Nicklas Lidström facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicklas Lidström
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2015
Lidström in November 2022
Born	(1970-04-28) 28 April 1970 (age 55) Krylbo, Sweden
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Västerås IK Detroit Red Wings
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	53rd overall, 1989 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1987–2012
Medal record Representing  Sweden Men's ice hockey Winter Olympics Gold 2006 Turin World Championships Gold 1991 Finland Silver 2004 Czech Republic Bronze 1994 Italy

Nicklas Lidström is a famous Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He was a defenceman, which means he played a position that helps protect his team's goal. He played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 20 seasons, from 1991 to 2012. For the last six years of his career, he was the team's captain. Many people think he is one of the best defencemen in NHL history. He was even nicknamed "the Perfect Human" because of how good he was.

During his time in the NHL, Lidström won four Stanley Cup championships. The Stanley Cup is the biggest prize in ice hockey. He also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy seven times. This award goes to the NHL's best defenceman. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy once, which means he was the most valuable player in the playoffs. He was also chosen for 12 NHL All-Star Games. The Red Wings always made it to the playoffs when he played, which is a record for a player. Lidström was the first captain born and trained in Europe to win the Stanley Cup. He was also the first European player to be named playoff MVP. He played more games for a single NHL team than any other European-born player.

Lidström was honored by being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2014. He also joined the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 9, 2015. In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time.

Lidström's Amazing Playing Career

Nicklas Lidström is known as one of the greatest defencemen ever. He won the Norris Trophy seven times. Only two other players, Doug Harvey and Bobby Orr, have won it as many times or more. Lidström was considered for the award 12 times in his last 14 NHL seasons. He won it in seven of his last ten seasons.

Lidström played his entire 20-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. He played the second-most playoff games in NHL history, with 263 appearances. He was part of four Stanley Cup-winning teams: in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008. He played in the playoffs for an NHL record 20 seasons in a row. He shares this record with Larry Robinson.

Lidström was very durable and rarely missed games. He often played the most minutes per game in the NHL. In the 2005–06 season, he played a career-high average of 28 minutes and 7 seconds per game. He won three Norris Trophies in a row from 2001 to 2003. This made him the first defenceman since Bobby Orr to do so. In the 2003–04 season, he played his 1,000th career game. He had only missed 17 games in over 12 seasons by then.

In the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lidström won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award goes to the most valuable player during the playoffs. He was the first European player ever to win this trophy.

Starting His Hockey Journey

Lidström started playing hockey in Avesta, Sweden. He played for a team called Skogsbo SK. Later, he moved to play for VIK Västerås HK in Sweden's top league, the Elitserien. He played 103 games for them over three seasons. He scored 12 goals and made 30 assists.

His NHL Career with the Red Wings (1991–2012)

Lidström in November 2006. The 2006–07 season was his first as captain of the Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings picked Lidström 53rd overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the team in the 1991–92 season. He scored 60 points in his first season. He finished second in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best rookie. He was also chosen for the 1992 NHL All-Rookie Team.

On June 30, 2006, Lidström signed a new two-year contract with the Red Wings. He chose to stay with Detroit even though he could have earned more money elsewhere.

Lidström had been an alternate captain for the Red Wings since the 1997–98 season. He became the main captain after Steve Yzerman retired in 2006. This was a special honor because he was the first European captain in the team's history. In his first year as captain, Lidström led the Red Wings to the Western Conference Finals. After that season, he won the Norris Trophy for the fifth time. This put him in an elite group of defencemen who had won the award five or more times.

Early in the 2007–08 season, Lidström got two assists in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. This made him the second-highest scoring Swedish-born NHL player ever, behind only Mats Sundin. On April 3, 2008, he tied Luc Robitaille for 42nd place in all-time NHL assists.

Lidström with the Stanley Cup in July 2008. He won the Stanley Cup four times in his career.

The Red Wings won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2007-08 season for having the most points. They then faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. Lidström and the Red Wings won the series in Game 6, capturing the Stanley Cup. Lidström became the first captain born and trained in Europe to win the Stanley Cup. Just over a week later, on June 12, Lidström won the Norris Trophy for the third season in a row, and the sixth time overall.

At the start of the 2008–09 pre-season, Lidström got a broken nose during a game. After that, he started wearing a visor to protect his face. He was chosen for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. However, he chose not to play due to an injury he had been dealing with. The NHL suspended him for one game because of this. In the 2009 playoffs, Lidström had an injury that required surgery. He missed two games but returned for the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings lost the series in seven games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lidström with the Red Wings in January 2010.

The Red Wings started the 2009–10 season in Stockholm, Sweden. Lidström was honored by his home county, Dalarna, as an Ambassador of Honor. On October 15, 2009, Lidström became the first European-born defenceman to reach 1,000 points in his career. He was the fourth player to score 1,000 points as a Red Wing. On March 5, 2010, Lidström got his 800th career assist. During the 2009–10 season, Lidström played his 1,395th game. This set a new record for NHL games played by a player born in Europe. He is also second all-time in games played for the Red Wings, behind only Gordie Howe. On April 23, Lidström played in his 237th career playoff game. This moved him into third place on the NHL's all-time list.

On December 15, 2010, Lidström scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) at 40 years old. This made him the oldest player in NHL history to score his first hat-trick. He was also the oldest defenceman to score a hat-trick. On January 18, 2011, Lidström was named a team captain for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game.

On June 23, 2011, he won his seventh Norris Trophy. This tied him with Doug Harvey and put him one behind Bobby Orr for the most Norris Trophies.

