The Detroit Red Wings: Decline and Fall of an Empire

Today, we mourn the death of a once-mighty dynasty in the hockey world. The Red Wings were formerly at the cutting-edge: Excellent scouting and development programs, an active, caring owner and players lining up around the block to play with this prestigious organization.
Nowadays, however, the Red Wings are a mere shell of the former empire they had. Where did everything go wrong? This video will attempt to explain their decline over the past decade. Even worse, what the future may hold for this once-great organization.
My condolences, Red Wings fans.

[@cawnishgamehen4074]

And now, a moment of silence for these 2017 Red Wings deaths: - Gordie Howe - Mike Ilitch - Ken Daniels' son, Jamie Daniels - The quarter-century playoff streak - Their power play - Mrazek's attitude - Blashill's eye - Kronwall's knee - Joe Louis Arena

[@lightman9968]

And Zetterburg's Career.

[@Hank3666able]

CawnishGameHen howe died in '16

[@ThePaulz80]

Stevie not coming home

[@vaughnshinkus4178]

The hockey gods show no mercy. Amen.

[@JackCallSports]

Vaughn Ryan Shinkus Dammit stole my joke 😂

[@weeds526]

You can really tell from these videos that hockey is Urinating Tree's forte, his knowledge of all sports is really solid but you don't see many people on KZbin with that kinda NHL insight along with the humor

[@Bjeddul]

Indeed. But some of it has to be research right? There's no way anyone can know all of this shit.

[@reintaler6355]

Ludvig Bjellebeck With internet that will not take too long to do either

[@Vilgotczky]

Robert Wieder True

[@lovelymayapop]

He mainly does NFL and NHL since he's from Pittsburgh and the teams there do really well in their respective sports

[@AzureKite]

And he has plenty of piss to throw at the MLB since the pirates suck

[@brandonlemoncelli981]

And a year later Stevie is coming home 🏒🥅🐙🚨

[@billnye1329]

Brandon Lemoncelli It’s about damn time they need him badly coming from a yinzer

[@ninoskhoshaba4113]

It’s a glorious day

[@judgeanderson4388]

Stevie will have this place built better then Rome it’s self

[@timothyng3226]

Detroit red wings: the empire strikes back

[@bernbern309]

Timothy Ng your comment is perfect

[@BaconCountry]

Damn...... Even through my bitterness as a fan of the Wings, Im gonna hit that Like button now. Great Video man!

[@OSX2k11]

BaconCountry I know. It's so depressing, but a very great video at least.

[@TeemuRiipi]

BaconCountry as a life long Red Wing fan, I've dreaded for this video to land for quite a while now. Truth hurts but somebody had to do it

[@Patrick-st3fp]

Gotcha bitch

[@UrinatingTree]

Thanks, dude.

[@yaakovmarks1241]

UrinatingTree great video man, you should make one about the TB Rays, who look extra shit next to the successful Bucs and Lightning

[@christopherkopke7593]

Let it be known that during 2017, the lions were the only Detroit team to play in the playoffs.

[@michaelderrico6270]

Nipponisms They didn't tank. They just sucked

[@HallowCash]

+Christopher Kopke yeah thanks for pointing that out

[@michaelderrico6270]

They played like the Nets 3/4 of the season to be honest

[@yKarmaPolice]

And when the Lions are the best team in our city you know it's bad...

[@HallowCash]

+Michael Derrick the pistons were doing just fine. they should have made the playoffs but then they blew the last 10 games or so to kick them out of the race. most of those games should have been easy wins. they are a good team

[@ThunderTHR]

I've been a fan of the Red Wings for years now, and honestly this is the sad truth of where the team has been heading. The second era of the Dead Wings is upon us.

[@KingC-way425]

HGCentral Hey Thunder.Im surprised to see you here

[@chaskomant3704]

getting a higher CHANCE to get andrei svechnikov or rasmus dahlin must be nice. when holland gets moved out and with ethier of yzerman 2.0 or lidstrom 2.0 the future will look even brighter. but for now all you have is hope.

[@SLproductions1000]

Bad contracts are killing you so badly. It's not even funny lol.

[@yKarmaPolice]

HGCentral ye

[@adampincente209]

and you guys got a new building and everything.

[@TheActMan]

fuckn ODST soundtrack at the beginning. You are a champ!

[@roosta6948]

Bruh

[@DS-xy7bu]

RooSTA bruh indeed

[@pushpindersekhon6221]

wait your a wings fan, I like the act man more day by day

[@calebkent5858]

Lol

[@jadeimingan184]

the act man is here and graced with us with his presence although I just found this four years later

[@resileaf9501]

Compares the Red Wings to the Roman Empire. Plays Rome Total War music. Still a man of culture, I see.

[@kod8933]

As I was watching I could've sworn I'd heard that music before

[@alexanderschwach7546]

Halo music too

[@frannyherb6773]

Love the Rome Total War music choice

[@matthewwallack601]

Franny Herb glad I'm not the only one who noticed that

[@10far2many]

Oh man that music is so nostalgic.

[@zanjose9806]

Franny Herb fits perfectly

[@razormc954]

Uh this sounds more like Halo music

[@ArgueWithTheMajority]

Posted it already, as a standalone comment, but this comment section is where I belong :D ... 00:30 "...like Rome before it." - 00:42 Rome: Total War OST starts to play. I applaud you UrinatingTree, I applaud you.

