Nick Lidstrom: The media has been all over it, so you should know where I’m going with this. Yes, somebody’s finally done it. A European somebody, that is. Nicklas Lidstrom, after being the first European ever to be awarded the Conn Smythe, has, in similar fashion, become the first born-and-bred European captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup. Yup. That’s Don Cherry’s blood-curdling scream you hear in the background. Those soft, heartless Europeans somehow snatched the coveted silver chalice away from the NHL’s North American golden boy. All kidding aside, if there was ever a European player to prove those anti-Euro stereotypes wrong, it’s Nick Lidstrom. Unfortunately, now we’ll probably be bombarded with claims that no European that speaks heavily accented English will ever captain his team to the Stanley Cup.

Dallas Drake: In June of 2007, just days before the NHL free agency period began, Dallas Drake was waived and bought out by the St. Louis Blues, a team he had captained and been an integral part of for many years. One year later, he admits he was pondering retirement if no seemingly playoff-bound team had interest in him. Fortunately for him, the team that drafted him did have interest, as well as a storied history, a great recent playoff performance, and one of the most talented organizations from the front office down to the ice. He was signed by the Red Wings, much to the chagrin of many Red Wings fans, who mostly only tolerated him because of his minimum-wage salary. Of course, that was before he stepped into the lineup and immediately gave them a chippy, pseudo-enforcer who was willing to drop the gloves for his teammates. Since then, he’s become a fan favorite, and was key in helping the Wings to close out a surging Dallas Stars team in the Western Conference Finals. He enjoyed his first Stanley Cup Finals appearance, in the twilight of his career, and after Nicklas Lidstrom’s initial skate with the Stanley Cup, got his turn to hoist the 35-pound trophy high above his balding head.

Darren McCarty: Bought out by the Red Wings in 2005 and performing an injury-riddled stint with the Calgary Flames, it appeared Darren McCarty’s NHL career had come to an end. Ex-wife woes, substance abuse, gambling problems, and bankruptcy finally appeared to snuff out any hope of a return to hockey for the former Detroit Red Wing celebrity. But after spending some time rectifying his off-ice problems, Darren McCarty was able to get his career back on track (and no, I’m not talking about his band, ‘Grinder’). He took his lumps first in the IHL and then later in the AHL before earning a roster spot with the Detroit Red Wings, a few short weeks before the Red Wings were to make their 2008 playoff debut. He’ll now see his name etched onto the Stanley Cup as a Red Wing for the 4^th time in just 11 years.

Chris Osgood: Despite having the better regular season, Chris Osgood was playing backup to sure-fire Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek when the playoffs started. But two games against a fiery Nashville team changed all that and Osgood quickly found himself thrust into the starting position midway through the first round. He filled in admirably and earned himself a healthy amount of Conn Smythe consideration with his league-leading goals against average and back-to-back shutouts to start out the Finals against one of the most dominant offensive teams in the NHL. He hoisted his third Stanley Cup tonight, and his 2^nd as starting goaltender – sort of – with his 1^st coming a decade ago.

Chris Chelios: Will piss and vinegar be in the Stanley Cup when this old goat gets his chance with the trophy? I personally hope not. That’s gross. But you can be sure to associate piss and vinegar with Cheli at every other turn. Despite being injured and later scratched in the Stanley Cup Finals, Father Time still became the oldest player to get his name on the Stanley Cup, at 46.

Henrik Zetterberg: Is there a more complete forward in the NHL right now than Hank Zetterberg? Proving critics of his Selke nomination wrong, Zetterberg dominated at both ends of the ice, all playoffs long, where he shutdown the likes of Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa, Mike Ribeiro, Paul Stastny, and Evgeni Malkin. Okay, so maybe Malkin didn’t really need to be shutdown, but Zetterberg still proved he could cut it against the league’s best offensive stars. His performance on two extended 5-on-3 disadvantages in the Finals proved to be crucial in the Red Wings last two victories, and he got the game-winning goal to boot in the Red Wings’ 16^th playoff victory, albeit an ugly one. He finished the playoffs T-1^st in points, goals, and +/-, solidifying his place in history as a Conn Smythe winner, and as the first European forward (only the 2^nd European ever) to do so.

