33 Days Until Red Wings Opening Night: Detroit's Best No. 33

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With 33 days remaining until the Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season, we take a look at the top player to have worn jersey No. 33.

Known as one of the key elements of the famed "Grind Line" from the Detroit Red Wings' glory days, forward Kris Draper's arrival in the Motor City proved to be one of the best bargains in professional sports trade history.

Draper, who originally began his career with the Winnipeg Jets, was obtained by the Red Wings for a cash sum required by the NHL to finalize the legal transaction. That sum turned out to be a single dollar. 

Draper would soon go on to not only be one of Detroit's key energy forwards, but a brutally effective penalty killer that could also chip in offensively. 

Of course, it would be the horrific hit from behind on Draper by the late Claude Lemieux in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final that would spark one of the most legendary rivalries in NHL history. 

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Draper, who has his name on the Stanley Cup four times, ranks fourth all-time among forwards in Red Wings history with 1,137 games played in a Detroit uniform. He's 23rd among all forwards in club history with 361 points, and ranks fourth among all players in team history with 21 shorthanded goals. 

After reaching a career-best 24 goals and 40 points in 2003-04, Draper was recognized as the NHL's best defensive forward as the recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy. 

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