Power Ranking NHL Original Six by legacy

2. Detroit Red Wings
Championship Seasons: 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008

This is a legacy that has a long and tenured history. There was a long stretch in the middle where the Detroit Red Wings weren't great, but their run early in their legacy, and their run in the late 90s and early 2000s have them up here. They also have 24 trips to the Stanley Cup Final, which is nothing to sneeze at. Unlike some other teams on this list, they actually won 11 of those trips.

The first years were pretty tumultuous, as they had trouble getting an arena in Detroit. Despite acquiring the Victoria Cougars, a team that had just made the Stanley Cup Final, They fumbled a situation where their franchise was born on second base, and they didn't win their first championship until 10 years later. The famous Jack Adams would take over behind the bench during this era (the same Jack Adams who is the namesake for the Coach of the Year award).

The Red Wings added Gordie Howe in 1946, and he carried this franchise to four Stanley Cups. He was paired with another all-time great in Ted Lindsay (another award namesake). They were a dynasty during the 50s, but it ended as quickly as it started, as the team failed to win a Cup after 1955. It was six years of dominance, but other franchises took over after that.

Fast forward to the '90s, when the Red Wings were trying to call back to the time of yore with an insane collection of stars. That 1997 team that finally won their first Cup in 40+ years had eight Hall of Famers on it, including Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, and recent inductee Mike Vernon. They kept adding to the roster and kept winning, as the Red Wings became the team to add stars late in their career who wanted a Cup. Mike Modano, Daniel Alfredsson, and now Patrick Kane all joined the Red Wings based on legacy. That means a lot in the game today.