2005–06 Detroit Red Wings season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=2005–06
Team=Detroit Red Wings
Conference=Western
ConferenceRank=1st
Division=Central
DivisionRank=1st
Record=58–16–8
HomeRecord=27–9–5
RoadRecord=31–7–3
GoalsFor=305
GoalsAgainst=209
GeneralManager=Ken Holland
Coach=Mike Babcock
Captain=Steve Yzerman
AltCaptain=Nicklas Lidstrom
Brendan Shanahan
Arena=Joe Louis Arena
Attendance=20,066 (100%)
GoalsLeader=Brendan Shanahan (40)
AssistsLeader=Nicklas Lidstrom (64)
PointsLeader=Pavel Datsyuk (87)
PIMLeader=Chris Chelios (108)
WinsLeader=Manny Legace (37)
GAALeader=Manny Legace (2.19)
StanleyCup=
PresidentsTrophy=Yes
ConferenceWin=
DivisionWin=Yes

The 2005–06 Detroit Red Wings season was the 79th National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The Wings once again found themselves having the best regular season record, scoring 124 points for the second highest point total in franchise history.

The Red Wings began the season with a conflict in goal as recent pickup Chris Osgood was injured in preseason activities and unproven Manny Legace was to start in goal. Legace played great, winning 10 of his first 11 games, and quickly earned the starting goaltender job. The Red Wings decided to start Legace in the playoffs but his inexperience quickly showed and Detroit was knocked out in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers.

Detroit defenseman, Jiri Fischer, suffered a seizure in the first period of a game against the Nashville Predators on November 21. The game was stopped and eventually called as many fans in Joe Louis Arena either couldn't see what was going on or looked on in horror. Fischer was given CPR on the Wings' bench and then carried out on a stretcher. Nashville had a 1–0 lead with in the game and it was decided that the score would be added on to the rescheduled game later in the season. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2232577 Defenseman stable, breathing on his own] , ESPN.com, accessed August 31, 2007.]

The Red Wings sold out all 41 home games in 2005–06 as 20,066 fans packed Joe Louis Arena for every regular season and playoff game played in Detroit.

There was no All-Star game this year as the Winter Olympics in Turin took place in February 2006 where nine Red Wings players represented their countries. Kris Draper represented Canada, [ [http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletes/athletesbysport.shtml?Ice%20Hockey Meet the athletes: ice hockey] , cbc sports, accessed August 31, 2007.] Chris Chelios represented the United States, [ [http://www.usoc.org/26_43552.htm Chris Chelios] , usolympicteam.com, accessed August 31, 2007.] Robert Lang represented the Czech Republic, Pavel Datsyuk represented Russia, and Nicklas Lidstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom represented Sweden. [ [http://www.nhl.com/olympics/2006/preview.html Let the games begin] , NHL.com, accessed August 31, 2007.] Team Canada Head coach, Wayne Gretzky, told Steve Yzerman it was his decision as to whether he wanted to play in the 2006 Olympics. Citing his age and playing ability, Yzerman bowed out to give up his roster spot to a "more deserving player". [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2249670&campaign=rss&source=NHLHeadlines Yzerman pulls name out of Team Canada list] , ESPN.com, accessed August 31, 2007.]

Sweden won the gold medal in ice hockey as all three goals scored in the gold medal game were by Red Wings. Red Wings' Head Coach Mike Babcock decided to give the five Gold Medal winners from Detroit time to return to Sweden to celebrate. They only missed one game, February 28 against the San Jose Sharks. In that game, Detroit suffered their worst loss of the season, losing by four goals.

Regular season

eason standings

^† Game was cancelled with 7:31 left in the first period after Jiri Fischer suffered a seizure on the bench. Nashville was ahead 1–0 and the score would be added to a January 23 rescheduled game. [ [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=144010/ Wings' Fischer collapses, game cancelled] , TSN.com, November 21, 2005, accessed August 30, 2007.]

December

Record: 8–3–1; Home: 4–2–0; Road: 4–1–1

March

Record: 11–1–3; Home: 4–1–3; Road: 7–0–0

*Green background indicates win.
*Red background indicates loss.

Season Stats

katers

"Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes"

Free Agents

Draft picks

As there was no 2004–05 season to set the order for the draft, a lottery was held in which teams were assigned a number of balls, between one and three, based on the number of playoff appearances the team had had in the past three seasons. As the Red Wings had made the playoffs three consecutive seasons, they were given only one ball in the lottery. The Red Wings ended up with the 19^th overall pick.

Detroit's picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario:

Farm teams

Grand Rapids Griffins

The Griffins were Detroit's top affiliate in the American Hockey League in 2005–06.

Toledo Storm

The Storm were the Red Wings' ECHL affiliate for the 2005–06 season.

ee also

*2005–06 NHL season

References

*Player stats: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/stats?team=det Detroit Red Wings player stats] on espn.com
*Game log: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/schedule?team=det Detroit Red Wings game log] on espn.com
*Team standings: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/standings NHL standings] on espn.com

Goaltenders:

hockey team player|no=30|name=Osgood•hockey team player|no=34|name=Legace•

Defensemen

hockey team player|no=2|name=Fischer•hockey team player|no=3|name=Lilja•hockey team player|no=4|name=Cross•hockey team player|no=5|name=Lidstrom•hockey team player|no=8|name=Woolley•hockey team player|no=22|name=Lebda•hockey team player|no=23|name=Schneider•hockey team player|no=24|name=Chelios•hockey team player|no=55|name=Kronwall•

Forwards

hockey team player|no=11|name=Cleary•hockey team player|no=13|name=Datsyuk•hockey team player|no=14|name=Shanahan•hockey team player|no=18|name=Maltby•hockey team player|no=19|name=Yzerman•hockey team player|no=20|name=Lang•hockey team player|no=26|name=Hudler•hockey team player|no=29|name=Williams•hockey team player|no=33|name=Draper•hockey team player|no=37|name=Samuelsson•hockey team player|no=40|name=Zetterberg•hockey team player|no=42|name=MacLean•hockey team player|no=44|name=Mowers•hockey team player|no=52|name=Filppula•hockey team player|no=93|name=Franzen •