[@BuckingBadger]

Who's here after Steve Yzerman got hired as GM of the Red Wings

[@willherridge3225]

BOYS CLUBBBBBBBBBBBB

[@capconman1233]

They still suck though but we’ll see it what happens with Lafreniere

[@joefreeloader2747]

Chris Lancour poor Steve yzerman

[@athanagames]

And y'all are bottom of the league

[@textbook1263]

@@athanagames Yes, GM's should be judged against 3/4's of a season.

[@Razre]

UrinatingTree: "Sorry kids. Stevie ain't coming home." Wings fans two years later: *Welcome home, Captain.*

[@OliveTakahashi]

Wait, you guys actually WANTED Yzerman back? Jesus. That's like wanting lung cancer.

[@Razre]

Considering Yzerman turned Tampa into a powerhouse, and Ken Holland slowly ate everything away in the organization until we had nothing left, like a literal cancer, I’d say we’re better off.

[@OliveTakahashi]

@@Razre Tampa became a powerhouse in spite of Yzerman, not because of him. And now with Yzerman back in Detroit, the Wings have only gotten even worse with time.

[@Razre]

Lmao, the Wings were loaded down with terrible contracts and mediocre players. We were never going to be good without major changes. Also, you‘re going to use the Wings' recent record as a show of Yzerman‘s work? He didn‘t have the head start in talent that Sakic had in Colorado, he had to start from scratch. Pretty much every fan of this team knew this was coming, we could see it coming 3-4 years before it happened. The difference is Yzerman isn‘t building a team so we can place 15-16 every year, or barely make the playoffs for continuity, he wants to contend, and so do we. We‘re trusting the process.

[@Razre]

@@OliveTakahashi May I present to you the Jakub Vrana and Alex Nedaljkovic trades, and back to back cups for a team that was, almost entirely, an Yzerman set up. We here in Detroit are trusting the process, my friend.

[@LordPichuPal]

Coming to this years late as a lifelong Red Wings fan, it's painful to see how a lot of this panned out. I was spoiled growing up with the 90s Wings, when they first started the playoff streak a year after I was born, and grew to love the legends like Lidstrom, Fedorov, Yzerman, Shanahan, and Osgood. Into the 2000s I fell in love with Datsyuk and Zetterberg and Kronwall, and how much fun they were to watch. 2009 was a brutal step back, and by the time we got to that painful game 7 OT loss to Chicago in 2012, it was the true turning point. Holland got desperate after that with all his terrible signings and bad deals, crippling the franchise for years. Learning that he was the reason we didn't promote Yzerman sooner makes it more bitter. These last 8 years have been brutal to go through, after having gone my whole life of seeing us in the playoffs every year to suddenly being robbed of it with no hope. With Yzerman's return to Detroit that hope has been restored. Seeing his draft strategies slowly panning out, letting him build the team how he wants, getting a new head coach who actually knows what he's doing, I'm excited to see if this becomes the year we get back. I don't expect we'll ever see a return to the dynasty we had in the 90s and 2000s, but just being competitive again would be nice.

[@TheLucstar88]

Meanwhile, Yzerman is a wizard as the GM of Lightning, like the roster he's got is amazing, and they all have their good players locked down on good contracts. Like HOW.... Could you imagine Steve as the Red Wings GM, oh my.

[@MrNick7271]

TheLucstar88 state taxes and environment do play a big role

[@mcnallyrd3]

Seeing those players on the Wings, damn... the lightning "fans" would still be getting handed free tickets to attend games

[@sandwhich14]

mcnallyrd3 Yet the Lightning beat your ass in the playoffs and regular season all the time 😂

[@michaelpacak3401]

and yet, no Stanley Cups, he is good, no doubt, but can't deliver!

[@TheMysteriousRock]

What a coincidence

[@KingC-way425]

Do you know whats not declining? This channel

[@zachdaly7071]

Jay Calloway you know what's not declining? Pekka rinne right now

[@nucky3025]

Jay Calloway Do you know what else is not declining? Pekka Rinne. He is way too good right now.

[@reintaler6355]

Xx_FazeClan_VapeNation_OfficialNoscoperRatburn_xX Dang ya beat me to it

[@zachdaly7071]

Thirsty Penguin beat ya to it pal

[@AutoArtemAuto]

I want to see him get over 100,000 subs before this year ends. This channel is gold.

[@xJabro]

Seeing the success of Tampa and the potential of the current Red Wings, Holland not letting Yzerman become GM was 100% the key mistake.

[@Huna98]

You go full red wings. You lose in the first round to what do ya know THE FUCKING LIGHTNING

[@snowwhite6923]

It's very ironic. Yzerman would have been the Red Wings' GM right now still making them a Stanley Cup contender, if only the organization wasn't so stubborn to cut ties with Ken Holland who has long since lost his magic touch.

[@tomboomeronacrv]

Aiden Sullivan from what I can gather, they were very happy with the way Holland took the team, but would be ok IF AND ONLY IF Holland stepped down. Firing him would be disastrous. Afterwards, I think they just became complacent. They didn't really respond to anything with negativity.

