Hockey's Perfect Career...

In today's video we're gonna go back a little to June 17, 1989, just after the first two rounds of the NHL Draft wrapped up, with future stars like Mats Sundin, Billy Guerin, and Bobby Holik leading the class. Yet, hidden in the third round was a player who would not only stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hall of Famers from that draft but eventually surpass them. What came next was the rise of a legend-arguably the greatest defenseman of the modern era, second perhaps only to Bobby Orr.
The Detroit Red Wings made a modest 3rd-round selection with the 53rd overall pick, choosing a soft-spoken Swede named Nicklas Lidström. At the time, no one could have predicted just how important this pick would end up being for detroit.
And 3 years later when At just 21 years old, Nicklas Lidström entered the NHL and immediately displayed a calm yet commanding presence on the ice, it was obvious detroit had something special. #nhl #hockey #detroitredwings #redwings #lidstrom #nicklaslidstrom

[@Adam202]

Lidstrom's ability to shut down attackers night after night has been sorely missed since he retired. You really had to see it to understand how great he really was. He will always be the greatest defenseman of all time in my eyes. If the Red Wings young talent can be even half of the player that Lidstrom was then their future is looking bright.

[@dvon1097]

As a Bruins fan I really wanna say Borque or Orr were the best defenseman ever. But Lindstrom is the best defenseman of all time.

[@Jesper-j4n]

Maybe learn his namn then

[@leeharrison5718]

@@Jesper-j4nthis is hilarious. maybe he can’t spell his name but you can’t even spell the word name. you have me here with tears in my eyes laughing rn

[@doaftheloaf]

really, gustav lindstrom? good news for the habs then, they just signed him.

[@LivinLifeLifeless]

@@leeharrison5718 It looks hilarious yes, but most likely it's just a swedish language auto-correct, since name in swedish is namn.

[@usmanboone]

Lidstrom is the greatest defensemen of all time

[@chevelle1]

🎯 I say it all the time. Anyone that claims Orr was doesn’t understand that Orr was a forward playing on D, in the era of higher scoring too. Lidstrom is the best defenseman of all time. He could have had a lot more points if he wanted, but chose to play his position about perfectly to give the team best chance to win.

[@boydriceisawesome2520]

yes he was from 21 to 42 he was perfect all the time makes him greater than bobby orr in my opinion ok bobby orr changed the game maybe... but are we going to attribute title of greatest defender of all time to someone who barely played 10 seasons and won 2 norris and that played more like a forward lidstrom as a 2 way defender was greater and thats no disrispect to bobby orr or any of the other greats...

[@godloves9163]

Larry Robinson is the greatest of all time. +722 career and +120 in a season.

[@ShawnKennedy-w2i]

@@godloves9163 To me,Larry is the only player in the same league as Nick.I give Nick the edge.Barely.

[@bengumina4277]

The NHL wouldn’t let him win a Norris until he was over 30 so he couldn’t break golden bobby’s record, truly shameless

[@WarioSaysSo]

Nicklas Lidstrom is guaranteed a Top 3 or 4 defensemen of all time in NHL history. There is no way around that. The way I see it, only Ray Borque can challange him, but to be honest in so many ways, Lidstrom is a valid bid to be THE greatest defender in NHL history. He was great at both NHL level and International level. Winning evreything possible for a defender with 4x Stanley Cups + 2 finals, 7x Norris Trophy, 1 Conn Smythe Trophy, 10x NHL first All-Star team + 2x NHL Second All-Star, NHL 2000s All-Decade First Team (2009) and Olympic gold medalist 2006 + IIHF World championship gold medalist 1991 = Triple Gold Club member 17# (Only 30 players have ever achived that to win all 3 Majors)

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

He is number 1. If you are drafting al all-time team, he is the first defenseman off the board for any franchise that is serious about winning.

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

An* all-time team

[@WarioSaysSo]

@@CertifiedClapaholic Yeah he is on a lot of fans, pro players and experts wish-list of draft pick for first line defenders.

[@jacoblamb3535]

May sitting on this fence cause you gradually more and more pain.

