The Dynasty Era All-Team
 

Theodore Robert Blake (Ted) Lindsay

Left Wing

Detroit Red Wings (1944-57; 1964-65)

Throughout NHL history you would be hard-pressed to find many players the equal of Ted Lindsay. As a player he was known as “Terrible Ted” for his hardnosed abrasive style of play and later in life as “Terrific Ted,” for his tireless humanitarian work through the Ted Lindsay Foundation, which benefits children with autism. Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 163 pounds, Lindsay was a highly skilled player with an ornery on-ice disposition. In short: Lindsay was among the NHL’s very best players and no stranger to the penalty box. He was one of several high-profile players who spearheaded the effort to unionize the players and because of his tenacity, skill, leadership, and role in forming the original Players Association. In 2010, The NHLPA decided to rename the Lester B. Pearson Award the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given annually to the NHL’s most outstanding player as voted on by the NHL Players’ Association. Lindsay was a catalyst for four Stanley Cup championships for the Red Wings in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955. Lindsay won the 1949-50 Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer. He was named a first team NHL All-Star eight times and a second team NHL All-Star once. He also served as Red Wings GM from March 1977 through April 1980 and as interim head coach of the Wings for 29 games between 1979 - 1981. As great as he was as a hockey player, Ted Lindsay was even a better human being.                    

Detroit Career totals: 1944-57; 1964-65

GP-862 G-335 A-393 PTS-728 PIM-1423 GWG-52

Sidney Gerald (Sid) Abel

Center

Detroit Red Wings (1938-43; 1945-52 - His career was interrupted due to military service.)

Detroit has had many outstanding centers during its illustrious history. Perhaps the most important player to play the position is Sid Abel. During the 1946-47 season, Abel, 28, was paired with 21-year-old left wing Ted Lindsay and an 18-year-old rookie right wing, named Gordie Howe.  The trio clicked and by the 1948-49 they were known as “the Production Line” because of their scoring prowess. The line is regarded as one of the top lines in hockey history. The Production Line finished 1-2-3 in scoring during the 1949-50 season; an accomplishment which has never been duplicated. Lindsay led the NHL with 78 points; Abel was second with 69 points and Howe was third with 68 points. Howe believed Abel’s experience molded the young wingers by coordinating their play, making them difficult to defend. Lindsay viewed Abel as a skilled and intelligent player, calling him a true leader and mentor. Abel won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings in 1943, 1950 and 1952; he was the second Red Wing to win the Hart Trophy (1948-49) as the NHL’s MVP and became captain of the Wings at 24 years old. He served as Detroit’s general manager from April 1962 until January 1971 and as the Red Wings’ head coach from 1958 through 1968 and again from 1969-70. From 1976-86, Abel worked as a broadcaster on Red Wings radio and television broadcasts beside play-by-play announcer Bruce Martyn.  

Detroit Career totals: 1938-43; 1945-52

GP-570 G-183 A-280 PTS-463 PIM-366 GWG-24

Gordon (Gordie) Howe

Right Wing

Detroit Red Wings (1946-1971)

For many Detroiters, before there was hockey there was Gordie Howe. Meaning: you didn’t need to be a hockey fan to know the name Gordie Howe. A living legend, Howe transcended his sport. Howe’s longevity and list of accomplishments is so extraordinary it can be summed up simply: Gordie Howe was the greatest hockey player who ever lived. A combination of skill, toughness, brute force, durability, competitiveness and a deep-rooted passion/conviction to never take a shift off, Howe was truly Mr. Hockey. A Red Wing from age 18 until he retired at age 42, Howe played 25 seasons for Detroit. During his 25 campaigns, he won four Stanley Cups, the Art Ross Trophy, as the NHL’s leading scorer six times including four consecutive seasons - 1950-51 through 1953-54. He was in the top seven in voting for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP 19 times, winning the Hart six times. Howe was ambidextrous, which propelled him to be in the top five in NHL scoring for 20 consecutive seasons. His stamina was unprecedented; he was masterful at conserving his energy by anticipating the play and cutting down on fighting. Howe’s ice time routinely clocked in at 45 minutes per game, with the league average being 25 minutes.  Howe was a 12-time first team NHL All-star and a nine-time second team All-Star. Howe is Detroit’s All-Time leader in Games Played- 1687, Goals -786, Points -1809, Hat Tricks – 19, Even Strength Goals – 553, Power Play Goals – 209 and Game Winning Goals – 121. Superstar doesn’t come close to describing Howe as a hockey player.                      

