PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It’s not exactly a secret in the hockey world.
That Nicklas Lidström is one of the best defenders ever.
But Wayne Gretzky’s tribute to the Swede is one of the most powerful things we’ve ever heard.
He is called “The Perfect Man” for a very good reason. Nicklas Lidström is indeed a very special specimen as a person and a hockey player.
Lidström’s career
The Swede did not make many mistakes during his hockey career and goes down in history as one of the greatest players in North America. In Swedish hockey, he is the best defenseman of all time and that was proven last fall during the “Hockey Gala of the Ages” when he also received the award as the best defenseman in history.
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“Lidas” played 20 seasons in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings and won four Stanley Cup titles with the team, as well as being named the league’s best defenseman seven times. With Tre Kronor, there was also Olympic and WC gold on the merit list and therefore he has a special place in the prestigious “Triple Gold club”.
Gretzky’s Tribute
In 2012, the matchless hockey career ended after an impressive 1,564 games and 1,142 points in the world’s best hockey league. A sadness for the hockey world and a direct shock for the giant icon Wayne Gretzky.
– Oh my God. I did not know that. You caught me off guard. My God, were his first words to nhl.com after the news of Lida’s departure.
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After that, Gretzky steps in from the toes when he has to summarize the Swedish icon’s fantastic time on the ice.
– What he has done is completely unique. He will be remembered as one of the absolute best running backs to ever play, in the same league as Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. When you meet such unique hockey players as Nicklas Lidström, you know what is fantastic about ice hockey. No one will be able to replace him, says “The Great One” to the hockey site.
READ MORE: The ultimate tribute to Henrik Lundqvist from the star trio Foppa, Sudden and Lidas says everything about Henke’s greatness
Wayne Gretzky sees Nicklas Lidström as one of the greatest ever to play in the NHL. A truly unique hockey player who is unlike anyone else in the league.
– I think back to when Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier retired. You always think: “How can you replace these guys?”. They were so special and what Lidström did was so unique, said the Canadian in the 2012 interview.
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