The NHL and CBC put on a great Awards show, as they always do.  Except for one little part.  Did anybody else catch the kid handing Nick Lidstrom the Norris trophy?  His jersey said “LINDSTROM.”  I noticed it right away and of course was outraged.  How do you get the spelling of one of the game’s greatest players wrong?  How do you not check the jerseys before putting them on a bunch of kids, who you then put on International TV? 

Poor Nick.  Still doesn’t get the attention and respect he deserves.

mlive.com just posted a story about this too.

Posted by jknight24 on 06/13/08 at 01:41 PM ET

Yes, indeed. Bill actually put his own photo up here last night.  Quite a screw up, and a strange one.

Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 06/13/08 at 01:44 PM ET

Fans are probably more concerned than Lidstrom himself. Of all the major sports, it probably goes without saying that hockey players are the least impressed with themselves. Then double that (or halve it?) and you’ve got Lidstrom’s ego.
Alot of highlights on the show for Wings fans. I thought it was pretty cool the way Zetterberg was enthusiastically chatting up Gordie Howe as the credits were rolling-what a benefit and privilege for these young guys to be exposed to the likes of him and Ted Lindsay.  These things go in cycles somewhat, and I’m sure there are those in the more civilized country to the north of here who would disagree, but I think that right now the Wings tradition and mystique surpasses that of the Leafs or Canadians.

Posted by BobS. on 06/13/08 at 05:27 PM ET

I think it’s a very bold statement to say that the Wings tradition and mystique surpasses that of the Canadiens… consider Howie Morentz to Patrick Roy and everyone in between.  Sure the Canadiens haven’t been up in the same stratosphere as the Wings for 15 years, but there’s just too much history there.

Leafs, on the other hand, unless you start making coaches wear paper bags over their heads, or trading one of the most popular players to make your captain angry, I think you’ve got us .

Posted by Karina on 06/13/08 at 06:20 PM ET

Leafs, on the other hand, unless you start making coaches wear paper bags over their heads, or trading one of the most popular players to make your captain angry, I think you’ve got us.

So, you’ve met some Detroit Lions fans, then?

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/13/08 at 06:29 PM ET

Oops ... to finish my thought ...

These things go in cycles somewhat, and I’m sure there are those in the more civilized country to the north of here who would disagree, but I think that right now the Wings tradition and mystique surpasses that of the Leafs or Canadians.

I don’t think that’s correct for Canada, but it sounds like a pretty good bet for the States.

And if Lidstrom even noticed, I’ll bet he thought it was funny.  The mis-spelling gives him something in common with Nik Junior (Kronwall/Kronvall). 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/13/08 at 07:10 PM ET

....I think that right now the Wings tradition and mystique surpasses that of the Leafs or Canadians.

Nope. Its not even remotely close with the Canadians, even with their ups and downs lately, though IMO part of the shine of the mistique of the Canadians left when they moved out of the Forum. Same thing will happen with the Yankees when they leave Yankee Stadium. Toronto has the big media attention in Canada and their rabid and illogical fan base that at times has no equal. The Wings have their history, recent and past. Its a real good one, but I don’t know if any team could surpass the Canadians and Leafs.

Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 06/14/08 at 03:28 AM ET

How about if I rephrase that and write “the Wings living tradition and mystique”?
With the Red Wings recent streak of playoff appearances and Stanley Cups, they are arguably the model organization in professional hockey, if not all of the four major sports. Two guys, the recently retired Steve Yzerman in the front office and Nick Lidstrom on the ice, are career Red Wings for a thread going back almost 30 years.
On top of that, mythic figures like Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, the heart and soul of the 50s dynasty, are in regular attendance at games and practices, passing on their life and hockey wisdom to young guys like Zetterberg, Filppula, and Helm.
I’m not meaning to be disrespectful to the tradition of the Canadians and Leafs, who I grew up watching (before the days of cable or UHF) most Saturday nights on Channel 9 in Detroit, but right now the Wings embody the past and present of hockey more than any other team.

Posted by BobS. on 06/15/08 at 09:49 AM ET