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We’re counting down until the Detroit Red Wings begin the 2026-27 season, and with each passing day, we’ll be taking a look back at the best player in franchise history to wear that day’s jersey number.
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He didn’t begin his NHL career with the Red Wings, nor did he finish it in Detroit. But during his time wearing the Winged Wheel, goaltender Manny Legace put together a notable stretch in the Motor City.
He ranks ninth overall in Red Wings history with 112 victories, and has his name on the Stanley Cup as part of the legendary 2001-02 squad.
Originally taken in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers with the 188th overall pick, Legace would actually begin his career with the Los Angeles Kings in the 1998-99 campaign, appearing in 17 contests.
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He’d sign with the Red Wings that summer, only to be exposed to waivers and scooped up by the Vancouver Canucks. But as fate would have it, Legace would once again be waived and subsequently reclaimed by the Red Wings.
It was in the 2000-01 season that Legace’s NHL career took off. Because starter Chris Osgood struggled to start the year, Legace began earning trust from head coach Scotty Bowman and impressed with his play on the ice.
While Osgood eventually returned to form and started for Detroit in the 2001 playoffs, Legace’s numbers were too good to ignore, going 24-5-5 with a pristine 2.05 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
Legace spent the next two seasons backing up Dominik Hasek and Curtis Joseph before finding himself caught between the two veterans in 2003-04. Hasek had returned from retirement after helping Detroit win the 2002 Stanley Cup, while Joseph still had two years remaining on his contract.
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Legace handled the unusual situation as Detroit’s No. 2 option behind both goaltenders, but Hasek’s decision to step away again in early 2004 eventually left Joseph as the clear starter.
An injury to Joseph then opened the door for Legace, who took advantage of the opportunity and earned the starting job for Detroit’s first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators.
He started the first four games before Joseph reclaimed the crease for the remainder of the postseason.
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Legace then beat out Osgood, who returned to Detroit prior to the 2005-06 campaign, for the starter’s role to begin that season. He once again posted strong numbers in the regular season, going 37-8-3 and helping the Red Wings to the NHL’s best record.
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Legace struggled in Detroit’s first-round series against the No. 8-seeded Edmonton Oilers, and the Red Wings ultimately suffered a stunning upset series defeat.
Legace had accurately predicted before the playoffs that his time in Detroit could be over if they didn’t make a deep playoff run. The Red Wings opted not to re-sign him, and he subsequently joined the division-rival St. Louis Blues.
35 Days Until Red Wings Opening Night: Detroit’s Best No. 35
35 Days Until Red Wings Opening Night: Detroit’s Best No. 35With 35 days left until the Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season, we take a look at the top player to have worn jersey No. 35.
He’d play two and a half seasons with the Blues before being waived in February 2009 after he struggled in a game against the Red Wings. He’d eventually bounce around the minor leagues while also getting another 28 games of NHL experience with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009-10.
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He would complete his professional playing career with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons in 2011-12, and would retire after having compiled an NHL record of 187-99-18 with a 2.41 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and 24 shutouts.
He’s joined the Red Wings for multiple alumni events since then. After a stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets as goaltending coach, Legace currently works for the New Jersey Devils as their head amateur goaltending scout and development coach.
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