Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the best defensemen in NHL history, and you can basically count his bad games during his massive career on one hand.
Lidstrom played 20 seasons in the NHL, all with the Detroit Red Wings, which he captained for the final six seasons before retiring.
He earned the nickname ’The Perfect Human’ for how incredibly well he always performed, and he won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the league a whopping seven times.
Lidstrom was simply a nightmare to play against, but at the same time, he was respected by everyone he played against.
The legendary tennis player John McEnroe was one of Lidstrom’s big fans.
One time, in 2007, reporters saw Lidstrom and McEnroe talking after a game at the Madison Square Garden.
As it turned out, Lidstrom had been invited to McEnroe’s home in New York the day before the game.
”We’ve only known each other for 24 hours,” Lidstrom told Swedish media when asked about his new friendship.
”Chris Chelios, my colleague, and John are longtime friends and I was invited to his home.”
McEnroe is a big Rangers fan, but still, he admired Lidstrom as a player.
”Boy… Nicklas is a magical player. Look at how he handles the puck. It’s simply amazing,” McEnroe said.
But years later, the truth about McEnroe inviting Lidstrom to his home was revealed. As it turned out, he only wanted Lidstrom, Chelios, and Hasek to get hungover. Lidstrom confirmed McEnroe’s plan years later, in an interview with Swedish outlet Expressen.
”Yes, haha, but we still won. John is not the same person in real life as he was on the tennis court. He’s very polite and laid back,” Lidstrom said.
