Red Wings vice-president of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstrom spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Andreas Hanson for a very lengthy article, but, regrettably, it’s stuck behind a paywall for the most part. Here’s the intro, at least:
Lidstrom on the Djugardens IF prospect: “Incredibly talented”
Nicklas Lidstrom follows hockey closely in his heavy role with the Detroit Red Wings.
For Hockeynews, the legend talks about:
- His NHL mission
- Hope for the Red Wings
- What he sees in [2026 NHL Draft top prospect] Viggo Bjorck
- What speaks for a boost to the West
Nicklas Lidstrom begins his first full season in the role of “vice president of hockey operations” for the Detroit Red Wings.
Hockeynews got a chat with the legend when he watched Vasteras and Djurgarden on Thursday in Stockholm.
“I’m still in the same role as before. I will mainly scout here in Sweden, see our guys we have, and scout as a ‘pro scout,’ i.e. on potential free agents. And so I travel over [to the U.S.] a number of times, five or six times a season, roughly.
He said he had as a claim against Steve Yzerman, his former teammate in Detroit, who has been a general manager for the Red Wings for several years.
“I told him: I’ll stay in Sweden when I jump on it. So I’m based here but travel over from time to time. It can be every two months to go over and work.”
The now 55-year-old Lidstrom was like Yzerman during Detroit’s glory days. The former big defenseman, one of Swedish hockey’s biggest of all time, has four Stanley Cup triumphs on his merit list, among many other things.
He says that he feels a little extra about being engaged for the team that he has such a strong history with–Lidstrom played his entire career with the Red Wings, 20 seasons and over 1,500 career games.
“I think it’s fun to be inside and back in the organization again. When I was a player, you had a role, but on management it becomes a different role. You build the team and look at a different perspective than as a player. I really enjoy the role I have.”
That’s not a whole hell of a lot, but now that Lidstrom’s four boys are grown men, it’s good to hear that he’s dove back into the business of hockey on a happy full-time basis.
