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Loyalty Is the Wind Beneath These Wings

Detroit's Stanley Cup didn't simply come from mining European talent

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 5, 2008 11:27 AM CDT

(Newser) – Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Finals MVP Henrik Zetterberg both learned their hockey skills in Sweden, but it's not Detroit's strategy of drawing European talent that secured them this year's Stanley Cup. The team's success, writes Scot Burnside for ESPN, is due to management's willingness to gamble on older mainstays of the Hockeytown franchise.

Chris Osgood, the 35-year-old goalie who won 14 playoff games, got his last ring with Detroit 10 years ago. Along with Dallas Drake, who started his career here in 1993, and Dan Cleary, who was jobless 3 years ago, Osgood knows that his place is in Detroit. The team is full of these stories, which now all have happy endings.

Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, left, of Russia, pours champagne into the Stanley Cup as teammate Chris Chelios watches in their locker room.
Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, left, of Russia, pours champagne into the Stanley Cup as teammate Chris Chelios watches in their locker room.   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Detroit Red Wings' Chris Chelios, left, and Johan Franzen, of Sweden, transport the Stanley Cup to the team bus in a shopping cart after the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Detroit Red Wings' Chris Chelios, left, and Johan Franzen, of Sweden, transport the Stanley Cup to the team bus in a shopping cart after the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)
Detroit Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg, of Sweden, holds the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the MVP in the Stanley Cup hockey finals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 4, 2008.
Detroit Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg, of Sweden, holds the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the MVP in the Stanley Cup hockey finals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Detroit Red Wings' team unity and fierce loyalty may have been a key factor in this latest Stanley Cup victory.
The Detroit Red Wings' team unity and fierce loyalty may have been a key factor in this latest Stanley Cup victory.   (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper holds up the Stanley Cup after the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 4, 2008.
Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper holds up the Stanley Cup after the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 4, 2008....   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Detroit Red Wings staff, players and coaches pose at mid-ice at Mellon Arena after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to win the Stanley Cup.
Detroit Red Wings staff, players and coaches pose at mid-ice at Mellon Arena after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to win the Stanley Cup.   (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
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