In the opening portion of our review [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/red-wings-legends-you-may-have-forgotten-who-got-their-starts-elsewhere] of the top Red Wings legends who initially began their NHL careers with other clubs, Detroit fans got the chance to reminisce about the contributions that household names like Brendan Shanahan, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper and Larry Murphy made to multiple Stanley Cup runs. All four players combined to win the Stanley Cup 12 times while wearing the Winged Wheel, and three of four of them have since been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. We'll continue our glimpse at the past by looking at some iconic names that arrived in the Motor City in that unforgettable summer of 2001 that was part of the construction of arguably the greatest NHL roster ever assembled. DOMINIK HASEK Arguably the best goaltender in NHL history, Hasek had earned the well-deserved nickname of "The Dominator" after nine seasons with the Buffalo Sabres which included winning the Hart Trophy in 1997 and 1998 as NHL MVP, and six Vezina Trophy wins as the NHL's top goalie. But not many people remember that Hasek actually got his start in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted him with the 199th pick in 1983. Eventually the odd-man out of Chicago, who wanted to move forward with the tandem of Ed Belfour and Jimmy Waite, Hasek was traded to the Sabres in 1993 for Stéphane Beauregard and future considerations. The deal is regarded as one of the most one-sided in NHL history considering the impact that Hasek made on the Sabres and the sport itself as a whole. Hasek won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in his first season with the club, and then decided to retire. However, Hasek decided to return to Detroit before the start of the 2003-04 season, creating an extremely awkward situation with Curtis Joseph (signed to replace Hasek in 2002) and Manny Legace. Eventually, Hasek decided he was unable to play in February of 2004, meaning that Joseph was once again Detroit's starter. Following the 2004-05 lockout, Hasek played a lone season for the Ottawa Senators in 2005-06 before ultimately coming back to the Red Wings in 2006 as a free agent. After two more season with the Red Wings that included another Stanley Cup as the backup to Chris Osgood in 2008, Hasek retired from the NHL for good. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first season of eligibilty. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/] team site to stay connected to the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day]coverage, and player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players]. LUC ROBITAILLE A longtime icon with the Los Angeles Kings, Robitaille was selected 171st overall in the 1984 NHL Draft and later earned the Calder Trophy after scoring 45 goals as a rookie in the 1986-87 NHL season. Robitaille played the first eight seasons of his career with the Kings, and also had stints with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins before coming back to Los Angeles in 1997. Robitaille helped the No. 7 ranked Kings upset the Red Wings in six games in the opening round of the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but chose to sign with the Red Wings the day after they acquired Hasek from Buffalo. After scoring 30 goals for the Red Wings in the 2001-02 season, Robitaille finally got his name on the Stanley Cup after Detroit's victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Robitaille struggled heavily the following season, scoring only 11 goals and seeing his ice time greatly reduced under coach Dave Lewis. He would then return to the Kings for a third time in his career and played two more seasons before retiring in 2006, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibilty. BRETT HULL Most assumed that the Red Wings were finished for the offseason after acquiring both Hasek and Hull, but they surprised many by snagging Hull in August 2001 after Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom all unanimously agreed to defer salary to accomadate Hull. Hull began his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, who drafted him 117th overall in 1984. His tenure with Calgary ended in 1988 when he was traded with Steve Bozek to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Rob Ramage and goaltender Rick Wamsley. Hull instantly became one of the best goal scorers in the NHL with St. Louis. In his first full six seasons with the Blues, Hull enjoyed campaigns of scoring 41, 72, 86, 70, 54, and 57 goals, respectively. Hull and the Blues were defeated three straight postseasons in a row by the Red Wings (1996, 1997, 1998), and later signed with the Dallas Stars in 1998. Winning the Stanley Cup in his first season in Dallas, Hull scored perhaps the most controversial goal in NHL history against his future teammate in Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dominik Hask. The Stars chose not to re-sign Hull in the summer of 2001, and while he was reportedly leaning toward signing with the Montreal Canadiens, he instantly changed his mind when he got a call from Red Wings GM Ken Holland. Hull scored a total of 67 goals in his first two combined seasons with the Red Wings, which included the Stanley Cup victory of 2002. After a final full NHL season with the Red Wings in 2003-04 in which he scored 25 goals, Hull would sign with the Phoenix Coyotes for the start of the 2005-06 season, but promptly retired after only a handful of games. Like Hasek and Robitaille, Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwnuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] favorites!
