The Detroit Red Wings sure made the most of the 1994 NHL lockout.

And they sure were ready for the game to return to the ice. So much so that the 1994-95 Red Wings posted the best record in the NHL.

Throwing up a 33-11-4 record with a .729 points percentage gave them the President’s Trophy. It was today in 1995 when the Red Wings clinched the trophy with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.

That same night, the Red Wings lifted Sid Abel’s #12 jersey into the rafters.

Detroit beat those Stars four games to one in the first round, before sweeping the San Jose Sharks in the second round. The Red Wings kept rolling as they beat the Chicago Blackhawks four games to one in the third round. It was an intense series, however, with two games requiring double overtime.

But in the cup finals, the Red Wings faltered and were no match for a New Jersey Devils club who swept Detroit.

In the regular season, Detroit was led by Paul Coffey (14-44—58), Sergei Fedorov (20-30—50) and Dino Ciccarelli (16-27—43) while Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood split time in net.

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