Sporting News' NHL Player of the Decade Nicklas L

Lidstrom is an anomaly?the first European-born player to win a Conn Smythe ( 2002) and the only one to captain a Stanley Cup champion (?08). But the Swedish defenseman?s accomplishments cannot be trivialized. Twice in this decade?from 2001-03 and 2006-08?the 17-year veteran has three-peated as the winner of the Norris Trophy. In a word: ridiculous.
SN PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
The numbers say...
You say...
2000: Jaromir Jagr

2001: Joe Sakic

2002: Jarome Iginla

2003: Peter Forsberg

2004: Martin St. Louis

2005: None (lockout)

2006: Jaromir Jagr

2007: Sidney Crosby

2008: Alex Ovechkin

2009: Alex Ovechkin
Hall of Famer and former Red Wings center Steve Yzerman's case for Lidstrom:�?Nicklas Lidstrom won the Stanley Cup in ?02. He won the Cup in ?08. I don?t know how many Norris trophies he?s won, but throughout that entire time, throughout the entire decade, where he?s only missed a handful of games, he was the Red Wings? best player. He?s one of the top defensemen on both ends of the rink. He?s got really good instincts, and he?s incredibly skilled. He?s a really, really intelligent hockey player. Nick is your best player in training camp. He?s your best player in preseason. He?s your best player in the regular season. He?s your best player in the playoffs. I?m not sure what else he could do.?
A longer version of this story first appeared in the Sept. 28, 2009, edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today, or pick up a copy,Ice Hype NHL hockey news, review and commentary., available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.


We say...
Lidstrom says...


Our pick's memory of the decade:�?The first thing you think of is the Stanley Cup wins, whether it?s the one in ?02 or the one (in ?08). Those two were special. In 2002, I won the Norris and Conn Smythe as well. Winning those two trophies,nfl jerseys discount,northumberlandnews.com indynews.ca Former Cobo, along with the Stanley Cup, makes that year stand out. We had a heck of a team that season. We signed Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Dominik Hasek?you can go down the line with the great players on that team. We had a real strong team and then lost the first two games of the playoffs against Vancouver in the first round. It was a tough playoff run, but the team responded well. We had some pressure on us, and it was gratifying to win with that team. Really gratifying.?
They say...
Sportingnews.com voting

Nicklas Lidstrom 55%

Martin Brodeur 45%
--Contributing:�Craig Custance, Steve Greenberg
Lidstrom: 127 goals, 447 assists, plus-232, six Norris trophies,NHL Brews New Sponsorship Pacts With MillerCoors, Molson Coors - 2011-02-22 18 14 00 Multichannel News, two Stanley Cups

Brodeur: 356-194-48-23 record, 2.22 goals against average, four Vezina trophies, two Stanley Cups