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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 23, 2009

Nicklas Lidstrom

DAVID KEON: We're joined by Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom, entering his 18th NHL season all with the Wings. Looking forward to playing back home in Sweden. Nick needs three points to reach 1,000 for his career. Could reach the milestone at Ericsson global arena, when he takes the ice against the St. Louis Blues to open the season October 2nd and 3rd. Thanks to Nicklas on for joining us.

Q. Coming off the past two Olympics, the Red Wings had drastically different results in the playoffs. One year you won the Stanley Cup in 2002, and I think Sweden won in 2006, you were eliminated by Edmonton in the first round. Can you compare the two different years and why the different results?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It's hard to pinpoint why the one in 02, for example. With Stevie Yzerman and Shannahan won the gold for Canada against Chelios and Hully when they played for the U.S.
And the other team went to the finals and won the Cup that year, and we lost. Had an upset loss in the quarterfinals. Then in 06 we were able to win the gold, but then we lost in the first round. I don't know if you can draw any parallels to those two Olympics, but it's always exciting to get a chance to represent your country and, you know, play in a pretty short tournament. But we have a fun tournament to play in.

Q. Have you committed to playing for Sweden at this Olympics in Vancouver?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I told them that I want to start the season first and see how I feel, he see how the body feels before I make a decision. But I think sometime after Christmas, in December, that's when they're picking the team. So I think I still have a few months to decide.

Q. I'm wondering what has been your most cherished personal milestone to date?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Probably winning the Conn Smythe in 02. We were able to win the Cup that year, and I won the Norris, too. But having a chance to win the Conn Smythe and winning it in 02 is something I cherish a lot. You know, you're playing with and against the best players in the world. Having a chance to win that trophy when you have to be at your best, too, is something that I really cherish.

Q. Being on the cusp of this statistical milestone of 1,000 points which is phenomenal for anyone, let alone a defenseman. How much more aware of it are you because it could happen in your homeland?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Well, I knew I had a chance there last season to reach it, and it didn't happen. I knew we were going to open up in Stockholm. So, there is a possibility that it can happen over there. But when I first started in the league, it was something I never thought would happen. First of all, I didn't think I was going to reach 1,000 games, let alone, reaching 1,000 points. So that's something that I'm very proud of to be closing in on.

Q. So how badly do you want to get it there?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: You know, it would be nice. It would be nice for it to happen over there. I'm going to have a lot of friends and family at the games, both games, over there. So it would be nice if it happens there but if not, might as well do it in Detroit, too.

Q. You've had some great memories in your NHL career. Where do you think playing two games in Stockholm is going to stack up amidst the memories that you have and what you've done in your career?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It's just another thing that you can look back at when you're done playing that you had a chance to play with the Wings and over in Sweden and in Stockholm in front of your home fans. It's something I thought never would happen. So it's tough to compare it to winning Stanley Cups or winning Olympic gold. But it's something that it will be a good memory for me and my family as well. Give me a chance to watch me play in Sweden, and with the Wings.

Q. I was talking to Ken Holland recently. He said when the league approached him about going to Stockholm to play, he said you were the first guy he thought of. He said if we're going to do it, we're going to do it for Nick. It's almost a tribute to you. What do you think when you hear something like that?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It's nice to hear, you know. I've been with the Wings for a lot of years. It's great to hear that coming from your boss, you know, that they're thinking of me as a player and being a Swede and everything. So it's really nice to hear.

Q. The short summer notwithstanding, and I know it's very exciting for you to go play these games. But how are you as a veteran player, and how is the team, I guess you could say, pacing themselves and preparing themselves for all this travel knowing it's part of a larger season?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I think once we're done in Sweden, we'll be home on a Sunday morning, and the next game is, I think, five or six days later. So I think you're going to have a lot of time to get back to U.S. time again, the six?hour time change is going to help having a few days between games.
Going over there, I know all the guys are excited. Not only the Swedes on the team, but all platers on the Wings are excited about getting a chance to play overseas and heading over to Sweden and Stockholm.
I don't see it being a big hurdle with all the dates we're going to have in between games. I find it easier traveling from Europe to the U.S. and getting used to the time difference that way.

Q. I guess the opposite of that would be the 2006 Olympic win. Was that the craziest 48 hours you've ever been part of after you guys won, and went up to Sweden and then came back to play hockey?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Yeah, that was a crazy couple of days. I think our game was over in Italy started at 2:00 or 2:30 in the afternoon. Of course winning the gold and we were all celebrating afterwards. We had an early flight Monday morning, I think it left 7:00 or 8:00 o'clock in the morning to fly out to Stockholm and spend a day up there.
The following morning, around 4:00, we were heading out to the airport again to head over to the U.S. We started out on The West Coast. So we had to fly, I believe, from Stockholm, to Paris, to New York, to L.A. so that was a hectic time. And we got into L.A. at 10:00 or 11:00 at night, and had a game the next night again. So that was a rough couple of days. That's something you're willing to do when you're winning the Olympic gold.

