What makes lidstrom so good

Lidstrom recalled in his biography that McCrimmon — who used to wear short-sleeve dress shirts in the dead of winter — liked to sleep with the windows open on the road, back in the day that you could actually open a hotel window, and one morning, when they woke up in Edmonton, there was snow in the room. As a rookie, you don't say a whole lot. He would say, 'Between 2 and 4, that's when we're going to nap' — so that's when we were napping. Then later on, I had him as an assistant coach in Detroit, he was the same kind of Beast, but now on the coaching side.

He was a players' coach. He played a long time. He knew what we felt as defencemen. He knew what we could do differently or better, so he was great as a coach too.

Lidstrom's soon-to-be published memoir should solidify himself in the public consciousness in Sweden, where both Backstrom and Zetterberg say he really never received enough credit for all that he accomplished as a player. It was not until the last seven to 10 years of his career that they actually started showing more NHL games over there. I didn't realize until I got over to Detroit how good Nicklas Lidstrom was — that he was the best defenceman in the world.

I never thought that, until I started playing with him — and then I realized it quite quickly. As for Kronwall, he says it's not easy to put Lidstrom's legacy into words just because he accomplished so much — "not only for the Red Wings, but for Sweden really and for hockey in general. He was the best player on the ice every night.

He made everything look so simple. He always had time for everybody — for fans, his teammates, the media — you name it. Now you can look back and enjoy it in a different way. That never was what drove Lidstrom to play, and perhaps that is best reflected in the first memory most of his Red Wings teammates mention when discussing Lidstrom's career. He scored more Stanley Cup goals 54 than any defenseman in Red Wings history, but the Lidstrom goal most frequently cited was his shot from center ice that eluded Dan Cloutier of the Vancouver Canucks during the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Detroit, heavy favorites to win the Cup, fell behind in that series on home ice, but Lidstrom's goal in Game 3 seemed to deflate the Canucks, and the Red Wings rallied to win the series in six games. Those are the memories I really cherish," Lidstrom said. Of all the accolades sent Lidstrom's way, that so many sought to emulate him is the one that leaves him the most humbled.

For more, see all Greatest Players. We encourage you to review it carefully. The NHL uses cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies. Enter Search Term. He has been selected to play in the All-Star game 12 times, his first being in and his most recent being last season, and he is sure to be selected for a 13th time this season. He is a time All-Star first team selection as well as a two-time All-Star second team selection. Internationally, Lidstrom has represented Sweden 11 times. Speaking of Lord Stanley's Cup, Lidstrom has raised it above his head four times, in , , and He was the first European-born and trained player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, achieved in He was also the first European-born and trained player to captain a Stanley Cup-winning team , defenseman to reach 1, points and player to play more than 1, games.

Knowing that the Wings have a chance, that's what keeps bringing him back. He loves hockey. You need that to be great. Look at [Sidney] Crosby. He's gotten better every year. You don't get better unless you absolutely love it. Lots of guys are good, but if you want to be great you have to love it, otherwise you won't put in the work.

Nick works. He's just a worker. Because of his laid-back and quiet demeanor, Lidstrom isn't perceived as the type of player with the same kind of hunger for winning as the likes of, say, a Mark Messier , a Type A personality whose desire to prevail was apparent for all to see. Lidstrom's family -- wife Annika and sons Kevin, 16, Adam, 14, Samuel, 10 and Lucas, 7 -- mean the world to him.

And they have provided important balance in his life. I feel like I'm just a regular guy that's got a great job. I've got one of the best jobs in the world and I've been doing it for a long time. When I'm away from the rink, I enjoy my family and being with my friends. Lidstrom is beloved in the Detroit area for his class off the ice. He's approachable, he's normal. Nick' on it for him," said Babcock. We've built up other people around sports into being something like that and they haven't delivered.

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