Analyzing the success of the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL from 1992 to 2016

I have always had an interest in the National Hockey League (NHL) and, being from Detroit, I have supported the Red Wings for as long as I can remember. In 2010, my mom, Lisa McDowell, was hired as the Dietitian for the Red Wings and still works for them in this position. Her job has allowed me access to the ‘back stage’ of professional hockey. My interest, thus, has grown from die-hard fandom to journalistic inquiry. I have seen how hard these players work to become the athletes they are and am fascinated by the fruition of their efforts.

For each of the three charts, the data is pulled starting with the 1991-1992 season and ending with the most recently completed season, 2015-2016. This is a 25-year span and is, therefore, a reasonable period of time to evaluate regarding recent sports success. All the data was gathered from http://www.detroithockey.net/history/record.php and https://www.nhl.com.

This pie chart represents the number of Stanley Cups won by each team (with a minimum of one Stanley Cup in the time frame) and what percentage their number of wins represents out of the total number of seasons. The Red Wings have won four Stanley Cups in the past 25 years. This is the largest number of Stanley Cup wins since 1992. Three teams trail the Red Wings with three Stanley Cup wins each since 1992: The Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils.

The Red Wings’ success in the Stanley Cup playoffs could be accredited to their playoff streak. The Red Wings have made the playoffs every season since the 1990-1991 season. This streak, which consists of 25 seasons due to the NHL lockout in 2005, is the longest playoff streak in NHL history. They still have yet to miss the playoffs since the 1989-1990 season, and therefore their streak is neither finalized nor over. 

This bar chart compares the Red Wings’ playoff streak to that of other NHL teams. The chart shows that the closest streak to the Red Wings’ is the Pittsburgh Penguins with 10 consecutive playoff appearances. The Penguins have not missed the playoffs since the 2005-2006 season. Obviously, it is impossible to win the Stanley Cup without making it to the playoffs. However, 16 teams make it to the Stanly Cup Playoffs every year, and only one gets to wield the Cup at the end. It is safe to say that the Red Wings’ playoff streak has strongly contributed to their having the most Stanley Cup Wins since 1992.

This line graph shows the percent of games the Red Wings won every year from 1992-2016. The red lines represent the seasons that the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings made the playoffs every year listed. You can see, however, that the years they won the highest percentage of their regular season games do not correlate with the years they were Stanley Cup Champions. This most likely has to do with the firm level of competition during those years and the success of the other teams in their conference. The break in the line graph represents the NHL lockout during the 2004-2005 season. Their game winning percentage has fluctuated greatly over the years. However, the percentage normally remains around 50%. As long as the Red Wings win enough of their games, and earn enough points through overtime competitions, their game winning percentage is not necessarily crucial to their chances of winning the Stanley Cup. However, their winning percentage must remain relatively high for them to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Detroit Red Wings have been extremely successful since 1992. However, the Red Wings won their last Stanley Cup in 2008 under the leadership of Coach Mike Babcock, who now coaches the Toronto Maple Leafs. In order to continue their playoff streak, and to add another Stanley Cup win to their already-impressive record, the Red Wings need to have another win-filled season under the leadership of their novice head coach, Jeff Blashill, who served as Coach Babcock’s Assistant Coach until Babcock left in 2015 and Blashill stepped up.

The journalist in me is excited to get the final numbers from the season, even as deep as their plus/minus percentages and shot counts, so as to evaluate their success this year. However, the fan in me can’t wait to cheer them on into their 26^th consecutive (fingers crossed) playoff appearance. Who knows, maybe this is their year to take hold of Lord Stanley once again.