Q. Last thing, not so happy a topic. A short summer as I mentioned. How much did you think about, evaluate, reflect on the series loss this past summer?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Fortunately you go over the games themselves and you're thinking what you could have done differently or done better. And yet it takes a while. Takes a few weeks to get over it. But once you start training for this season, you put that behind you and you're moving on. Once you start skating, you're back over here in the states and start skating with the Wings again you're just looking forward to the new season.
It takes a while when you're that close to winning another Cup. You know, you're at home in Game 7 and you're losing 2?1, it's a hard loss. But once you're getting ready for a new season, you put that behind you.

Q. You've mentioned a little bit with the previous question and your coach was just on saying sometimes when you lose, you need a little bit of an emotional kick to make you hungrier to come back. Do you believe that could be the case with this year's Red Wings?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Yeah, I think so. Last season coming off winning the Stanley Cup, you're celebrating all summer. You're planning your parties. The Cup is making its way around with all the players. All of a sudden you're back in training camp again. You're still excited about the season you just had, and you won.
Having lost in a situation like that, you know, you can't ?? I think you're more focused. I think it you're more hungry to start a new season especially when you lost in the finals the way we did. You're hungry again once the season starts.

Q. Do veterans such as yourself and Holmstrom, do they look upon this as a challenge? The Wings lose and people say well, it's getting a little old in the tooth or whatever. The Drapers and those kind of players look at this year as a challenge in that regard?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I think we do. I think we've heard that in the past, too, with some of the teams I've been on with the wings. That we've had older players and people think we're not going to be as good or we're going to slow down. But I think we're going to be a hungry team.
You look at our core group that we have, they're in their late 20's, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Kronvall, Filppula, Franzen, you can go down the line with guys that are going to be carrying the load for us. We still have the veteran players that are important for us as well. But I like the core group that we have on our team.

Q. What are you expecting when you get over to Sweden in terms of commitment that you guys will have from a fan standpoint and media standpoint for the first couple of days? You, Nick, and the other guys? Do you think it's going to be crazy?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Yeah, I think we're going to have a lot of requests. I don't think it's going to be overly crazy. I think once you're over there and start practicing with the team, I don't think it's going to be that hectic. Sure, there's going to be media around and we're going to do interviews, but I think we're all used to that, too. From playing over here for a long time, you know what to expect.
It might be a little bit more with the Swedish media. But other than that, I think we're just going to be excited about being there. So I don't think it's going to hurt us in any way.
Q. Do you think it will be a pro?Wings crowd in the games because of the influence you guys have? Is you're talking about a bunch of National Team players here. Is it almost going to feel like a home game, do you think?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I hope so. I don't know if the crowd's going to react that way. You know, the Blues have a couple of Swedes as well, so you never know. I know Red Wings have a big following in Sweden because of all the Swedes we have on our team. They show a lot of our games live during the season as well. So I'm hoping we're going to get a lot of Red Wing fans in the stands.

Q. How many tickets have you put in for, requested or purchased for friends and family?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Around 40 tickets I purchased.

Q. All yourself?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Yes. Those are for family and friends. Then I've got some other requests, too, that I'm trying to find tickets, because they sold out in a hurry over there. I think they sold out in less than half an hour. So I have a lot of people asking if I can find tickets for them, too.

Q. You have toward games coming up with the maple leafs. They have made toughness and fighting part of their new brand of hockey. That really hasn't been Detroit's way. I wondered if you could maybe talk about the leafs and why Detroit has been a successful team without having to get involved with that much fighting in the past couple of years?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Well, I think if you look at our team it's built on speed and skill. We've had Aaron Downey was with us last year and two years ago. So we've had some toughness. But with that we've found players that we can ?? not fight, but play tough in tough games. I think we're not a team that's looking for brawls, looking to play that physical style. But we won't back off those kind of games. I think that's the way our team has been built up in the last 7 or 8 years with a lot of skill players. And I think the leafs are ?? they're finding younger players. They have their new head coach last season.
And Brian Burke is in there as well. So I think we're trying to find a theme for their team. I think toughness is part of that. So I think that's the way they're building their team right now while they're rebuilding.

End of FastScripts

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