Sergei Fedorov made the CSKA Moscow team at age 16, and as Soviet players started to defect, NHL teams began drafting players from the Iron Curtain. The Red Wings were one such squad, selecting Fedorov in the Fourth Round in 1989. A year later, Fedorov defected and was in the premier league of Hockey.
Sid Abel began his NHL career way back in 1938 with the Detroit Red Wings, a team that “Old Bootnose” would become synonymous with.
In sports, you often hear about the "glue guy," which refers to the character player who holds the team together. That player is not necessarily a star, but in hockey, forward Alex Delvecchio is what we have.
The Detroit Red Wings signed Red Kelly in 1947, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had passed on him, hung their head in shame for that decision for 13 years.