Lidstrom retires because, without the fire, he can't meet his standards
Parting is such sweet sorrow for legendary leader, Detroit
Nicklas Lidstrom knew he was done. He knew it when he went to work out and it felt like a chore, and he knew it when he'd told those around him he would retire and it felt like a relief.
Lidstrom made his decision public Thursday with a news conference at Joe Louis Arena, speaking eloquently, but also emphatically.
“This was difficult,” he said. “But with my age, just being a little bit older, I don't have that motivation that I've had in the past. It's something I've done for 20 years. It's become a lifestyle. I'm going to miss all that. But if I don't have that fire, I can't be at the level I want to be at.
“I've been fortunate to be a part of so many great teams, so many championships. It's been a great ride. I take a lot of pride in being a player that comes from Detroit.”
Current and former teammates and coaches showed up to hear the announcement that one of hockey's best defensemen ever was calling it a career after 20 seasons, after four Stanley Cups and seven Norris Trophies. Quantifying what Lidstrom has meant to the Red Wings, who hit the mother lode when they drafted him in the third round in 1989, is impossible, but owner Mike Hitch tried, likening Lidstrom to the Rock of Gibraltar, saying “the word perfection comes to mind.”
Lidstrom, 42, told general manager Ken Holland about the decision last week. Holland told Lidstrom to take the Memorial Day weekend to think it over. At 9:30 Tuesday morning, Holland texted Lidstrom, assuring him he still had another good season left. Holland sent another message saying he hadn't slept very much.
“Flattery and a guilt trip,” Holland said, smiling.
It didn't work. Lidstrom had made up his mind. Chris Chelios saw that 30 seconds after the two embarked on a paddle boarding excursion Wednesday on Orchard Lake.
“Looking in Nick's eyes, he looked like he'd just gone through a game, I'm sure from all the thinking he's already (done) the past two weeks — I didn't even have the heart to try to convince him otherwise,” Chelios said.
The two still talked some hockey and, from that conversation, it was clear Lidstrom's decision was final. “He talked about the grind,” Chelios said. “I don't doubt Nick is mentally and physically drained right now.”
Then the two proceeded to just have fun, that is, until they came back to shore, and one legendary defenseman found his flip-flops were where he'd left them and the other legendary defenseman found his pair stolen. Guess which one that was.
“Nick's were still sitting there, and his were way better flip-flops,” Chelios said, laughing. “So that just shows you the difference between me and Nick.”
After the two were done, “Cheli wanted to grab a burger, so we did that. Fie just said, ‘Now you can relax and enjoy yourself.' ”
Lidstrom has been doing the same thing, more or less, since he was 16: Work out, practice, play, repeat. Even his wife, Annika, who was with him when he arrived in Detroit in 1991 for his rookie season, and whom Lidstrom thanked at length for raising their four boys while he was gone so much, was a bit stunned when it was all said and done.
“Even if I kind of knew,” she said, “of course it surprised you and shocked you a little bit.”
Lidstrom leaves with a legacy unlikely to be equaled. Debates have and will focus on who's the best defenseman of all time, Lidstrom or Bobby Orr, who won a record eight Norris Trophies. Lidstrom was renowned for always being in the right position, for how he used his stick to leave opposing superstar forwards without room to maneuver.
He can't be replaced. But the Wings can restock, and they have a bull's-eye on Ryan Suter, who'll be an unrestricted free agent in July if Nashville can't get him re-signed. But more help than that is needed, because the Wings probably also will lose Brad Stuart, which would mean half of the top-four core is gone. Niklas Kronwall becomes the de facto No. 1 guy now, with a supporting cast of Ian White, Jonathan Ericsson, Jakub Kindi, Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey, a restricted free agent the Wings plan to re-sign.
“It's hard to have a contingency plan when you're talking about Nick Lidstrom,” Holland said. “Pie's just been so great. We've had a lot of great players here, but he's one of the two or three special ones, at a position on defense that really controls the game. In order to be a really good team, you need to have a great defense. We've had a lot of great defensemen for a long time. So I don't think there are any contingency plans for losing Nick.”
Holland held out hope until midweek that Lidstrom might change his mind, because the decision to retire is incredibly hard for most players. Typical to Lidstrom, the first decision he made was done the right way. He isn't coming back midseason, he isn't coming back for the Winter Classic, unless it's to play in the alumni game, and he isn't even sure he'll do that. He will, of course, be back for when the Wings send his No. 5 to the rafters. And he'll come back because he'll remain a Red Wing in some capacity, probably as an ambassador of sorts.
“We've had a lot of our ex-players remain in the organization,” Holland said. “He's told me that he would love to have some affiliation with the Red Wings. We haven't really figured it out. I've spent the last week hoping Nick would wake up and change his mind.”
By mid-June, Lidstrom and his family will move back to their native Sweden, as has been the plan for the past decade.
Lidstrom answered questions for more than 2 hours after the news conference ended. Over and over, he was asked if he was comfortable with his decision if he was sure it was right. His answer never wavered. He said the ankle injury he had in March wasn't a factor, that even his oldest sons' desire to continue their secondary education in Sweden wasn't a factor. It was that the man who made every shift look easy didn't think he could do that any longer. When it came down to it, Lidstrom knew he could no longer lace up his skates and be perfect.
By Helene St. James Free Press Sports Writer