On October 22, 2011, Lidström played his 1,500th NHL game. He was the first player not born in North America, and the first Swedish and European player, to reach this milestone. On February 12, 2012, he played his 1,550th game. This broke Alex Delvecchio's record for most games played for the Red Wings. Lidström is the NHL player who has played the most games while always playing for the same team.

Saying Goodbye to Hockey

Lidström's #5 banner hanging at Joe Louis Arena.

On May 31, 2012, Nicklas Lidström announced he was retiring from the NHL. His former teammate, Steve Yzerman, called Lidström "one of the all-time best defencemen to ever play." Another former teammate, Paul Coffey, said, "He was an incredible player." Chris Chelios added, "If you're going to talk about someone who's perfect, Nick's pretty darn close to being perfect."

On July 8, 2012, Lidström was named a scout for the Red Wings. On February 28, 2014, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

During the 2013–14 season, the Red Wings retired Lidström's number 5 jersey. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. His number was officially retired on March 6, 2014, in a special ceremony at Joe Louis Arena.

Playing for His Country: International Games

Lidström played for Sweden in many international tournaments. He won the World Championship in 1991. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Lidström was a key player in Sweden's win over Finland in the finals. He scored the goal that won the gold medal. This earned him a spot on the Olympic All-Star team. He also became the 17th member of the Triple Gold Club. This club is for players who have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship gold medal.

Before his NHL career, Lidström played in the European Junior Championships in 1988. He also played in the World Junior Championship in 1990 and the Canada Cup in 1991 for Sweden.

He made his Olympic debut with Sweden at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Four years later, he played in his second Olympics at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Lidström helped Sweden win the gold medal. He scored the winning goal against Finland. Lidström also played for Sweden in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was the team captain in what would be his last Olympic appearance.

Nicklas Lidström's Life Off the Ice

When he was growing up, Lidström looked up to another great defenceman, Börje Salming. He considered Salming his hero. In November 2023, Lidström received the first-ever Börje Salming Courage Award. This award honors European NHL players who have made a positive impact in their communities.

Lidström is married to Annika, and they have four children. All four of their sons play high-level hockey. Kevin (born 1994) is a defenceman for SK Lejon. Adam (born 1996) plays for Enköpings SK. Samuel (born 2000) plays for Köping HC. Lucas (born 2003) plays for VIK Västerås HK's U16 team.

In October 2019, Lidström released his official book in North America called Nicklas Lidstrom: The Pursuit of Perfection.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play

Awards and Honors

• NHL All-Rookie Team (1992).
• 4x Stanley Cup winner (1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008).
• 12x NHL All-Star Game (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009*, 2011).
• 10x NHL First All-Star Team member (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011).
• 2x NHL Second All-Star Team member (2009, 2010).
• 7x Norris Trophy winner (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011).
• Conn Smythe Trophy winner (2002).
• NHL 2000s All-Decade First Team (2009).
• Olympic All-Star team (2006).
• Member of the Triple Gold Club.
• 2x Viking Award winner (2000 and 2006).
• Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame – 2014.
• Detroit Red Wings #5 retired on March 6, 2014.
• Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame – 2014.
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame – 2015.
• Introduced into the IIHF All-Time Sweden Team - 2020.

*did not attend

Records He Holds

These records are from the end of the 2011-12 NHL season, unless noted.

NHL Records

• First European-born and trained player to win the Norris Trophy (2000–01).
• First European-born and trained player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (2001–02).
• Fourth defenceman (and first European-born and trained) to win the Norris Trophy three years in a row (2001–2003, 2006–2008). He is also the third player to win it seven times.
• First European-born and trained captain to win the Stanley Cup (2008).
• First European-born and trained defenceman to reach 1,000 points.
• Most regular-season games played by a player born in Europe (1,564).
• Most regular-season games played by a player who spent their entire career with only one team (1,564).
• Most regular-season wins played in (900).
• Most playoff games played with a single team (263).
• Most playoff assists by a defenceman with a single team (129).
• Most playoff points by a defenceman with a single team (183).
• Highest plus/minus rating in playoffs (+61).
• Most power-play goals by a defenceman in playoffs (30).
• Most shots on goal in playoffs with a single team (656).
• Oldest player to score his first hat-trick (40 years, 210 days).
• Oldest defenceman to score a hat-trick (40 years, 210 days).
• Oldest Norris Trophy winner (41 years, 57 days) (2010–2011).
• Oldest defenceman to score in a Game 7 (39 years, 364 days).

Detroit Red Wings Records

• Most points by a defenceman in a season (2005–06, 80).
• Most assists by a defenceman in a season (2005–06, 64).
• Most playoff goals by a defenceman in his career (54).
• Most power-play goals in playoffs in his career (30).
• Most power-play goals by a defenceman in his career (132).
• Most playoff points by a defenceman in his career (183).
• Most playoff assists in his career (129).
• Most playoff games played in his career (263).
• Most games played by a defenceman in his career (1,564).
• Most goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in his career (264 goals, 878 assists, and 1142 points).
• Most goals in a single playoff season by a defenceman (1998, 6).
• Best plus/minus rating in playoffs in his career (+61).
• Best regular season plus/minus rating in his career (+450).

More About Nicklas Lidström

• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
• List of Detroit Red Wings award winners
• List of Detroit Red Wings draft picks
• List of Detroit Red Wings records

See also

In Spanish: Nicklas Lidström para niños