inducted in 2013, had an impressive 26-year career, playing in the NHL from 1983-84 through the 2009-10 season. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, he also won the Norris Trophy three times, and his 1,651 games played ranked ninth in NHL history. He also won the first-ever Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2006-07 and was selected as a first- or second-team All-Star seven times in his career.

Hasek Completes Team Legacy

Dominik Hasek caused quite a stir when he arrived in Hockeytown before the 2001-02 season, and he did not disappoint. A 2014 inductee, he won two Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two Lindsay Awards, three Jennings Trophies, six Vezina trophies, and was selected as a first or second team All-Star six times. Among hitters, he ranked 15th in wins, tied for eighth in shutouts, and finished with a career save percentage of .922 and a goals-against average of 2.20.

Each of the Red Wings’ championships was special in its own way, but fans who witnessed the 2001-02 season had the luxury of watching the sport’s greatest players come together for one goal. With the fixed income now in place, the chances of the team being picked this way are low, but the memory of watching this will never be erased.