[@williewalker8048]

As a kid growing up during the Bobby Orr era I can honestly say if Bobby had stayed healthy, he would be the GOAT! In fact, Bobby was until Nicklas Lidström finished writing his own script. Bobby played with such intensity and reckless abandon that his body was sacrificed. Watching Lidstrom at ice level over the years was like watching a ballerina on ice. Lidstrom was so graceful and calculated in everything he did. His skating an opponent out of play didn't necessitate a bone-crushing body check. Although, he was strong enough to do this if need be. What set Lidstrom apart from all other defensemen was his intelligence and conservation of energy. Bobby Orr was an amazing talent and Lidstrom was too. Everybody, teammates and opponents loved both of them and respected both of them.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@williewalker8048 What set Orr apart was NOT ONLY his intelligence, AND the fact that he was 3 moves ahead of everyone else, but that he had 9 different changes in speed, starting with fast.

[@williewalker8048]

@@jamesanthony5681 Agreed, his ability to read things so much quicker than everyone else was why he hardly ever got caught out of position. Most of his NHL opponents said he was from another level.

[@kevinso187]

Love your videos keep em coming 💯 Also great song choice with donkey Kong in the background

[@Austrocious]

Truly the best of all time. I wish he won more of those Norris trophies, but now adays they hand them out to whatever defenseman scores the most. It's a forward trophy at this point.

[@krog21]

You did it again brother! The fact that you started with that goal against Pittsburgh from 1999 is pure greatness.

[@derick-smith]

Biggest? Nope. Fastest? Nope. Hardest shot? Nope. Smartest? Damn Skippy! Zero flash to his game but he was always in the right spot and knew what you were going to do before you did. His shot was always in the right spot, so it didn't need to be the hardest. His awareness of everything on the ice kept him from taking big hits and kept him in the lineup. Like Tim Duncan in the way that he just did everything well and dominated without being flashy. So happy I saw as many of his games as I did.

[@kevinlusk6654]

This opening song has to be from Donkey Kong Country 🔥

[@Jimcarson1972carson]

that's where I remembered that from!

[@jtruns11]

Watching this with my morning coffee and I'm like, "That's Aquatic Ambience from DKC!"

[@faunbudweis]

Absolutely, one of the greatest Dmen to ever lace em up. Picture perfect off the ice too, a model for so many youngsters.

[@dabootvv]

one of the first PC games I played with my brothers was NHL98 what a time! great video as always!

[@icedo1013]

8 seconds. It took you all of 8 seconds to gain this like and subscribe. I was at this game against Calgary as a kid; I would've been 13. Down 2 with 9 minutes to play, Zetterberg treats us to his signature backhand to bring us within 1. Later, Datsyuk pulls a patented Datsyuk move to get past a guy with no stick, passes the puck to Zetterberg and just like that, the game was tied with 3 seconds and change left to play. I've been fortunate to have attended more games than I can remember in my young life. I've been to two road games, many games at the Joe and LCA, a playoff game, and I even got to watch the number 5 rise into the rafter. None of them have topped the experience I had watching Lidstrom saunter his way around Kiprusoff like he had channeled an inner Patrick Kane to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I've watched the highlight video from that game at least a couple dozen times. Your decision to include that highlight, even if it was any other highlight from that game (and anyone else who makes that same decision, for that matter) left me no choice but to fill the thumb and check the bell. From a Red Wings fan whose team runs through his veins, thank you for this video. I look very much forward to watching the remaining 31 minutes and 12 seconds lol.

[@dabiff6587]

So glad i got to watch him play, a blessing of our generation and of my lifetime. Thank you Lidstrom for all of the fantastic memories ❤️

[@chevelle1]

Lidstrom didn’t have a sophomore slump. He was actually excellent defensively that year. (Defense is his job after all). This is the problem with a lot of fans assessing defensemen’s performance. They just look up points. You have to actually watch them play.

[@the.wayne.b]

i'm a hawks fan, and if you give me an all time draft, i'm picking datsyuk and lidstrom with my first two.

