Peace in the crease: Holmstrom announces his retirement

By Michael Caples –

DETROIT – Goalies around the National Hockey League can officially relax.

Tomas Holmstrom confirmed his long-speculated retirement today at a press conference held in Joe Louis Arena’s Olympia Room.

The 39-year-old terrorized goalies for the better part of two decades, perfecting the art tipping and redirecting shots from the point and screening the opposition’s netminder.

“After 15 seasons, four Stanley Cups, Olympic championship, and a Swedish championship, and millions of memories, I’m here to announce my retirement from the Detroit Red Wings. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was the right one. Some people may think of me as crazy all those years, taking thousands of cross-checkings to my neck and my head and my back, then having my teammates shooting 100-mile-plus shots at me, and at the net sometimes too. But I’ve had the greatest job in the world. Now it’s time to move on.

Drafted by the team in the 10^th round of the 1994 NHL Draft, Holmstrom spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, capturing four Stanley Cups in the process. He and longtime friend and fellow Sweden native Nick Lidstrom – who also announced his retirement before the season – were integral parts of the Red Wings’ remarkable consistency and yearly trips to the playoffs.

“You think about Homer, I think about him in his office, in the blue paint, doing his thing, aggravating the goaltender, aggravating the other team’s defensemen, drawing a crowd so the rest of our guys could do their thing,” Red Wings GM Ken Holland said. “Fierce, fierce competitor, fearless, went to all the hard areas, paid the price night after night. Huge heart, I think he’s all heart. Great teammate…a lot of his teammates are here from past seasons. Great family man, great role model as a Red Wing and in our community.”

Holmstrom played in 1,026 games with the Red Wings, amassing 243 goals and 287 assists for 530 points. He also recorded 46 goals and 51 assists in 180 playoff games. He played in the fourth most playoff games of any Red Wing, behind the likes of Steve Yzerman, Kris Draper, and close friend Nicklas Lidstrom, who he drove to the rink every game. And Holmstrom’s points totals were good for 13^th all-time for players calling Hockeytown home.