Detroit

The NHL All-Star Media day in Ottawa on Friday was a great opportunity to hear the All-Stars voice their feelings on how happy they were to be playing and participating in the weekend.

Jimmy Howard was no different in his tone.

Gary Bettman is easily one of the most hated figures in sports, and yet that image is one Bettman seems to embrace. Every time Bettman presents himself at an event, whether it be to award the Stanley Cup or kick off the NHL entry draft, he is received with a chorus of boos, and yet he keeps that famous evil grin on his face.

The Detroit Red Wings had some pieces in place in the 1990s, but it wasn't til a few great acquisitions solidified their defense and bolstered their third and fourth forward lines.

The Red Wings were solid as a team; with the drafting of forwards Steve Yzerman and Sergei Federov, and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, they were well on their way to success.

But the Red Wings needed more than just those three individuals to win a Stanley Cup.

Any die-hard Red Wings fan might compare the night before a new season is like the night before Christmas—it's a long 24 hour wait.

The NHL opened the 95th season on Thursday, but Detroit Red Wings fans had to wait one more night.

But if Detroit Red Wings fans thought this offseason was long, just imagine how much the players wanted the season to begin.

Early on Friday afternoon, the NHL announced that they had suspended Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith for eight games after delivering an illegal hit to the head on Chicago Blackhawks forward Ben Smith.

The NHL offseason is almost over—training camps are set to begin across the continent during the next few weeks and the first preseason games shortly thereafter. Hockey has returned...almost.

But while there is still time, I'd like to take this opportunity to hand out all of the major NHL awards before a game is ever played in the 2011-12 season. Some of these predictions are a little crazy, some of them are far more likely than others, but all are meant in good fun.

The Stanley Cup is not included, as it is not a major individual award.  

For the past 20 seasons the Detroit Red Wings have made the playoffs, and for quite a few of those seasons, they have at least made it to the conference finals, winning four Stanley Cups over that span.

Many look back on Detroit's great players like Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Terry Sawchuk, to name a few.

But one would be remiss not to mention the great fights that Hockeytown has witnessed over the past few decades.

Most Detroit Red Wings fans went into this offseason with some big questions that needed to be answered.

But no question was bigger than, "will Nick Lidstrom retire?"

Obviously now know that Captain Nick will come back for another season, but his longtime partner on the ice, Brian Rafalski will not return.

Jaromir Jagr was an NHL All-Star and before departing to the KHL. He had 71 points in his last NHL season. That was back in the 2007-08 season. He may have been good, but that was three years ago.

The Detroit Red Wings are going to have to fill a hole in defense. Brian Rafalski will not be easy to replace, but it has to be done. The Wings struggled in defense, and as a result, they finished as the third seed in the West going into playoffs.