[@cmurphy0707]

I had to come back to this video after the Lightning just won the Cup, Yzerman’s moves over the past couple years finally paid off. This could’ve happened to Detroit if Holland stepped aside. Edit: Since this comment the Lightning have won their second straight cup and are still playing at a high level. 2nd Edit: They just made their third straight Cup Final, absolutely incredible.

[@nicksojka7457]

Part of me wishes Yzerman got a ring and a hat gifted to him by Tampa for his work there. I know that's not how it works, but he really deserves it.

[@marcus813]

@@nicksojka7457 That makes sense because the Bolts don't go back-to-back without Yzerman's work. We have to give Julien BriseBois his due because he made some necessary changes of his own, but Yzerman is the one who got the ball rolling.

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

Holland give me back my legions!!!

[@ethynaltman8547]

I’d love to see an updated version of this. Kind of like a here’s where they are now update

[@operationmeh]

HOLLAND GIVE ME BACK MY LEGIONS

[@dt2phillips]

Yep! That's what he said! That was awesome!

[@kenmograd2009]

(sound of Tree hitting his head against the wall)

[@thekillers1stfan]

Yzerman is literally Aurelian coming back to unite the Empire

[@SuomenHerrasmies]

@@thekillers1stfan Hopefully, because I don't want to see him end up like Majorian.

[@randombutrelevant1606]

Holland give me 2 2nds for a guy not even in NHL anymore, guy is worst GM ever. 19 Benefits though. What GM signs Nielson long term? DH, JA, DD, and so on, not to mention ditching VF for SW, and JH for MH?

[@wasabipiep4724]

Maybe the Wings can soon get Pekka Rinne because he's too good right now.

[@metraking192]

WasabiPie:P YOU STOLE MY THUNDER

[@yKarmaPolice]

WasabiPie:P who?

[@jacobc2046]

Please don't give Holland ideas. He'll overpay him in a few years after he has left his prime.

[@UrinatingTree]

*SIGNS PEKKA RINNE TO A FOUR-YEAR, $24 MILLION CONTRACT WITH FULL NO-TRADE CLAUSE*

[@metraking192]

UrinatingTree XD, won't be surprised if that happens when his contest expires

[@Dardev123]

Do Clippers: A Legacy of Failure.

[@KuroShiiiro]

Darian Gilliam LA Clippers: The Nationals of the NBA

[@WakkoKakko]

*Capitals of the NBA

[@thenintendomaste1000]

He should also do Legacy of Failure vids for the Pacers, Jazz and Suns.

[@AutoArtemAuto]

alex9234 Don't forget the Magic and Hawks....And if he were to do a lolcow based on divisions... In baseball, the entire National League East. It's beyond pathetic.

[@ilovenickbutidontlikeyou2464]

Darian Gilliam I've been waiting on the clippers for a while

[@notoriouseagle1074]

I have to admit, this was a sad video. This Red Wings run was one of the greatest in the history of sports. They had classy players and great fans, still do. They were a likeable tean, unless your a Avs or Hawks fan. They'll be back one day. From a Bruins fan.

[@hotwax9376]

@David Dolan I know. It's painful to see what has happened to them over the last 10 years, ever since they lost their Stanley Cup finals rematch with the Penguins in 2009. That was the beginning of the end. When they missed the playoffs just a few years ago, it was the first season in my lifetime they had done so.

[@treymagathan847]

Sadly, this isn’t the case. They had one of the worst seasons on record and placed 4th in the lottery. This might be a long period of pain before this team turns it around, especially since Yzerman has no interest in firing Jeff Blashill.

[@kalebbolejack1552]

Boo hiss From an Avs fan

[@declanssportsdesk]

4:40-4:58 Turns out that Vasilevskiy kid became really good for Tampa Bay. I'd say that Quincey trade has aged very well for Detroit. 😉

[@jonathanbrannon1319]

the Jags won and Urinating Tree posted. feels good man.

[@lilmilkdud6874]

Jonathan Brannon hol up am I dreaming or are you a Jaguars fan

[@jonathanbrannon1319]

Darth Faker yea, take a screenshot before I fade back into irrelevance

[@user-co1gi7yd2r]

Jonathan Brannon so... For how long?

[@gadsantana8211]

Jonathan Brannon Superbowl this year??

[@reintaler6355]

Tachanka Lover69 aaaaaaaand....it's gone.

[@kylemccullough4052]

Goodbye Detroit sports... I'll miss you...

[@JuwanBuchanan]

Kyle McCullough R.I.P

[@Rodanguirus]

Ugh, shame to see it hasn't gotten better in three years. Not since the mid-70s through early '80s have things been this grim for Detroit sports collectively (and prior to the '70s, there was probably nothing as bad as these two stretches).

[@YooperHatesOhioState]

They’re back

[@EmoEthann]

As a Chicagoan I truly lost so much when the Wings left to go to the East. That was when I stopped really caring or watching them. All in All, I respect that team and always will.

[@natebellville3621]

He's 100% right about Holland dumping shit loads of money on players who are either over the hill or exceptionally mediocre. Holland was the best GM when there was no salary cap either, but it just seems like he stubbornly won't adjust to the cap era; not believing in rebuilding either. I hope Holland resigns so we can actually start over.

[@BuckingBadger]

He's gone he's finally gone and the best part is STEVIE IS COMING HOME!!!!!!

