Editing Detroit Red Wings (section)

==="Dead Wings" era (1967–1982)===
[[File:Detroit December 2015 59 (Joe Louis Arena).jpg|thumb|On December 27, 1979, the Red Wings played their first game at [[Joe Louis Arena]], moving from the [[Detroit Olympia]].]]
Only a year after making the Finals, the Red Wings finished a distant fifth, 24 points out of the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|title=1966-67 NHL Summary|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1967.html|website=Hockey-Reference.com|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-date=September 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910221319/https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1967.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was the beginning of a slump that they would not emerge from in almost 20 years. This period is derisively known as the "Dead Wings" era.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2772756|title=The Original Six: Detroit Red Wings|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=February 21, 2007|work=ESPN.com|access-date=December 23, 2019|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310132051/https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2772756|url-status=live}}</ref>

One factor in the Red Wings' decline was the end of the old development system.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Original Six|url=http://www.hockeycentral.co.uk/nhl/history/nhl-orgsix.php|website=Hockeycentral|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728095657/http://www.hockeycentral.co.uk/nhl/history/nhl-orgsix.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Another factor was [[Ned Harkness]], who was hired as coach in [[1970–71 NHL season|1970]] and was promoted to general manager midway through the season. A successful college hockey coach, Harkness tried to force his two-way style of play on a veteran Red Wings team resistant to change. They chafed under his rule in which he demanded short hair and no smoking, and put other rules in place regarding drinking and phone calls.<ref name="brokenwings">{{Cite magazine | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1971/01/18/poor-broken-wings/ | title=Poor Broken Wings | author=Mulvoy, Mark | magazine=Sports Illustrated | date=January 18, 1971 | access-date=June 29, 2008 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102070652/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084495/2/index.htm | archive-date=January 2, 2013}}</ref> Harkness was forced to resign in 1974, ending the period colloquially referred to as "Darkness with Harkness".<ref>{{cite web|first=Stu|last=Hackel|title=The Morning Skate: Ned Harkness and the Fall of the Red Wings|url=https://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/the-morning-skate-ned-harkness-and-the-fall-of-the-red-wings/|website=The New York Times|date=September 22, 2008|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-date=September 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910221257/https://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/the-morning-skate-ned-harkness-and-the-fall-of-the-red-wings/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Howe>{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Holmes|title=The controversial final year of Gordie Howe's career with the Red Wings|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/02/07/now-playing-defense-gordie-howe/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=February 7, 2016|access-date=December 23, 2019|archive-date=December 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223214055/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/02/07/now-playing-defense-gordie-howe/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0_tJAAAAIBAJ&pg=2523,1297315&hl=en|title=Harkness Resigns|author=Daily Wire Services|work=The Michigan Daily|date=February 7, 1974|access-date=May 22, 2018|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310132526/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0_tJAAAAIBAJ&pg=2523,1297315&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the expansion season of [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68]], the Red Wings acquired longtime star left-winger [[Frank Mahovlich]] from the defending Cup champions in Toronto. Mahovlich would go on a line with Howe and Delvecchio, and in [[1968–69 NHL season|1968–69]], he scored a career-high 49 goals and had two All-Star seasons in Detroit.<ref>{{cite web|first=Stu|last=Hackel|title=Frank Mahovlich: 100 Greatest NHL Players|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/frank-mahovlich-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-284312184|publisher=National Hockey League|date=January 1, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912011552/https://www.nhl.com/news/frank-mahovlich-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-284312184|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NHL All-Star Game Historical Summaries - 1969|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28936|publisher=National Hockey League|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615014036/http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NHL All-Star Game Historical Summaries - 1970|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28937|publisher=National Hockey League|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615001759/http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28937|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Mahovlich was traded to Montreal in [[1970–71 NHL season|1971]], while Howe announced his retirement the same year.<ref name=Howe/><ref name=Trades>{{cite web|first=Daniel|last=Williams|title=Ranking the 5 Biggest Trades in Detroit Red Wings History|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1976207-ranking-the-5-biggest-trades-in-detroit-red-wings-history|website=Bleacher Report|date=February 27, 2014|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=September 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911205056/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1976207-ranking-the-5-biggest-trades-in-detroit-red-wings-history|url-status=live}}</ref> Throughout the decade, the Red Wings were hampered due to a number of factors.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Holmes|title=When the wheels fell off the Red Wings in the 1970s|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/01/26/wheels-fell-off-red-wings-1970s/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=January 26, 2016|access-date=December 23, 2019|archive-date=December 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223192156/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/01/26/wheels-fell-off-red-wings-1970s/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 27, 1979, during the [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80 season]], the Red Wings officially began playing at the [[Joe Louis Arena]] after leaving the Olympia, where they had played since 1927.<ref>{{cite web|first=Gregg|last=Krupa|title=The Final Period Begins for Joe Louis Arena|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/10/17/final-period-begins-joe-louis-arena/92218854/|website=The Detroit News|date=October 17, 2016|access-date=September 11, 2017|archive-date=April 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419043239/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/10/17/final-period-begins-joe-louis-arena/92218854/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1982, after 50 years of family ownership, Bruce Norris sold the Red Wings to [[Mike Ilitch]], founder of the pizza chain [[Little Caesars]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Written History 1980s – Detroit Red Wings|url=http://redwings.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=43763|website=Detroit Red Wings|access-date=September 13, 2017|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310132048/http://redwings.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=43763|url-status=live}}</ref>