[@bozidarborojevic4131]

I agree,man Datsyuk was something special

[@DerpDerpityDerp]

1000%

[@daleliske9757]

As a Red Wings fan, I am very grateful for your video. Thank you very much for your unbiased opinion of Lindstrom. Great video.! My hat's off to you to produce this video. Great history research of him.

[@danglesnipecelly13]

As a die hard wings fan I could go on and on about lidstorm. We were so lucky to have him here his whole career in Detroit! Absolute legend! He really did have a perfect career. Couldn’t get any better as a defenseman.

[@Kinger1625]

What a player. Detroit has made some amazing decisions over the years……and it’s lead to amazing things. Lidstrom was just like the video says “perfect”….. Only Orr would be looked at as being another at the same level…..many are closer than I might admit. But man….its hard to out people ahead of Lidstrom!

[@davidmowry8951]

Lindstrom was ridiculous. He was money in the bank for the wings every night. Easiest guy to coach and play with. Well done

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Legend

[@15DurangoRT]

The Lidstrom years. What a time to be alive!

[@itsa-itsagames]

Bruh..... DKC music and red wings ot glory is just so much perfection 👌 ❤

[@Swoop187OG187]

As a Hawks fan myself that grew up watching Lidstrom's entire career - without question he's easily the 2nd best defenseman in NHL history (one could argue the best) and certainly the best I have ever seen play.. I'd say Bobby Orr is the GOAT considering his style literally changed the game of hockey, but Lidstrom isn't too far behind. I mean Bourque, Coffey, Leetch, Potvin etc were all terrific and certainly among the elite of their era, but Lidstrom was special - he was in a tier above them - and one could argue in a tier of his own. And if one want's to argue which defenseman was the most "complete defenseman" - you could argue that title belongs to Lidstrom considering he was near-perfect on both sides of the puck and is everything you would want in a defenseman if you could build one from scratch. Obviously Orr was an offensive anomaly - a wizard with the puck - and defensively sound but Lidstrom was the better of the two on the defensive side of the puck.. Either way - no matter where any hockey fan stands - Lidstrom is without question a GOAT. There are a handful players where it's difficult to argue which one is/was the GOAT and there is no clear-cut answer because you cant go wrong with any of them because it really comes down to individual preference, and Lidstrom is among them - and the same goes for Gretzky and Lemieux or Hasek and Brodeur etc, and any argument made for any of them being the GOAT is valid. And that's why I have a really difficult time ranking players because many of these GOATS are in their own league and it would be "wrong" to argue one is/was better than the other - so I think guys like Lidstrom, Gretzky, Lemieux etc all share that "GOAT" label. Good video!

[@boydriceisawesome2520]

bobby orr did not win a norris at 41 or led his team to a stanley cup at what 38 years old....

[@mattsisoler6125]

One of the best defensemen of all time, and I’m honored to share a birthday with him.

[@Teh_Hats]

Lidstrom is 100% the greatest defenseman ever to play the game.

[@borisgrishenk0]

Everybody makes mistakes. Except Nick Lidstrom.

[@toni.backman-lilleberg]

So proud of Lidas from Västerås IK 💛🖤🇸🇪

[@lukeconverse6632]

Easily top 3 or 4 defensemen of all time so glad I got to enjoy watching him and the red wings in the 90s and 2000s

[@saemonno-suke9959]

4:44 the "all star" makes an appearance

[@LincolnDog]

Its crazy to think that Konstantinov was better! And im a huge Red Wings fan! No disrespect to #5

[@jacoblamb3535]

Vlad was the real complete defender. Lids is the greatest Dman all time but he was still incomplete.

[@homemadepecanpie]

“Iron man streak unfathomable” Phil kessel is laughing

[@chrisphillips348]

He holds the NHL record for most games played Vs missed. (Close to 99%) Only 42 missed & most were scratches around playoffs for rest

[@atn7092]

Amazing content as always! 9:53 - The lockout shortened season was 1994 (not 1995) and featured the aforementioned Pavel Bure’s Vancouver Canucks against Mark Messier’s Rangers in the Stanley cup final. The result of those playoffs left my second favorite player of all time without a cup. Good thing my first favorite player was a perfect defensemen ;)

[@davekuhn9342]

Might wanna give that a quick google…

[@atn7092]

@@davekuhn9342- well I’ll be damned! Imagine how certain I was of that memory for not even checking before posting smh.