Daniel Cleary: This former 1^st round pick was considered a bust for most of his career. Until he put on that Red Wings jersey. In his 2^nd season as a Wing, just last year, he became a 20-goal scorer and posted career highs in all offensive categories, only to best his career high in points this season, despite missing some 20 games with a broken jaw. But what’s even more interesting about Cleary’s story is that he became the first Newfoundlander ever to win the Stanley Cup. At least Don Cherry had something to cheer about as the Stanley Cup was being skated around.

Niklas Kronwall: His story is impressive enough when you consider that he was able to stay healthy for the entire playoffs. Add that to the fact that he managed more points than both Brian Rafalski and Niklas Lidstrom as a defenseman, and finished T-1^st in +/- with Zetterberg at +16 and some buzz surrounding his name for the Conn Smythe makes sense. But it’s a good thing it went to Zetterberg, since the NHL likely would’ve engraved the Smythe with Kronvall, as they still haven’t managed to figure out he spells his name with a ‘w’ and not a ‘v’.  Even still, it’s fairly safe to say his presence in last years Western Finals against Anaheim may have changed the outcome. For those who don’t remember, Kronwall missed all of last year’s playoffs, with a broken sacrum. Yes, he was out with a broken bum.

Johan Franzen: Had ‘the Mule’ not been suffering from a little case of post-concussion syndrome, he may have been the Conn Smythe winner himself. Despite missing the entire third round against Dallas, Franzen still finished tied for 1^st in goals with 13 playoff goals in just 16 games. Those numbers are phenomenal regular season numbers, let alone playoff numbers, where scoring goals becomes a bit tougher for everyone. If his torrid scoring pace at the end of the regular season didn’t garner him notice, he surely earned a name for himself in the 2008 playoffs, where he became the target of top-defensive pairings.

Pavel Datsyuk: An internet genius once commented that the Detroit Red Wings would never win the Stanley Cup with Pavel Datsyuk on their roster. It was a stupid comment at the time, considering Pavel Datsyuk had already won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings as a rookie in 2002, but I understood the point, despite the incoherence. Pavel Datsyuk was a playoff ghost, a bona-fide choker. First folks said he couldn’t put up any points in the playoffs, then when he did that, people said he couldn’t score playoff goals. Even after his strong performance in the 2007 playoffs, people said he couldn’t produce on the road. Well it’s safe to say that Pavel Datsyuk put all those kiddies to bed with his performance this season. He finished with 23 points in 22 games, managed a +13 rating, and had 10 goals. However, what’s most astounding is that 17 of his points came on the road. Not only is that a testament to his ability to fight through tighter road checking, but it’s also a credit to his complete game. Mike Babcock chose to use him in a varying defensive role with the last change at home, and Datsyuk responded with great defense, and a team high 55 hits. He, too, earned Conn Smythe consideration. If I knew how to say “F you, naysayers” in Russian, it would be appropriate here.

Dominik Hasek: Not much to say about the not-so-dominant dominator, other than perhaps a nod towards his class. Although its not the sort of thing you usually associate with Dominik Hasek, from the outside, it seemed Dom took his position as backup goaltender well, and didn’t create distraction nor drama in the dressing room. Props to him. But promise us this, Dom: if you plan to retire this time, make it for good.

Valterri Filppula: With the Red Wings heavy European flavor, you may be surprised that they featured a Finn on their roster for the first time just a few years ago. Valterri Filppula became the first Finnish player ever to don the Winged Wheel in 2006. Even though most people still can’t pronounce his name, he’s been a young highlight on the Wings roster for two playoff seasons running now. He scored a key goal in the Cup-winning game, and a few highlight reel goals to boot through this years playoffs, all the while playing stellar defense despite his young age.

Jiri Hudler: He was mentored by Robert Lang in his first season with the Red Wings last year, so it’s no surprise Mike Babcock wasn’t a huge fan of Hudler’s work ethic initially. But a lot has changed since then. Despite taking two ill-timed penalties in the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, Hudler did his best to shine on a team full of All-Stars, which is tough when you’re the size of a penguin - the ones from the South Pole, not Pittsburgh. Although Hudler only saw 2^nd unit powerplay time and pulled regular duty as a 4^th liner, he still managed 14 points, including the game winner of the Red Wings 15^th playoff victory.

Darren Helm: Luckily for Helm, his birthday comes early in the year. Otherwise he may have had to shy away from drinking out of Lord Stanley’s Cup on national television. The youngster who turned 21 in January wasn’t even a regular on the Red Wings roster pre-playoffs, but his performance in the playoffs was veteran-like. He was the fastest player on the ice most nights and scored a couple crucial goals in the playoffs to make his presence felt. He never shied away from physical contact and likely earned himself a regular spot on next year’s roster. There’s at least one guy hoping Dallas Drake retires.