[@blueflamexl9880]

Holland is still around, but he stepped down as Senior VP. I believe the Red Wings will become a rising team within 5 years

[@fammithommproductions]

Ken's now off ruining the Oilers

[@SmoothCriminal12]

@@fammithommproductions hasn't ruined them yet. Made the WCF last season and are in contention this yr.

[@RJ-ht5jl]

I agree too

[@kman5711]

The Red Wings had an incredible run for two decades, but every dynasty has to decline eventually. Even the Patriots' Reign of Terror will be seeing its twilight here soon...

[@crazyluigi6664]

Them and the San Antonio Spurs with their fucking luck at hand...

[@JuwanBuchanan]

Yep, and we're beginning to see the end for the Patriots dynasty right now slowly

[@Raptorman0205]

Patriots jump the shark move has already happened; Belichick wasn't allowed to trade Tom Brady.

[@matthewmazzatto8003]

@@Raptorman0205 Brady is still putting up reasonable numbers, so why trade him?

[@Raptorman0205]

​@@matthewmazzatto8003 To get more value out of the draft picks you'd be getting. They had Garoppolo lined up to take over, and eventually Brady's going to fall off a cliff production wise, and by then it's too late to trade him because you'd be getting nothing. The reason that I'm calling it their jump the shark moment though has nothing to do with the actual trade proposition itself, but the fact that it pissed off Belichick, who is now leaving the Patriots with absolutely nothing to work with once he retires. Mark my words, the Patriots are going to be TERRIBLE the day Bill finally leaves.

[@ccglynch]

An excellent summation of the collapse of one of sport's premier organizations. Well done dude.

[@RealTomahawk7]

Little did he know, a similar fate would befall his cherished Penguins just 5 years later

[@tylerleggett5088]

As a red wings fan, I think the captain deserves at least one honorary ring for the work he did in Tampa. I'm glad he's home, but its unfortunate he didn't stick around just long enough to see the results of his hard work. I hope he can do the same for Detroit

[@RJ-ht5jl]

RIP DETROIT RED WINGS

[@Mitch97914]

I'm a diehard Habs fan but I would love to see a video of all the bullshit that's happened after the Stanley Cup 1993. Horrible coaching, horrible management, and horrible scouting have made the glory days feel like a century ago. I would love to be alive to see a Stanley Cup for me and everyone in Montreal but considering the organization has been in dysfunction for the last 24 years (how ironic), I fear it may not be anytime soon.

[@peperle]

Also a Habs fan: the truth hurts but it is needs to be said

[@UrinatingTree]

They're on the watchlist. Bergevin has catapulted himself into one of the five worst GM's in hockey right now.

[@mattman1684]

Oh jeez. That'll be a hard one to watch...

[@crazyluigi6664]

Holy fuck, that sounds serious if true! Usually that's not a claim to be taken lightly (my team dealt with the bullshit that was the Lance Blanks era for general managers, and we knew what kind of crap that was during that time).

[@tinyb4165]

If he does it, he'll have to do it in both French and English.

[@johnomalley692]

I feel bad for the Red Wings. Truly a classy organization.

[@Matt-io8cx]

John O'Malley I don't - Avs fan

[@kevinblack5319]

John O'Malley please, they are the back bone for the 6th best sports city in North America Sports, check out the videos if you don't already

[@joeb1955]

Avs are a joke, obviously you wouldn't feel bad for anyone else.

[@deegreen9742]

please don't. As much of rivals we are, they are a historic franshise with one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports -Another Avs fan

[@dumbdumb572]

Dj Green The Wings/Avs rivalry has been dead for years now though, they're not even in the same conference anymore.

[@dangermartin69]

I hope that Yzerman brings in Larionov as the coach. The used to call him "The Professor".

[@chrismaxwell6192]

Here’s a video idea for Tree: Dynasty Last Stands. The last final stand game for a dynasty. Some examples include: Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 2009. New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl 53 Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues Game 5 2016 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics Game 7 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2017 AFC Divisional Round (Days of our Steelers Bonus Episode). You could probably think of some other games too that would be interesting to look back on.

[@phoodiegames]

I like this idea. This has some serious potential

[@ChiefBlue4298]

I like the fact that the Blues were the ones that ended the Blackhawks dynasty lol

[@chrismaxwell6192]

LA Kings, welcome to the example list. Game 4 2022 vs. Edmonton

[@thatonetaco3614]

Now we need every other Detroit team

[@thatonetaco3614]

It would be funny to see him go in on the Detroit Tigers and lions. The Tigers have gone downhill after Jim leyland retired. I am a Detroit fan as well

[@jeremywilliams6743]

the pistons actually have one of the best histories in the entire nba, definitely a top 10 franchise, but the Lions and Tigers are a different story.....

[@yKarmaPolice]

That one Taco Ausmus makes Luis Pujols look like Manager of the Year

[@thatonetaco3614]

y4123 Karma Police true

[@andrewgonyea]

Pistons are just average nothing to see there. But the Tigers need a LOF and the Lions need a lolcow video.

[@Kerem9_8]

"Ken holland now runs an organizational train wreck" 2019 update- he now runs the oilers which could probably be beaten by a squad of 8 year olds

[@sportsnerd100]

HockeyDude98 McDavid and draidaitl

[@timsoule2250]

what a well aged comment

[@detroitfusion779]

Stepped off one trainwreck and boarded another.

