Thirty Years Ago, Brendan Shanahan Became the Missing Piece for the Red Wings

On October 9, 1996, the Red Wings acquired Brendan Shanahan from the Hartford Whalers in a trade that helped transform Detroit into Stanley Cup champions.

Detroit Red Wings left wing Brendan Shanahan Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports Copyright Rick Scuteri | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Red Wings had plenty of talent in 1996, but they were in a Stanley Cup drought of 41 years. That all came to a halt thirty years ago today.

That was when the Red Wings pulled off one of the most significant trades in franchise history, acquiring left winger Brendan Shanahan and defenseman Brian Glynn from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for center Keith Primeau, defenseman Paul Coffey and a 1997 first-round draft pick.

The Red Wings were coming off a franchise-record 62-win season in 1995-96, only to watch their Stanley Cup aspirations come to an end against the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. A year earlier, Detroit reached the Stanley Cup Final before the New Jersey Devils unceremoniously swept the Red Wings in four games.

While the talent was there, the results were nowhere to be found. The Red Wings had plenty of stars with finesse such as Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Slava Kozlov, but they didn't have a forward who could score and dish out punishment simultaneously.

Enter Shanahan. The 27-year-old had already established himself as one of the NHL's premier power forwards. He scored goals, delivered punishing hits and could drop the gloves when necessary. Shanahan also wanted to win.

After spending portions of his career with New Jersey, St. Louis, and Hartford, Shanahan wanted an opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings had a vacancy and Shanahan filled it. The trade came together just hours before the Red Wings' home opener against the Edmonton Oilers. Shanahan arrived in time to make his debut that evening and he received a raucous ovation from the Joe Louis crowd as the Red Wings won 2-0.

In 79 games with the Red Wings that 1996-97 season, Shanahan scored 46 goals and added 41 assists for 87 points. He also accumlated 131 penalty minutes, providing the combination of scoring and physicality the Red Wings had been desperately lacking. But his greatest contribution couldn't be measured entirely by statistics. Shanahan gave the Red Wings another dimension.

While Yzerman was the unquestioned leader, Sergei Fedorov dripping with skill, Nicklas Lidstrom becoming one of the league's premier defensemen, and the Russian Five giving opponents nightmares, Shanahan brought something different.

He could play alongside Detroit's stars while providing the toughness necessary to survive the postseason. And this time, the Red Wings survived. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in four games to capture their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. The Red Wings weren't done and neither was Shanahan.

The following season, Detroit did it again, sweeping the Washington Capitals. Five years later, Shanahan helped the Red Wings win their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. By the time his Red Wings career ended in 2006, Shanahan had recorded 309 goals and 633 points in 716 regular season games with the team.

Three Stanley Cups in nine seasons and one trade that helped change everything. There have been plenty of memorable transactions throughout Red Wings history. Some provided immediate help with others became important pieces for years. Shanahan did both. Thirty years ago, the Red Wings went all in for a Stanley Cup. Eight months later, Brendan Shanahan helped give them one.