For The Oracle’s fifth issue, we give the floor to the famed National Hockey League (NHL) defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who wore the No. 5 on the back of his iconic Detroit Red Wings jersey. He enjoyed a lengthy and storied career with the Wings. Lidstrom played his entire 20 years in the league with them, captained them for six seasons and even had his jersey retired by the team in 2014. The loveable Swede was a thorn in the side of his team’s opponents with his incredibly accurate slapshots and aggressive, pestering defensive style of play.
His accolades include being a runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the best rookie of the year in 1992, winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman seven times, playing in the league’s All-Star Game 12 times, being the 2002 NHL Playoffs MVP, winning the Stanley Cup four times and earning a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In fact, in 2008 he became the first European-born captain of a Stanley Cup winning team. On top of all of that, he holds the Red Wings records for most goals, assists and points by a defenseman. Is he the best defenseman in the NHL’s modern era? You tell me.