[@JarradBruessel32]

@@timsoule2250 is he wrong though? They went from first in their division to losing 13 of their last 20 games. And 7 of their last 10.

[@nampacnamtrac6394]

@@JarradBruessel32 still 2nd in their division though lol

[@ry8911gvsu]

Sorry Tree but Stevie did come home.

[@ObiWannaBrick31]

Stevie isnt going to bring the team anywhere though. They might make the playoffs in the 30-31 season at the soonest. But now they suck. Just trade larkin already.

[@treymagathan847]

And for what? Having the worst season on record so the Wings could place 4th in the Draft Lottery?

[@ry8911gvsu]

Trey Magathan what’s that got to do with Steve?That’s the NHL’s joke of a lottery system where a playoff team wins the Alexis Lafreniere sweepstakes. It’s not Steve’s fault Holland ran the team into the ground with mortgaging future picks and bad contracts. I trust the Yzerplan .Seider and most of his 2019 picks look solid. It’s going to take time it would take less time if Bettman /ping pong balls gave the wings a break, but hey it didn’t so it’ll take a little longer.

[@treymagathan847]

ry8911gvsu Mate, the Red Wings have $1.6M USD of cap space with 48 out of 50 contracts and 23 pending Free Agents this year. There’s a hell of a lot more to managing a team than just tanking for Lafreniere, and choosing to keep Jeff Blashill when he had the worst offense, worst defense, worst power play, worst PK, and worst goals differential shows either complacency in losing (especially since he could fire Blashill and pick up Gerard Gallant, a former Red Wing and proven winner.) or severe trust to a fault. And before you say anything about how anyone would have failed under Blashill’s situation, remember that this guy has been failing ever since he was hired in the first place. Personally, I think Detroit’s biggest problem this year was goaltending, so don’t be surprised if Pittsburgh has to make a choice between Murray and Jarry before the Expansion Draft and they make a trade for whichever one Pittsburgh chooses to trade.

[@ry8911gvsu]

Trey Magathan Mate those cap issues were due to Holland. Also most of those will be off the books this year. Ericsson ,Daley and a whole bunch of RAs and UFAs will be gone after this year. Yzerman has tinkered around a made some decent trades Robbi Fabri comes to mind something Holland would have never done in his later years here. While goaltending is an issue I think that’s the last hole to fill. Outside of the MLB line and Fabri there aren’t a lot of great forwards and outside of Hroneck the D core is a mess. If you look at Bernier’s numbers since Christmas they were pretty great he had close to a .92 save percentage he was just the victim of a poor team in front of him. If we manage to get a Jarry or Murray great, but the team has too many holes to focus just on goaltending right now.

[@edalder2000]

Just saw yesterday that Steve Yzerman has left The Lightning. Says he wants to be closer to his family. Yzerman has shown he has a solid knack with the way The Lightning went from afterthought to always in the playoffs. One can only hope that Steve Yzerman does end up in The Red Wings' GM chair. Holland has had his day, but it's been time for a few years.

[@whoasked9500]

The Lighting are doomed.

[@perry7595]

@@whoasked9500 that aged poorly

[@whoasked9500]

@@perry7595 Yes it did lmao

[@shanewilliams5831]

As a wings fan this is a sad truth. we had some great memories in the 90s and early 2000s but these contracts were that bad, and may I say living with this stuff coming out was a slap in the face. Most fans were like " we want to compete for a cup not just claw into a low seed spot'. The whole keep the streak alive was stupid because those last couple years honestly met nothing. When your best player is a 36 year old Zetterberg you need to rethink your team. which as a Tigers fan i love how Avila jumped right on the rebuild train. yeah the tigers suck, but at least we are not in no mans land like the Wings were. you know the Dark age of Detroit sports has begun when the Lions are your best team....

[@thenintendomaste1000]

The dark age began when the Wings lost Game 7 of the 2009 Finals.

[@brennanadamski7740]

alex9234 Maybe the dark age for the wings but that's around the time when the Tigers started getting really good.

[@thenintendomaste1000]

Brennan Asamski Yes, the Tigers did make the World Series twice, but they got slaughtered both times. They really did not look like a threat to win it all when I watched them.

[@brennanadamski7740]

alex9234 Yeah but it was still a fun team. Triple crowns, mvps. I think we could've won in 2013 if the bullpen wasn't so bad.

[@2002horton]

We need a more in-depth Bengals version, the saddest team to support

[@disneyfan8719]

Believe it or not, I actually kinda saw this coming once Lidstrom retired, especially since they weren't getting anyone to replace Lidstrom, Datsyuk or Zetterberg, and I thought to myself "how much gas do these guys have left in the tank? If they can't get anyone to replace them, they're f***ed!" Bottom line, I actually saw the writing on the wall before the Red Wings themselves did. Lol

[@norwoodkubisiak7996]

Don't apologize for being harsh, in all honestly I don't think you were harsh enough on this has been. KH was a god I agree, but with a salary cap, he's going to run this team straight into the ground. It's going to be a long time before we see a good Red Wings team again.

[@dereklasker5350]

Jesus this got deep at the end holy shit

[@VarvasNukka]

Excellent choice of music.

