Tribute Tomas Holmström

[Eye of Ra]

What are you guys memories of this guy as a player? What did he bring to the team? My memory of him is that he was good Infront of the net, gritty and had underated hands. Was he not a fan favorite?

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Made some nasty tips that I think maybe some of us just credited Lidstrom more for, but seeing how bad anyone now is on the team at getting tips it's obviously he was elite at it.

Seemed like a funny guy, was always a good laugh seeing him deke. I don't think I've ever read negative things about him from media or fans.

Got plenty of goalies off their game.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Homer was truly elite at screening goalies, tipping pucks, and at puck retrieval along the boards. Couldn't skate for s**t, but he was so effective at his net front game it made absolutely no difference. Played on a line with Datsyuk and Zetterberg and they were so much fun to watch. Stuck to his strengths and had a great career. Was always seen as a great locker room guy, really good sense of humor. Not a cornerstone, but an important piece to those great Red Wings teams in the 90s and 00s.

Fans truly appreciated him and his game.

 

[sepster]

One of my all-time favorite Wings. So glad he played his entire career in Detroit.
Relentless, fearless, tough as nails, great hands, great in the corners and on puck retrieval, funny as hell, all effort all the time. I don't know if you could come up with a more perfect player to complement the superstars than what Holmstrom provided. He thought the game at a high enough level and had enough skill to play with Larionov/Datsyuk/Zetterberg but also did all the dirty work and gave 100% effort.

Absolutely love, Homer. If there were a Hall of Fame for role players, he'd be first ballot.

 

[Frk It]

A goalie’s worst nightmare. Dude ate cross-checks for breakfast.

 

[Realgud]

One of my fav wing ever. Very creative approach to the game at the time and created a role for himself that resulted in a lot of success for him and his teammates. He enabled a lot of offense for the rest of the team on many many goals he wasn't credited on.

I was way too young to properly enjoy his entire career but I have a lot of respect for Holmstrom.

 

[dalem177]

Did Homie invent the goal mouth presence concept?

 

[19 for president]

Did Homie invent the goal mouth presence concept?

I don't think he quite created it but he certainly perfected it. His ability to block the goalies view with his back turned was truly remarkable. Lids could certainly credit a lot of his goals to Homers ability to shield the goalies view.

I don't know if we'll ever see another player like Homer because teams don't really have pure specialty guys like him anymore. They also don't hold onto guys like Homer that could not skate to save his life. Homer got 96 as his number because Scotty said it'd be the last year he was in the NHL. Instead of falling out of the NHL, he perfected a skill that allowed him to be a key component on 4 cup winning teams and play 15 seasons at the NHL level.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Best net front guy. Him and Dino for sure. Ras was suppose to be this but he sucks.

 

[jkutswings]

Hopefully this link works. A bunch of playoff goals by Homer. His tenacity in front of the net was unmatched, but he also had an underrated set of hands (in addition to insane hand eye coordination).

 

[Run the Jewels]

Did Homie invent the goal mouth presence concept?

Dino Cicarelli was his predecessor.

 

[DamonDRW]

very underrated player all around.

 

[lhsgolf19]

I thought he died, I saw tribute haha

 

[ColdToiletSeats]

For all the punishment he put his body through night after night his number should be retired.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

One of my all time favorites. I vaguely remember Fox sports Detroit having a stats graphic showing he led the league in disallowed goals between 98 and 2004. And then there were dozens more from other players on the team on phantom calls.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/117845-holmstrom-on-the-wrong-end-of-a-disallowed-goal-again



It’s crazy how many reputation calls went against him. It probably cost him and Detroit a combined 80 goals.

 

[lilidk]

Dino Cicarelli was his predecessor.

Cicarelli and Ray was something

 

[dalem177]

For all the punishment he put his body through night after night his number should be retired.

As fans we should just start referring to standing in front of the goalie as "a 96". So "And McPooPoo is doing their 96 right now."

 

[cjm502]

Im not sure if it was Ken and Mick talking during a broadcast, an interview Holmstrom did, or something else, but I recall hearing that there were times he had to pad his back with newspaper before a game because he took so much abuse in front of the net.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Im not sure if it was Ken and Mick talking during a broadcast, an interview Holmstrom did, or something else, but I recall hearing that there were times he had to pad his back with newspaper before a game because he took so much abuse in front of the net.

He had a special spine protector made to connect to his shoulder pads. He was well armored for the beatings.

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

Im not sure if it was Ken and Mick talking during a broadcast, an interview Holmstrom did, or something else, but I recall hearing that there were times he had to pad his back with newspaper before a game because he took so much abuse in front of the net.

A swedish journalist once recalled the story that Homer showed him what his back looked like after winning the cup in '08 and he said it looked like a horror show how blue and purple it was.

 

[RRhoads]

One of my favorite hockey players. Probably one of the toughest players to put on the Red Wings jersey. He took a beating every shift, and always got back up to take another. That's toughness.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Did Homie invent the goal mouth presence concept?

Invent? Lol. What? Dino was doing that way before he was drafted...

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Did Homie invent the goal mouth presence concept?

Esposito and Andreychuk, but both guys were big time front line players in terms of who I remember years before. Howe finished a lot around the net.

Homer was a very unique player that maximized every ounce of talent he had. Also a pretty legendary locker room guy that could keep the entire room loose while taking maximum ribbing. Plus he was the second greatest D-man’s chauffeur. I am always surprised how much smaller Homer really is when you look him up considering the punishment he took especially in an era where it was allowed to be more extreme. One of my favorites and one of the greasiest good guys to come through the league.

 

[SCD]

I remember one goal he tipped from Lidstrom. Goalie was out to play the point shot. Lidstrom fired the puck about 5 feet wide of the net. Holmstrom tipped the puck and it almost paralleled the end line behind the goalie for a goal. Amazing.

 

[FMichael]

I seem to recall he retired from hockey with better teeth than he had when he was a rookie.