{"id":120905,"date":"2025-08-05T12:54:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/120905\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T12:54:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:54:08","slug":"rockstrom-remembers-landing-lidstrom-for-red-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/120905\/","title":{"rendered":"Rockstrom Remembers Landing Lidstrom for Red Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever wondered what it felt like when Gold Rush panhandlers struck their fortune, then listen to the tale of the day that former Detroit<\/a> Red Wings scout Christer Rockstrom first laid eyes on Nicklas Lidstrom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRockstrom was the one who discovered me and followed me when I played in (Vasteras) juniors and when I got into the A-team,\u201d Lidstrom recalled to Swedish website Hockey Sverige<\/a>. \u201cHe showed interest in me, and that way I got a little more confidence, when I knew that there was an NHL team that was interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Christer Rockstr\u00f6m slutar efter 41 \u00e5r som scout.<\/p>\n

Med hj\u00e4lp av honom sj\u00e4lv, Nicklas Lidstr\u00f6m, Mattias Norstr\u00f6m och Carl Hagelin bjuder “Old School Hockey” p\u00e5 ett spektakul\u00e4rt och speciellt hockeyliv. <\/p>\n

Ett liv som tagit honom runt alla hockeyv\u00e4rldens h\u00f6rn.https:\/\/t.co\/IdpXXbNXJR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Hockeysverige.se (@hockeysverige) August 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rockstrom chooses to downplay his role in landing the best defenseman who\u2019s played in the NHL in the past 40 years for the Red Wings.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow it wasn\u2019t just me who found him,\u201d Rockstrom insists. \u201cIt was a collaboration with the chief scout and other scouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a matter of convincing the guy who had another player in a league in Western Canada, in college hockey, or the OHL in Ontario, that we should choose my guy. That is then decided by the head scout.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Lidstrom has his doubts that his NHL entry would have gone as seamlessly without the input and encouragement he received from Rockstrom in those formative years leading up to the 1989 NHL entry draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to meet as soon as possible after the games,\u201d Lidstrom recalled. \u201cHe followed me during the season, and it gave me a boost.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about what was required to play in the NHL, attitude, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Red Wings Scout Calling It Quits<\/p>\n

After 41 years as an NHL scout with the Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens, Rockstrom, 68, is putting away his notebook and calling it a day.<\/p>\n

From the Detroit standpoint, his work as the club\u2019s top European scout during the 1989 draft, when the Red Wings landed Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov<\/a>, and Vladimir Konstantinov, was a turning point in the franchise\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Rockstrom credits Neil Smith, Detroit\u2019s head amateur scout at the time, as the inspiration behind the club making a larger footprint in scouting European hockey.<\/p>\n

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Steve Yzerman giving Christer Rockstrom a shout out here. Fun fact, Rockstrom was also the guy who played a key role in the Rangers drafting Henrik Lundqvist. https:\/\/t.co\/5uEHPqHkDt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) January 27, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAt the time, Detroit was one of the worst teams in the league,\u201d Rockstrom said. \u201cIt was actually Neil\u2019s idea that the organization should start looking in Europe to find talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wanted to have the Canadian style, but also be able to steal good talent from Europe in the late rounds before other teams reacted. Detroit was early to invest in this. Now everyone takes Europe with the utmost respect. They didn\u2019t do that in the early years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rockstrom\u2019s Best Scouting Report<\/p>\n

When Smith left the Red Wings to take over as GM of the Rangers, he brought Rockstrom with him. It was in this moment that Rockstrom estimates he might have turned in his best scouting advice. The Detroit brass asked him to recommend a replacement.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my friends, Hakan (Andersson), was someone I thought would make a good scout,\u201d Rockstrom said. \u201cHe was a pretty good hockey player with good character.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Detroit to try Hakan, and it turned out to be a magnificent job. Maybe even better than keeping me. Hakan has done a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andersson is still working as Detroit\u2019s top European scout. He has played a significant role in key arrivals to the club. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg<\/a>, Niklas Kronwall, Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Simon Edvinsson were all drafted on his watch.<\/p>\n

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