[@Shadow12aven]

This is UT's best video by far, like insanely well done.

[@davidma22]

Feels so sweet watching this video in 2019 now that we know Yzerman is coming back as GM.

[@anguswerley4280]

Watching it now feels real good too

[@lacrosse782]

This brings a tear to my eye... painful to watch because everything you said is so true

[@kaninesenses]

I love how this just popped up in my recommendations and the red wings are now even worse than they were then 😢

[@Rodanguirus]

It's gonna be a rough ride. It's just a shame that every other Detroit team is also garbage. We're living in one of the darkest eras of the city's athletics (honestly, for fans of overall Detroit sports, we had it pretty nice from '84 through... '14 or so. It'd just be nice if one team could win a playoff game while we build toward a more competitive era gain.

[@astroknott5263]

UPDATE: STEVE IS COMING HOME

[@treymagathan847]

UPDATE: The Red Wings placed 4th in the Draft Lottery after one of the worst seasons on record.

[@bodhithomas5684]

@@treymagathan847 Update: the team he built in Tampa Bay won the cup

[@treymagathan847]

@@bodhithomas5684 So? He doesn’t get a ring for building the team. His ass left before that happened.

[@bodhithomas5684]

@@treymagathan847 I'm just saying. Because had the red wings kept Stevie, this could've been their cup. I wasn't saying this as a counterpoint to your comment

[@BeastOfMetal1989]

@@bodhithomas5684 Stevie may have put together the core in Tampa, but he could never assemble the right collection of complementary players to take them over the top, which manifested in a series of increasingly brutal chokes leading up to THAT series in 2019. The complements that DID take them over the top the next year (by adding a more physical element to the roster to help them better withstand teams that tried to use trap variants to bog down and harass their core) were almost all added by BriseBois after Yzerman's departure. So I think there's reason to question whether Stevie would've put together a championship roster in Detroit in the 2010s, as well as whether he can build one now.

[@alexdeghost2729]

And now, a moment of silence for these 2005 Red Wings deaths: ... - Michael P Murphy - Mathew Axelson - Danny Dietz - Erik S. Kristensen - Shane E. Patton - Jacques J. Fontan - Daniel R. Healy - Jeffery A. Lucas - Michael M. McGreevy Jr. - James E. Suh - Jeffrey S. Taylor - Shamus O. Goare - Corey J. Goodnature - Kip A. Jacoby - Marcus V. Muralles - James W. Ponder III - Stephen C. Reich - Michael L. Russell - Chris J. Scherkenbach

[@Fazeof1p]

The Detroit Red Wings have always been one of my favourite hockey teams, but damn you nailed this in how far this team has fallen. This is a great documentary all in its own right. Well done. Also glad to see you are doing well, Urinatingtree. :)

[@kobyschechter8163]

Kyle Quincey for Andrei Vasilevskiy Lmao. The backbone of the two championships for Tampa in 2020 and 2021. I think Tampa won that trade.

[@xypherus777]

Just a wee bit

[@JHockeyFan]

Downie for Quincey for Vasilevskiy. Yzerman turned Cory Conacher and Steve Downie into Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy. God mode GMing.

[@DirectorTurnerable]

for the love of god... fire... holland... now...

[@DC33879]

DirectorTurnerable No truer words spoken...

[@thedoctor9138]

He will probably be fired after this season and possibly Yzerman could come in to takeover finally. But that's just a rumor.

[@legreatpenguino445]

STEVIE Y IS COMING HOME!!!!

[@Nem1606]

This aged well

[@ChiefBlue4298]

And now he’s the Oilers GM 😂

[@coolmatthew213]

This is now the golden state warriors

[@ac1fuller]

Greatly appreciate you using the ODST music, honestly made my day

[@jadeng.s.2549]

The Red Wings had a 25-year playoff streak but half of those years were losing to the 7th seed in the first round.

[@fredoh7553]

Jaden G.S. Try again

[@Thrashman-ye4cf]

Yeah...don't think so, bud.

[@Rodanguirus]

The streak saw 10 first-round losses. They lost as a top-2 seed in '94, '03, '04, and '06. Otherwise they were marginal favorites or underdogs.

[@gocanuckurself1]

Wow, the ending is deep. Makes you realize how mortal you really are.

[@opgred186]

This channel is so unrated I hope it really blows up real soon I've been here since 10k

[@AutoArtemAuto]

National League East: The AFC South of the MLB.

[@lukas187x]

Sad, but true. But then again, this is inevitable for any sports franchise. It's just amazing the Red Wings were able to hold off the rebuild phase until recently. But if there is a team I want to see you cover, it's either the Ravens (I support them, but man, this fan base can be insufferable at times) or the Cowboys (Ol' Jerry Jones deserves a knock on his ego, that's for sure).

[@hotwax9376]

I'm a Red Wings fan and I must confess this is so true. Very painful to see what has happened to the Wings ever since losing their 2009 Stanley Cup final rematch with Pittsburgh (which was bad enough.) Maybe Yzerman will become GM and we will be great once again. I can dream, can't I?

