• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings History

Detroit Red Wings Playoff Guide: Who to Root For

By Tony Wolak May 3rd, 2016

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Now that the beloved Detroit Red Wings are out of the playoffs, fans in Detroit and across the world still have three rounds of playoff hockey to watch and no horse in the race—unless you’re rooting for Nyquist to win the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

So who do you cheer for?

You cheer for Red Wings success. How? By rooting for past Red Wings in their current roles. Their success helps affirm Detroit’s place as one of the most dominant franchises in all of sports. Apart from the whole cheating thing, Detroit needs to become the New England Patriots of the NHL—a position that is currently vacant. They need to become the model franchise in all aspects.

Let’s break down each second round matchup and determine who to root for:

Former Detroit Red Wings goalie Jim Rutherford.

Jim Rutherford (Bill Wade/Post-Gazette)

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Despite Alexander Ovechkin’s slow start (by his standards), the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals pounded the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round. They did so without a single Red Wing on their roster, coaching staff, or in the front office.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is headed up by general manager Jim Rutherford, who tended the Detroit net from 1973-1981. Despite playing on some bad teams, Rutherford sits in 10th place among Red Wings goaltenders for wins. And if you’re a Grand Rapids Griffins fan too, former Griffin Kevin Porter plays with the team as well.

Verdict: Root for Pittsburgh.

Steve Yzerman and Sid Abel.

Steve Yzerman and Sid Abel.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders

You’re now forced to cheer for another team to win (or not lose) the Stanley Cup because of the Tampa bay Lightning. But, rooting for them wouldn’t be so bad. First, Steve Yzerman-the most iconic player in Red Wings history—is the architect of the Lightning as general manager. Back in 2013, Yzerman signed former Red Wing Valtteri Filppula to be a veteran presence on a young Lightning team. Additionally, Yzerman hired former linemate Steve Thomas as an assistant coach under Jon Cooper. And finally, Tampa Bay’s front office includes three former Red Wings: Stacy Roest (Director of Player Development), Jamie Pushor (Professional Scout), and Pat Verbeek (Assistant General Manager).

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marek Zidlicky.

Marek Zidlicky (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

On the flip side, the Islanders only have two former Red Wings in their organization. Former draft pick Alan Quine never signed with the Red Wings, but did with the Islanders and is now playing on the top line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. On defense, Marek Zidlicky is anchoring the third pairing.

Verdict: Root for Steve Yzerman.

Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks

Out west, San Jose rolled over Los Angeles and now faces the Nashville Predators in the second round. There are not many Red Wings ties in this series, but there are still a few to discuss.

San Jose’s only tie to the Red Wings comes in assistant coach Bob Boughner. The former NHL defenseman never played for the Red Wings, but was Detroit’s second round pick in the famed 1989 draft class—the same draft that produced Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Dallas Drake.

Calle Jarnkrok, Nashville Predators, Fantasy Hockey

Calle Jarnkrok (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

On Nashville’s side, who could forget the blockbuster David Legwand deal? Former Detroit prospect Calle Jarnkrok, who was sent to Nashville along with Patrick Eaves and a draft pick, now plays left wing on the top line for Nashville.

Additionally, former Red Wings and Soviet defector Vaclav Nedomansky is a scout for the Predators. Born in World War II-era Czechoslovakia, Nedomansky would go on to play five seasons with Detroit and record 247 points in that span.

Verdict: Cheer for Nashville.

St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars

Former Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Eaves.

(Annie Devine/ The Hockey Writers)

In this Central Division matchup, both teams have a considerable amount of former Red Wings in their respective organizations. Dallas currently has the aforementioned Eaves and former Red Wings prospect Mattias Janmark in the lineup (though Eaves has been banged up lately). In the AHL, Mattias Backman patrols the blue line for the Texas Stars.

All three of those players would not be in the organization if it weren’t for former Red Wings Assistant General Manager and player Jim Nill. After years as Ken Holland’s right-hand man in Detroit, Nill was offered Dallas’ GM position and has flourished in his new role.

ty conklin red wings

Ty Conklin (Dustin Bradford/Icon SMI)

In St. Louis, the active roster does not have any Red Wings ties, but former prospect Richard Nedomlel is on their minor league payroll. As for their front office payroll, former Red Wings Brett Hull, Tim Taylor, Ty Conklin, and Jesse Wallin hold hockey operations positions with the Blues.

Verdict: Toss up, but go with Dallas because of their recent ties.

Final Word

Today, the Red Wings do not really have any true rivalries, so biases against any of these teams are outdated. And seeing success from Nill and Yzerman shows that the Red Wings’ braintrust also develops key management personnel in addition to developing great players.

Hopefully the Red Wings will be part of the second round next season.

So pick a temporary favorite and enjoy the best hockey of the season. Nothing is as intense as a close playoff hockey game featuring two skilled teams.

Whose bandwagon are you jumping on? Comment below or tweet at me: @PolakWolak

 

Related: The Grind Line: What Should the Red Wings Do With Darren Helm?

  • Tags
  • Jim Nill
  • Steve Yzerman
  • Valtteri Filppula
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 17th 11:25 AM
Calgary Flames

How It Felt for Flames’ Markstrom to Shut Out Canucks [Video]

Jan 17th 11:05 AM
Chicago Blackhawks

4 Takeaways From Blackhawks’ Rough Series With the Lightning

Jan 17th 10:55 AM
San Jose Sharks

Sharks See Improvements Early in 2020-21 Season

Jan 17th 10:45 AM
Anaheim Ducks

3 Takeaways From the Ducks’ Series Against the Golden Knights

Jan 17th 10:35 AM
Los Angeles Kings

Kings’ Dustin Brown Scores 300th Career Goal With More to Come

Jan 17th 10:25 AM
Calgary Flames

Flames’ Markstrom Dominant in Shutout Win Against Canucks

Jan 17th 10:15 AM
Buffalo Sabres

New Look Sabres Get Same Results to Start 2020-21 Season

Jan 17th 10:05 AM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Are Mark Stone’s Team Now

Jan 17th 9:55 AM
Boston Bruins

5 Takeaways From Bruins’ First 2 Games With Devils

Jan 17th 9:45 AM
Advanced Stats

Devils News & Notes: Observations From Opening Games

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information