[@GriffinSutherland]

My Dad always told me he was 10 steps ahead of everyone on the ice and knew what play to make before the puck was even on his stick. His IQ is unmatched

[@Vancouverallday]

Perfect song to match with one of the greatest games ever made

[@zillatattoo]

everything except his shot. had the series on his stick for the repeat in 09 and shot it RIGHT INTO FLEURYS CHEST.

[@trl2828]

It was a great save by flowers and the Wings had gotten screwed earlier in the 09 series.

[@icedo1013]

Lets be fair here fam, even the best offensive shooters only make about 12% of their shots. Fleury made himself big where he needed to be big. This is like saying Kunitz(?) missed a wide open net the year before and deriding him for it when the shot was all but impossible even in ideal conditions.

[@chrisphillips348]

His final season he was the defending Norris Trophy winner…. ‘Nuff said

[@kiker0909]

I bet awood40 clips made its way into here.

[@edenisburning]

Neat little mini-bio documentary. Unfortunately, the music is distracting and kinda annoying. I'm a life-long Wings fan and love LIdstrom, but I had to turn it off about halfway through. The music was seriously driving me insane.

[@montuckyman4982]

The Perfect Human😂

[@Civ1710]

Is that music in the background in the beginning a lil donkey Kong snes I detect? 🤌

[@ShinAkuma204]

The music sounds like it's from an RPG.

[@HarrisonHollers]

Lidstrom. Forsberg. Lundqvist. Not bad Sweden!

[@saemonno-suke9959]

W Chrono Trigger song

[@tomace194]

Best defense ever. Orr didn't even come close to numbers let alone the fact nick never missed the playoffs his whole career. In a way harder, more teams league ,and a way longer career. No one even comes close.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@tomace194 'Orr didn't even come close to numbers'? Which numbers? Bud, crack open a stats book and check Bobby's numbers, including the 8 straight (yes, 8) Norris Trophies.

[@tomace194]

@jamesanthony5681 that's a popularity contest, a 6 team league, a way shorter career and nick never missed a year off his career in the playoffs. That is insane. First European capitan to win a cup. His 4th and nick should have won way more Norris trophies but got hosed the first part of his career. But like I said. Popularity contest. Canada's good old canadian boy. Thank God he wasn't a leaf of hab

[@tomace194]

@jamesanthony5681 I guess he eventually played with more than 6 teams but they were half drunk coke heads. Even some of his team. Not even close to the athletes of nicks time. Goalies didn't even go down. Haha.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@tomace194 Popularity contest? If it were a popularity contest, then when did it cease being a popularity contest, and what were the reasons? And if those were not legit wins by Orr for the Norris, please tell me who should have won rather than him from '68 to '75? I'll wait for your answer(s) before I laugh at you. A 6-team league? Check the facts. Orr NEVER won the Norris when the NHL was a 6-team league. He won the Norris during the years when the NHL went from 12, 14, 16 and 18 teams. He broke into the NHL as an 18 year old in the '66-'67 season, however, Harry Howell won the Norris that season. And when Harry accepted the Norris, what did he say about Orr? That's your homework.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@tomace194 Half drunk coke heads? WTF would you even know about that? Were you there? Bud, back in those days the GM's/Owners had all (or majority) the power, and if they suspected you of doing that stuff then you were gone. To the minors. No guaranteed contracts.

[@tylerdurden4006]

Before Lidstrom, wings never make the playoffs, after Lidstrom, still never make the playoffs.

[@chevelle1]

The way Gustav Forsling plays, he must model his game after Lidstrom.

[@jacoblamb3535]

Every single swede since 1989 has tried endlessly be like nick. So yes duh.

[@cewlttya7738]

nikita kucherov at 58th overall is about a equal as crazy draft steal

[@jacoblamb3535]

No he isn’t. That’s a crazy statement.