[@SMG41]

Its seeming more and more likely. The wings have the offensive potential on it's way in next few years but they need better defense and better goalie prospects and Yzerman can make that happen better than Holland I think especially in the salary cap era

[@hotwax9376]

@@SMG41 I heard Yzerman was offered a job with the Flyers. I hope he doesn't take it, and I'd be surprised if he does since he said when leaving Tampa that he wanted to come back to Detroit.

[@SMG41]

@@hotwax9376 yeah he seemed pretty set on comin home to the D so let's hope the offer falls through lol. #ComeHomeStevie

[@wolfeusmc2011]

Sometimes I come back to this video because as a Pens fan I'm afraid too that this will happen to us soon too...I like how you used the ODST theme

[@paulmissthenet590]

Thank you for doing this vid

[@ErikZarins]

With the Red Wings as my second favourite team and having gone to a couple of games while living in Windsor.....this was BRUTAL

[@lesevesel2898]

This Wings fan says, "Well done, Tree." If anything, this made me nostalgic.

[@jacksharon1378]

I look back on this video and boy I love saying “those days are over”. Yzerplan is unfolding, after that 15 win season we set up a new culture, brought in athletic and talented guys and fought in many games in the 2021 season, then last year the stats didn’t show it but we won enough games to finally be middle of the pack and not in the basement and here we are pushing a playoff spot

[@kellyactormosgoog]

Watching this video 4 years later and just how bright the future looks since Stevie Y took over is ridiculous.

[@longhairjon2919]

Anyone here after Red Wings got Yzerman as their GM?

[@steveholbrom8424]

Pohjan Tähti Yes! It makes this video have a happy epilogue. We back!.. hopefully maybe.

[@longhairjon2919]

@Thomas 11>1

[@longhairjon2919]

@Thomas you guys have had over 50 years. But still, congrats for winning the Stanley Cup. Aint happening again anytime soon.

[@longhairjon2919]

@Thomas pretty sure that DRW makes the playoffs in 3 years, and we are a rebuilding team. Dont forget Who was dead last before January! And besides that, Red Wings had the best record in NHL in Last 15games. And how is 25 years of straight playoffs, and 11 Stanley Cups a dumpster?

[@treymagathan847]

Anyone here after the Red Wings placed 4th in the Draft Lottery?

[@schlatt2574]

I'm a fan of all Detroit teams it kind of hurts me when u do this team but I have to admit it's the truth

[@finn_nyc2332]

Lightning 10 But ur a TB lightning fan tho?

[@tenchi100]

The ironic part about Blashill and Glendenning: They’ve joined the Lightning in the 23-24 season, and both are doing pretty well here in Tampa.

[@presidentmorty3840]

Damn near brought tears to my eyes! Great vid my dude!

[@llCommandoJABll]

Welcome home, Captain. April 19th, 2019.

[@chrismaxwell6192]

It all started when they lost to what do you know THE FUCKING PENGUINS.

[@aaronstark1969]

Chris Maxwell nah, it was missing out on Zach to the Wild in like the 2011 offseason, after that we were no longer a free agent destination

[@selfishcoffee458]

*blackhawks

[@lightman9968]

OK, 5 Years Later: The Pens Are A Basement Dweller In Sports Again.

[@joelentrup1236]

Chris Maxwell "Lidstrom shoots and a tremendous save by Fleury!" - Assassination of the Emperor

[@chrismaxwell6192]

Lightman Right now you’re right. Rutherford is looking like Ken Holland right now.

[@tarawallen1776]

I am literally a huge fan of this channel and have been dreading the day this video would come. *shivers* That being said this is 100 percent accurate and I still love this channel with all of my cold, dying heart.

[@jacobb.2856]

This is your best video so far. I love them all but this one is so dead on and amazing. I never knew where jumping the shark came from too

[@SportsFan2001]

Fun fact: The Red Wings never won a playoff series in the Eastern Conference

[@dnrx01]

This video hurts me... and it feels great

[@dnrx01]

Follow up with a Tigers vid?

[@JOfnT]

Dan Steinbach i know how you feel. I got obliterated by the Mets video.

[@yKarmaPolice]

Yep

[@ellisd3165]

Been following you about a year and have loved all of your videos, keep up the good work dude, you rock

[@UrinatingTree]

Thanks, man.

[@barzybeast2585]

I found myself getting lost in the amazing Halo ODST soundtrack in the background that brought back memories of that game. Thank you urinatingTree for including one of my favorite games of all time with my favorite sport (and second favorite team) of all time together you f-info beaut

[@disneyfan8719]

2:06 You could argue the Islanders already kinda jumped the shark when they hired Mike Milbury, Spano buying the team only made it worse.

