DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings hired Nicklas Lidstrom as vice president of hockey operations Tuesday, tapping one of the franchise's great players.
General manager Stev Yzerman said his former teammate will be based in his native Sweden and involved in every aspect of helping him run the organization. Lidstrom's job duties will include evaluating players with the Red Wings, on other NHL teams, in the AHL and Europe as well as on amateur levels.
Detroit drafted Lidstrom with the No. 53 pick overall in 1989 and he spent his 20 NHL seasons with the franchise, becoming one of the best defensemen of all time. He won seven Norris trophies to trail only Bobby Orr’s record total of eight.
Lidstrom retired in 2012, his No. 5 Red Wings jersey was raised two seasons later and he was a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer in 2015.
The 12-time All-Star helped Detroit win four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, when he became the first captain of an NHL championship team born in Europe. He helped the Swedes win Olympic gold in 2006, earning a spot in the Triple Gold Club after also winning a world championship.
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