Detroit Career totals: 1946-1971

GP-1687 G-786 A-1023 PTS-1809 PIM-1643 GWG-121

Joseph Rene Marcel Pronovost

Defenseman

Detroit Red Wings (1950 – 1965)

Nicknamed by Red Wings fans as “Detroit’s own Flying Frenchman” because of his aggressive rushing style of play, Pronovost was a physical player with an offensive mindset, especially early in his career. He not only dished it out, but he also took everything the opposition could throw his way. By the time he reached 32, he had accumulated over 200 stitches to seal various cuts and gashes to his body and had suffered a cracked vertebrae, a separated shoulder, two broken wrists, and by his own estimation 14 broken noses. But the stoic Pronovost viewed injuries as part of hockey, saying, “my game is a contact sport. It’s a game of men. I expected to get bounced and get my lumps. I also expected to play in every single game.”  Four times a Stanley Cup champion with Detroit, Pronovost was a first team NHL All-Sar twice, a second team All-Star twice and finished in the top five in voting for the Norris Trophy five times. Pronovost was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.

Detroit Career totals: 1950-1965

GP-983 G-80 A-217 PTS-297 PIM-713 GWG-11

Leonard Patrick (Red) Kelly

Defenseman

Detroit Red Wings (1947 – 1960)

Considered one of the best NHL defensemen ever, Kelly’s versatility and intelligence made him an asset whether he was patrolling Detroit’s blue line or on left wing, which he occasionally played due to injury and when the Wings needed to add a little scoring and toughness to their forward corps. A skilled and mobile defenseman, Kelly’s puck-carrying ability was a key element of the Red Wings devastating transition game during the club’s most dominant era. In 13 years as a Wing, Kelly’s teams won eight regular-season championships, four Stanley Cups and he was named a first team NHL All-Star six times and a second team NHL All-Star twice. In the 1953-54 season, Kelly won the first Norris Trophy ever awarded and was the recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy three times. Hardly a wallflower, Kelly was a championship boxer at Toronto’s St. Michaels College but chose to play a cool and calculating game with deadly consequences for Detroit’s opposition.                           

Detroit career totals: 1947-1960

GP- 846 G-162 A-310 PTS -472 PIM-253 GWG-27

Terrance Gordon (Terry) Sawchuk

Goalie

Detroit Red Wings (1947-55; 1957-64; 1968-69)

A strong case can be made that Terry Sawchuk is the greatest goalie in NHL history. He is certainly the greatest goaltender in Detroit Red Wings history. Sawchuk’s first opportunity to shine in the Detroit net came late in the 1949-50 season when future Hall of Fame goalie Harry Lumley was injured. Sawchuk, 21, played in seven games, giving up only 16 goals with one shutout. With Lumley back in goal, the Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1950, but Detroit general manager Jack Adams was so confident in Sawchuk, he traded Lumley to Chicago in the offseason. In his rookie season, 1950-51, Sawchuk led the NHL in wins (44) and shutouts (11). He was named rookie of the year in three different leagues: the NHL, USHL (Omaha) and AHL (Indianapolis). During the 1951-52 playoffs, Sawchuk put together one of the most legendary performances in hockey history. He was 8-0, gave up only five goals, his goals against average (GAA) was 0.62 and he had four shutouts as the Wings cruised to their fifth Stanley Cup championship. Never a comfortable player, Sawchuk battled with the pressures of being an NHL goalie and numerous injuries during his career. Yet, he won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and is Detroit’s career goaltending leader in games played (734), wins (350) and shutouts (85).                    

Detroit Career totals: 1949-1955, 1957-1964, 1969

GP-734 W-350 L-245 T-132 GAA-2.44 SO-85