The mantle at Nicklas Lidstrom's home resembles a true horn of plenty - six Norris trophies, a Conn Smythe trophy, and a membership in the Triple Gold Club (World Championship, Olympic Gold and Stanley Cup).
Lidstrom, who has played his entire 15-year career in Detroit, is one of five long-serving Red Wings players, who find themselves vying for yet another Stanley Cup ring. If they are successful in their bid it will complete their set and give them a ring for every digit on their hand.
Throughout their illustrious careers, Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and Darren McCarty have carved their niche in Motown and, regardless of the outcome of this year's final, each will go down in Red Wings' lore. With another win, Detroit's Fab Five will be able to replicate their very own Olympic insignia.
They comprise 20 of the 44 Stanley Cup rings that Detroit brings to the ice this time around, compared to a combined total of five for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They are the core of a veteran club that has proven to be unflappable thanks to their consistency and post-season experience. When Lidstrom was recently sidelined for Game 5 of the Conference Finals, he missed his first playoff game since he entered the league, ending a streak of 228 playoff contests.
Holmstrom has spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the Wings, while Maltby spent one season in the Edmonton Oilers organization before joining Detroit for the next dozen years. After three years with the Winnipeg Jets, Draper has now flown with the Wings for 15 years.
McCarty is the only member of this distinguished club to have left Detroit midway through their run. The much-maligned forward wore the Winged Wheel on his jersey for 11 seasons before he and the Red Wings parted ways and he signed on with the Calgary Flames for a two-year stint.
In 2007, McCarty found himself on the outside looking in at the NHL, but battled his way back playing for the Flint Generals of the IHL, then getting a tryout with the Red Wings farm team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, and ultimately getting the call back to Detroit. Now he hopes to see ice-time during this final to help the team in its quest for another championship.
The aforementioned group exemplifies the team-first attitude. You haven't seen them replenishing their electrolytes while dripping beads of neon-coloured sweat in a Gatorade commercial, but you have seen them hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup and waving to the crowds as they parade down the streets of Detroit in June.
If they make it to that parade again this year, their waving hands will be a little heavier.