[@Gkambroz]

*They gave us one hell of a run! Are we really complaining about a 25 year dynasty? Thank you Red Wings for all the amazing memories!*

[@chrisg7658]

These videos are great, so good in fact that even as a Leaf fan I want one on us, I'm sure you have enough material

[@j_bird2560]

I came back to watch this and it really makes happy to see how fair the organization has come, but it serves as a reminder of how far we have to go still

[@N_manMETA11]

This video aged very well, good for UrinatingTree but terrible for the Red Wings. Every point he touched on in this video was only reonforced hy their current actions. This team is shopping for big names, which usually means guys in their mid-30s than forgot how to skate and have been on a decline for years. This is a team I could see having Zach Parise or Ryan Getzlaf. I guarentee in 15 years, this team will still be signing Mantha or Larkin to 7 and 8 year deals trying to keep big names around as long as possible. They'll be throwing around money and Nicklas Backstrom this summer. Their last chance to truly compete was in 2011 and they took a gigantic shit on what could have been a storybook ending to a dynasty. What instead happens is they throw money around at past-their-prime players in hopes they will euserp their abilities from 5-6 years earlier, they refuse to allow prospects to try their hand at NHL action, and the majority of theor career long players want out and get it by means of retirement. Nick Lindstrom, though he was in his early 40s at retirement, was very much playing at an elite level, showed few injury issues, and was a consistent piece; make no mistake, he could have played for another 3 or 4 years if he wanted to. He simply retired because he wanted no part in the manotany of signing 38 year old grinders to 5 year deals and being the face of a team that's ceiling is playoff bubble team but their floor being the center of the Earth. Can you blame him? This team is literally the Pittsburgh Pirates of hockey, except somehow even less hopeless. Filip Zadina could be a potential franchise piece, but quite a few things need to fall into place. Mantha needs to fully blossom into an elite winger, they need to move on from Athanseiou, draft or sign a goaltender, and not compile albatross contracts in the process. The problem is, that is exactly what this team does; they'll nab a good player, but he'll be 34 years old on a $5.3 million cap hit for 5 years. Then, they are forced to trade away a guy like Gustav Nyquist for a 3rd and 4th round pick and end up flipping those picks for a 4th lone grinder who's been past his prime for 4 years. I could see this team sending a 2nd and Abdelkader for Milan Lucic. It doesn't fill any holes, in fact, it creates one, but man does it sure give Detroit a name to cling onto so they and their fans can foolishly believe they have an outside chance at a playoff spot only to finish 12 in the conference, have 4 players on IR and get robbed in the draft lottery. As is the Detroit way in the world of sports.

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

“Holland give me back my legions!!!”

[@jonathanpage6668]

Great video man! Absolute truth in everything you mentioned in this video!

[@mrpuckman]

This is amazing. So true, and any longtime Wings fan will agree.

[@zerosumgamez]

I thought I would never able to see the day of wings going down, I was so wrong. The wait is finally over. There is a hockey god.

[@CRlMZlN]

Watching this as the Yzerplan is literally unfolding before our eyes in Detroit lol. The Phoenix is rising!

[@rmickb2d1nss96]

Delivery (I'm taking about the way he speaks here) and the editing from UrinatingTree is on point once again.

[@crazgamr6295]

As a huge fan of roman history and hockey, this is the best thing ever. Love the Rome total war music in the back too!

[@tsts837]

Things are at least getting better since Stevie is back

[@edmontonboy99]

And this Ken Holland guy is gonna be our new GM, doesn’t really sound like I want him

[@ObiWannaBrick31]

Trade mcdavid and draisaitl for chara and a 1st round pick and pay chara 6 Million dollars until he's 50

[@FamilyGuyRoks6]

@@ObiWannaBrick31 you're thinking of chiarelli lol

[@hugolalumiere9992]

Spot on analysis!

[@dangermartin69]

When Holland signed Samuellson to a two year, six million dollar deal with a no trade clause while he was sitting at home in Sweden unwanted by anyone, I wrote a long diatribe on nhl.com explaining almost everything word for word with what you said in this video. NHL.com's response: They deleted my post. It was than that I gave up on them and started following Tampa with Yzerman at the helm. It's going to be a long hill to climb for Yzerman to undue the damage. The problem is that ever since the cap came in, Holland has not adapted and still continued to overspend on players. Now they are doomed from it.

[@dangermartin69]

And two years later, Yzerman has gotten rid of almost all the horrible contracts from the Holland era, picked up some really good unwanted talent, drafted well and stole a world class goalie from Carolina for next to nothing. They are currently playing very well.

[@steveholbrom8424]

As a life long Wings fan thank you for explaining the exact moment we started to exhibit signs of a degenerative mental illness. The decline feels like somehow riding a mudslide down a mountain to only realize the world’s largest pig farm is at the top. Turns out we are riding a wave of pure shit.

[@kay_sou]

The day Ken Holland is gone is the day Detroit throws a party. Todd Nelson needs to be the coach and Steve Yzerman needs to be brought back.

[@primemcmanus]

Some Guy only way that happens is if Tampa falls off a very steep cliff and Yzerman is fired

[@kay_sou]

Fair, but I can dream.

[@dt2phillips]

The real problem is Chris Ilitch.

[@hotwax9376]

Yzerman is too old to play again, but I'd give anything to have him back as a coach!

[@Canadasportsbettingca]

Subscribed. Great channel. Keep them coming please.

[@123itsjrd]

Even though I don't watch hockey I'm always entertained by these videos even if its on a hockey team

[@loganburgos]

I still love my red wings! From Chicago, i cannot stand the Blackhawks..

[@reintaler6355]

The Kang Hmm. You don't hear that everyday...

[@yKarmaPolice]

The Kang thank you

[@madguybcn]

Same feel men... Im from Barcelona in Europe, here people dont give a fuck hockey and american leagues. Me to in fact despite NBA and NHL when i was just a kid i get up every match day early at 3 am to see my wings Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Yzerman wow i remember the 2 finals against the pens its hard to explain its like a religion for me.