He began his speech by saying “it will never be as expected.” It became very much better for Nicklas Lidstrom who are now inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The former Detroit Hill became the fourth Swede, after Borje Salming, Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg, to take place among hockey legends in the Hall of Fame.
It is now over three years since the 45-year-old västmanlänningen ended his 20+ year NHL career in Detroit and moved back to Sweden. Tuesday night, Swedish time, he was back in North America for the Hall of Fame gala in Toronto.
In his acceptance speech said Lidstrom that as a child he was like most other kids, played on the local hockey rink and dreamed of the big championships.
– But despite all the dreams I had hockey playing kids, this was something I had never imagined, ‘said the Swede said, adding that he did not quite felt comfortable by standing on the stage alone.
I was not really here without help. It requires team effort at all levels of your life, he said in the speech from the televised gala.
Lidstrom thanked the coach that Scotty Bowman and Mike Babcock and several teammates in Detroit, among others, Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg.
And of course mate Tomas Holmstrom, that was in place at the gala.
Lidstrom presented on stage by his former teammate and mentor Steve Yzerman, whom he later succeeded as captain.
– What I learned from Steve were some of the main reasons that I was so successful. He taught me to become a professional, to lead a team and what it takes to be a winner, he said.
Lidstrom was met with laughter when he told me about how little can could about the Detroit Red Wings when he got there at 21 and asked to number 9 on the jersey – the legendary Gordie Howes long shirt number retired.
– When I got my first lesson in Red Wings history, said Lidstrom.
Other ex-players who were honored were Russian Sergei Fedorov, a former teammate with Lidstrom of Detroit, Canadian Chris Pronger, American Phil Housley and the American Angela Ruggiero.
Born: April 28, 1970 in Krylbo.
Live In Västerås.
clubs: Skogsbo, Vasteras, Detroit.
Main qualifications: Stanley Cup winner in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, World Championship gold in 1991 Olympic gold in 2006. Norris Trophy (named the NHL’s best defensemen) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, Conn Smythe Trophy (playoffs MVP) in 2002. A total of 1142 points in 1564 regular season games in the NHL, and 183 points in 263 games in the playoffs.
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