Nick Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom Provide Link to Early Detroit Red Wings Glory

The 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings ended 42 years of championship frustration for the franchise.

They were embraced by the city, they embodied the "Hockeytown" mantra, and they were stocked with talent that would repeat as champions in the 1997-98 season.

As this 2011-12 campaign gets underway it is hard not to notice that only two faces remain from that beloved Stanley Cup winning team: Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom.

These two Swedish players have stuck with this franchise throughout their entire careers. A feat which seems much more common for players who wear the winged wheel across their chest.

Just this past offseason the Red Wings organization said goodbye to Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper. Two players who once joining Detroit, refused to play anywhere else. Draper even went so far as to retire rather than play with another team.

This is the kind of bond that is forged between players and management in Detroit. It is a unique situation to be sure.

Fans in the Motor City still reflect with a smile on those teams of over a decade ago. They reminisce about the "Russian Five," the greatness of Brendan Shanahan, Darren McCarty's thrilling deke in the 1997 final against the Flyers and of the strength Vladimir Konstantinov showed after a car accident ended his career and paralyzed him.

Lidstrom and Holmstrom alone, now carry the proverbial torch. These players provide a link to a group of players and a coach (Scotty Bowman) that will forever hold a special place in all Detroit sports fans' hearts.

They remind us of a time when the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche were two of the greatest rivals in all of sports, and goalies weren't afraid to fight at center ice. A time when Sergei Fedorov was a superstar, and no one was more respected than Steve Yzerman.

Detroit may be jubilant right now over the emergence of the Lions as a contender, and because the Tigers are playing playoff baseball, but this Red Wings team must not be forgotten or lost in the shuffle.

Lidstrom and Holmstrom are a dying breed. A connection to the original days of "Hockeytown." So the city should embrace them while it can, because eventually the torch's flame will burn out.