The Detroit Red Wings haven’t had the best of summers, but perhaps that would have been forgotten if former captain and seven-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom decided to return as a coach. Head coach Mike Babcock tried to make that happen, but Lidstrom wasn’t ready to return to North America.
“It’s true that he called and asked if I was interested in taking one of the spots as an assistant coach for the upcoming season,” Lidstrom told Sweden’s Sport Expressen, per the QMI Agency‘s translation. “I was very proud of the offer, it was really flattering.”
Lidstrom cited a reluctance to move his family from Sweden as the reason why he turned down Babcock, but he’s not ready to close any doors. He acknowledged that his opinion might change in a few years and if it does, there’s a good chance that Detroit will still be interested in bringing him on board.
The former defenseman spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and won the Stanley Cup four times.