History of the Detroit Red Wings information

The history of the Detroit Red Wings begins in 1926, when the franchise began play in the National Hockey League (NHL). The professional ice hockey club was founded as the Detroit Cougars on September 25, 1926, one of three teams to join the NHL in 1926. With the demise of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), the rights to the players of the Victoria Cougars were purchased by a Detroit group led by Charles A. Hughes who kept the name "Cougars" for their NHL club. The new team struggled financially; in 1930, the Cougars changed their name to the Detroit Falcons, and after being bought out of receivership by James E. Norris were renamed as the Detroit Red Wings in 1932. The team played their first game on November 18, 1926, and won their first two Stanley Cup titles in 1936 and 1937. The Red Wings have won the Cup eleven times, more than any other American team in NHL history.

The franchise played their first season's home games in Windsor, Ontario, at the Border Cities Arena. The Detroit Olympia opened in 1927 and served as the team's home arena until the midpoint of the 1979–80 season when the Wings moved into Joe Louis Arena. "The Joe", as it is known, had been their home arena until the end of the 2016-17 season. Starting in the 2017-18 season the Wings moved into Little Caesars Arena. The team, led by head coach and general manager Jack Adams, found success throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, making 14 appearances in the finals and winning the Stanley Cup seven times. Led on the ice by the Production Line of Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Sid Abel (later replaced by Alex Delvecchio), along with goaltenders Harry Lumley and then Terry Sawchuk, the Wings appeared in the finals six times from 1948 through 1955, winning the Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955.

After Adams was fired in 1963 the team reached the finals three more times prior to the 1967 NHL expansion, however they qualified for the playoffs only twice in the next 16 years until being purchased by Mike Ilitch in 1982. Ilitch revitalized the club, hiring Jim Devellano to manage the team; one of Devellano's first actions was to draft Steve Yzerman in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Yzerman went on stay with the team for his entire 22-year NHL career, 19 as team captain, winning the Stanley Cup three times as a player and once as an executive. With Ilitch as owner the Wings won the Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008.

Fifty-eight Red Wings players and 14 builders have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented to 24 former or current Wings and the club has retired the numbers of seven players.