2021-22 Detroit Red Wings Season in Review

The Detroit Red Wings' 2021-22 NHL season is in the books.

As the Red Wings and the rest of the NHL completed the first full, 82-game regular season in two years, Detroit enjoyed several individual achievements and memorable team moments throughout the campaign.
Let's look back on the most exciting Hockeytown moments from the past season:

October 14: Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond make their NHL debuts; Tyler Bertuzzi earns four-goal game

On Opening Night, Seider and Raymond made their NHL debuts against the two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Seider had two assists and Raymond collected one helper. As Detroit's season continued, the two rookies emerged as major storylines of the 2021-22 campaign.
The electric crowd at Little Caesars Arena also enjoyed an offensive show as Bertuzzi opened the 2021-22 home slate with four goals against the Lightning. He became just the ninth player in NHL history to score four or more goals in a season opener.

October 24: Raymond's first career hat trick leads Red Wings past Blackhawks

In just his sixth NHL game, Raymond recorded his first career hat trick and added an assist in Detroit's 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, securing the Red Wings' first road victory of the season.

November 30: Red Wings notch 3,000th all-time victory

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 41 saves as Detroit beat the Boston Bruins, 2-1, to secure its 3,000th franchise win. The Red Wings became just the fourth franchise in NHL history to reach 3,000 wins.

December 18: Dylan Larkin earns first career hat trick against Devils

Cheers from the Red Wings faithful drowned out the goal horn after Larkin scored his third goal of the night against the New Jersey Devils as Detroit's captain recorded his first career hat trick.

January 11: Nicklas Lidstrom named Vice President of Hockey Operations

Nicklas Lidstrom, a Hockey Hall of Famer who guided the Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships during his 20-year playing career, was
named the organization's Vice President of Hockey Operations.

January 15: Nedeljkovic registers first shutout with Red Wings

Playing in front of his grandparents for the first time in his NHL career, Nedeljkovic made 22 saves to register his first shutout with the Red Wings in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. On the season, Nedeljkovic finished with four shutouts, tops among rookie netminders and the most for a Red Wings rookie since Roger Crozier in 1964-65.

February 4-5: Larkin represents Red Wings at 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend

Making his second NHL All-Star appearance and first since his 2016 rookie campaign,
Larkin represented Detroit at the 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
He participated in the All-Star Skills Fastest Skater competition on Feb. 4, and suited up for the Atlantic Division in the All-Star Game the following day.

March 8: Jakub Vrána scores in 2021-22 season debut

Vrána, who had been out the entire season after suffering a shoulder injury during training camp which required surgery, scored his first goal of the 2021-22 campaign against the Arizona Coyotes in his season debut.
The 26-year-old finished with 13 goals and six assists in 26 games for the Red Wings this season, tying former Red Wings forward Danny Grant for the fewest games (32) to reach the 20-goal mark with the franchise.

March 12: Red Wings celebrate Marc Staal's 1,000th NHL game

There was an added level of admiration in Detroit's dressing room at Scotiabank Saddledome before the puck dropped between the Red Wings and Calgary Flames as Detroit celebrated Staal's 1,000th NHL game. The veteran defenseman's teammates wore custom 1,000-game T-shirts and greeted him with cheers on the way into the dressing room.
Ten days later, the Red Wings celebrated Staal's 1,000th NHL game with a special pregame ceremony at Little Caesars Arena, where he was joined on the ice by his family.

April 5: Nedeljkovic makes career-high 47 saves in win over Boston

Nedeljkovic made a career-high 47 saves and had an assist for the Red Wings in a 5-3 victory over the Bruins at Little Caesars Arena.
Larkin, Vrána, Michael Rasmussen, Filip Zadina, and Sam Gagner all scored for Detroit, which recovered from an early 2-0 deficit.

April 29: Bertuzzi joins 30-goal club as Red Wings edge Devils in season finale; Seider records 50th point this season

With just 10 seconds remaining in the Red Wings' regular-season finale, Bertuzzi scored his 30th goal of the season in Detroit's 5-3 win over the Devils. It was the first time Bertuzzi reached the 30-goal plateau in his NHL career, joining Larkin (31-38 -- 69), who scored 30 goals for the second time in his NHL career.

Seider capped his impressive rookie campaign on a high note, scoring a second-period goal to become the first Red Wings defenseman since Lidstrom (2010-22) to earn 50 points in a season. The German defenseman led all first-year skaters with 43 assists in 82 games and was named one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy on Wednesday.