Thank you to the Ilitch Family for owning and maintaining the greatest franchise in professional sports.
Thank you Ken Holland for being the best general manager in the league.
Thank you to Jim Nill and the scouting staff. You guys bring the best of the best to our team year after year.
Thank you to former players Jiri Fischer, Kirk Maltby, and Chris Chelios for sticking with the organization after your careers were concluded.
Thank you to Mike Babcock. The man who ultimately knows what is best for the team even when we think he might be wrong.
Thank you to the coaching staff. You get the most out of these players night in and night out and we really appreciate it.
Thanks to the team doctors and trainers who keep (or at least try to) the guys healthy all year.
Thank you to the equipment guys who keep the boys armed with sticks long after they've broken.
Justin Abdelkader-
Thank you for being the grit and youth that this team needed. Also, thank you for holding your head up high and trying your hardest despite growing pains. Sparty on.
Todd Bertuzzi-
Thank you for proving every critique wrong. No matter what anyone says you've paid your dues and you belong in this league and on this team.
Dan Cleary-
Thank you for allowing us all to do the Newfie Stomp along with you all season. Watch out for Huds next time. Apparently, he's dangerous. Who knew?
Pavel Datsyuk-
Thank you for not being up for the Lady Byng this year. Your fight with Corey Perry was perfection. Thank you for out playing every player in this league regardless of if the mass media recognizes it or not. Thanks for sharing your amazing sense of humor. You truly are special.
Kris Draper-
Thank you for being the guy to push your teammates harder on and off the ice. Thank you for challenging everyone to be better and being light in the dark. Thanks for being a gym rat.
Patrick Eaves-
Ohhhh, Hobo. Thank you for interacting with the fans as much as you did this year. You give back so much of your time to the fans. It's really honorable. Thank you for letting us see your ridiculous huge "I just scored a goal" smile. Thanks for sharing your love of animals and ping pong this season.
Valtteri Filppula-
Thank you for showing up when we needed you. And I'm sure the Grand Rapids Griffins are thankful you allowed your older brother to tag along with you to Detroit this year.
Johan Franzen-
Thank you for sacrificing yourself for this team. Thank you for Mule-tricks and explicit language after goals. Thank you for coming back and battling hard even after someone jacked up you face.
Darren Helm-
Aw, Our little Helmer is all grown up. Thank you for all your speed and for finding your finish. Thank you for dealing with the crazies that stalk you because "you're so dreamy". Thank you for interacting with the fans nearly as much as Patrick Eaves. Thank you for walking on your hands, dressing up as Todd Bertuzzi, and doing the worm.
Tomas Holmstrom-
Thank you for enduring the punishment that you do in front and around the net for this team. And thanks for not sharing your candy with Mule.
Jiri Hudler-
Thanks for finally getting a hang of the NHL ice again. Thanks for starling people (i.e. me) when they're not paying attention to you during warm ups. And by thanks I mean KNOCK IT OFF.
Drew Miller-
3,2,1 MILLER TIME. Thank you for doing your part to make this team a success. Thank you for dealing with a rotation that must have been maddening. Thank you for not using "Just for Men Gel".
Mike Modano-
Mikey Mo! Thanks for battling back from the injury that took most of this season away from you. Thank you for coming home.
Henrik Zetterberg-
Thank you for coming back strong after injuries and producing the way you did all year. ALSO-Thank you for getting married and making your teammates wear adult onesies. We all really appreciated that.
Jonathan Ericsson-
Thank you for dealing with obscene nicknames and people ripping on you all year.
Jakub Kindl-
Thank you for stepping up when we needed you. Thank you for taking harassment at training camp. Next time, go inside if you're cold.
Niklas Kronwall-
Thank you for growing into an amazing defenseman. Thank you also for delivering bone crushing hits that change games. Thank you for introducing Swedish style tailoring into the locker room and wearing those awesome glasses.
Nicklas Lidstrom-
Thank you for being the best defenseman that I have ever seen play. Thank you for being as great this year as you ever were. Thank you for coming back this year and if it's not too much to ask... Can you come back next year too?
Brian Rafalski-
Thank you for being a rock on the blue line and bringing experience to the locker room.
Ruslan Salei-
Thank you for giving us hours of entertainment with your goofy interviews. "Tom Brady"
Brad Stuart-
Thank you for being a physical presence when it was needed. Thank you for battling hard to come back after than devastating broken jaw.
Cory Emmerton-
Thank you for stepping up in the game you played this year. ALSO, Thanks for whatever you do to those eyebrows of yours.
Jan Mursak-
Thank you for taking time away from the Griffs to help out the big club.
AND NOW TO THE GOALIES
Thomas McCollum-
Thank you for coming up and dealing with an impossible situation. Sorry you got booed.
Joey MacDonald-
Ohhhh Mac. Thank you signing with the team on a whim and being a strong capable back up when called upon.
Chris Osgood-
Ozzie. Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for dealing with the media that were sometimes too hard towards you. Thank you for 400. Thank you for drinking Pepsi on the ice. Thank you for being the best mentor that Jimmy Howard could ask for. Thank you and I hope to see you in September.
Jimmy Howard-
Fellow Lefty. Scrappy goalie. Awesome guy. Thank you for proving everyone wrong. Thank you for giving your team every chance to win. Thank you for uttering the battle cry "Why Not Us?". Thank you for dealing with the Nabokov situation with poise and grace.
So what I'm saying is...
THANK YOU 2010-2011 DETROIT RED WINGS!
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER TEAM LIKE YOU!
SEE MOST OF YOU IN SEPTEMBER!
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