Red Wings History

When discussing Red Wings history, it all starts and stops with their 10 Stanley Cup championship titles. Sure, the Detroit hockey franchise has enjoyed some of the greatest moments in NHL history, and they have had many of the sport's most notable legends grace their home ice. There is no doubting the veracity of the four Presidents Trophies which they have taken home since 1995, or the fact that over 50 members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have donned their red and white uniforms throughout the years. But invariably, it all keeps on coming back to those 10 NHL championships, those 10 times that they have won the professional hockey finals and been fortunate enough to skate victory laps around the ice while hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup overhead. No other U.S. NHL team has won more than half as many, making the Detroit Red Wings the kings of American hockey.

Red Wings History: The First Cup Win

In the annals of Red Wings history, the event that served as the catalyst for all of their successes to come was the very first Stanley Cup championship in Detroit hockey history. It came in 1936. That year, the Red Wings won the American Division with a 24-16-8 regular season record. In the first round of the playoffs, they were pitted against the Canadian Division champion Montreal Maroons, and the series got off to an epic start. Game one lasted an NHL record 176 minutes, 30 seconds before Detroit's Mud Bruneteau scored the game-winning goal. The Wings went on to sweep both Montreal and their Finals opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs, en route to their first championship. Marty Barry was tops among the 1935-36 Wings players in scoring, clocking 21 goals and 40 total points, while Herbie Lewis' 23 assists led the club. They would go on to repeat the feat following the 1936-37 campaign.