Brad Stuart: Brad Stuart’s story might’ve been all about luck, if it wasn’t for his amazing chemistry with Niklas Kronwall. At first it seemed the addition of Brad Stuart to the Red Wings was going to be a story all about Stuart’s trade from a bottom-feeding NHL team to the league’s best, and riding their coattails to ultimate victory. But instead Stuart became a huge presence on the Red Wings blueline, and the other half of a feared hitting defensive unit for the Red Wings. He managed 6 points in the last 8 games of the playoffs, and was 2^nd in the league with +15.  I heard May wasn’t a great month for golfing in California anyways.

Brian Rafalski: Brought in almost immediately after Mathieu Schneider signed with the Anaheim Axis of Evil, Brian Rafalski helped resurrect a woeful Red Wings powerplay that was rather powerless for much of the 2006-2007 season. He signed with his hometown team in the ‘07 off-season and became a perfect fit for Nick Lidstrom on the top line. He finished off his hockey season by scoring the opener in tonight’s Cup-winning game. Welcome home, Raffi.

Mike Samuelsson: Poor Mikael was a throwaway on this Red Wings roster when the playoffs started. Constantly ridiculed by Red Wings fans for ill-placed shots into the logos of goaltenders league-wide, he managed to redeem himself in the playoffs by opening Stanley Cup Finals scoring and pushing the Wings to their first Finals victory in 6 years. He scored 3 goals in the first 3 games of the finals – besting Malkin, Zetterberg and Crosby in that category for the Finals. True story.

Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda: Perhaps the story here is what Lilja and Lebda – Detroit’s bottom pairing for the Finals – didn’t do, rather than what they did do. Lebda didn’t throw an iffy hip-check that would sprain his ankle and render him useless for most of the playoffs, and Lilja didn’t single handedly destroy the Red Wings playoff hopes with a direct giveaway to the Pens best scorer in the offensive zone that would cost the Red Wings a game. Instead, both defenseman kept their game simple and contributed when they could, even if it was as a healthy scratch. But inevitably both players earned their keep over Chris Chelios, and did their part in holding off the surging Penguins in the Finals.

Chuck Norris, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby: Business as usual for these three. Checking, defense, and butts in faces are what these guys do best. They’re the type of guys you can’t win Stanley Cups without, as the Red Wings know. These three performed crucial roles in all four of the Red Wings most recent Stanley Cups. In Holmstrom’s words, “that’s ridiculous.”

Ken Holland: The man with the skilled plan. After all, isn’t everything about the Red Wings skilled? Ken Holland proves over and over why he’s the best General Manager in the NHL. Especially now that all his critics no longer have any excuses to dole out. No, he didn’t inherit a stacked team. No, he didn’t go out and lure in all the future Hall of Famers in the free agent pool. Instead, he built a Cup-winning team with leftovers like Sammuelsson, Cleary, Drake, Downey, Osgood, McCarty, and Lilja. Instead, he had the final say in the drafting of late round gems and picked-over goods like Datsyuk, Franzen, rookie Darren Helm, and Zetterberg, and he certainly didn’t empty his pockets – or the farm – to add Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart. Nope. This years compilation of the 2008 version of the Detroit Red Wings is definitely Holland’s doing….Or was it Yzerman’s?

Mike Babcock: Can enough be said about this guy’s coaching abilities? The Wings did well to nab him back in 2005, but he wasn’t been able to put his stamp on this team until some of the louder veteran voices had left his locker-room for good at the end of the 2006 season, however emotional their departures were. Since then, Mike Babcock has coached his team to six playoff series victories in 2 years. And in just his second time coaching a team in the Finals he was able to taste victory - which I hear tastes a lot like champagne and beer with a hint of iron. And he was able to do all of this without a soapbox to stand on. But between Trotz and Therien, I heard there weren’t any left anyways.

Steve Yzerman: No Stanley Cup role call would be complete without Yzerman. Although guys like Downey and Hartigan may be worthy of closing the list, it’s important to acknowledge the seamless transition Steve Yzerman has made from ice to office. He played his part in piquing the entire front staff’s interest in Drake and Stuart and in just his second year as Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman will get his name on the cup, albeit by taking a slightly different route. Fortunately, he didn’t have to do it on one leg this time.