Shelby Macuga

Informative Speech Outline

Dr. Manny Ogua

CRN: 22319331

Topic: Detroit Red Wings

General purpose: To inform

Specific purpose: To educate to my audience about the Detroit Red Wings hockey franchise.

Thesis: The Detroit Red Wings are an important sports team to Michigan as they have a
unique past, present, and future.

I. Introduction
A. Attention-getter: What professional Michigan team has been founded almost 100
years ago, is red and white, and uses a puck and a hockey stick to play? The Detroit
Red Wings. This team has had many iconic players from all different generations
that have changed the sport of hockey and some of their names may be familiar
such as Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Henrik Zetterberg.
B. Reason to listen: The Detroit Red Wings are a Michigan based hockey team and for
some that is all they know, but by getting to know a little bit more about the team
as a whole, will educate people on exactly what the franchise is about.
C. Thesis statement: The Detroit Red Wings are an important sports team to
Michigan.
D. Credibility Statement:
1. My family has been fans of the Red Wings for years, and some of my family
members including my father, uncle, aunt, and grandpa have taught me
everything they know about the team.
2. As an eighteen year old girl, I have been to over 40 Red Wings games in my
lifetime, and I continuously keep myself updated on the facts and stats of
the Red Wings.
E. Preview of main points:
1. First, I will explain the history of the Red Wings franchise.
2. Second, I will discuss where the Red Wings are today.
3. Finally, I will describe the future of the Red Wings franchise.
II. The Detroit Red Wings are an important sports team to Michigan as they have a unique past,
present, and future.
A. The Red Wings franchise was one of the original six hockey franchises in the National
Hockey League.
 1. Before the franchise became known as the Detroit Red Wings, they first started
out as the Detroit Cougars.
a. According to the Detroit Historical Societys Encyclopedia article
Detroit Red Wings (2017), the Cougars were originally from Victoria,
British Columbia until they were sold to Detroit on September 25, 1926.
b. Additionally, the Detroit Historical Society Encyclopedia also mentions
that the Detroit Cougars were officially established on September 25,
1926, the day they were sold, but it wasnt 1932 when the Detroit
Cougars changed their name to their current name, the Detroit Red
Wings.
2. Since the establishment of the Red Wings in 1926, they have won 11 Stanley
cups.
a. The Britannica Academic, in their article Detroit Red Wings (2017),
states that the team won their first Stanley Cup in 1936 and won the
following year in 1937.
b. In the 1950s, with a huge help from one of the most iconic Red Wings
Player, Gordie Howe, the Red Wings had a hot streak, winning an
additional 4 Stanley Cups in the years: 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955.
c. After the iconic 4 Stanley Cups in 10 years, the Red Wings fell into a
slump and were nicknamed, The Dead Wings.
d. It wasnt until 1997 when another iconic player, Steve Yzerman and the
Red Wings won another Stanley cup but after a horrible limousine
accident that paralyzed one of their own players, Vladmir Konstantinov,
the Redwings ended up winning again in 1998 in honor of him.

Transition: Now that I talked about the past history of Red Wings, I will know discuss where the Red
Wings are today.

B. Since the 2000s, the Red Wings have won 2 more Stanley Cups and continued a
National Hockey League record for the longest active playoff streak
1. The 2 Stanley cups were won in 2002 and 2008.
a. After the Red Wings won the 2002 Stanley Cup Championship, President
George W. Bush on November 8, 2002 made a speech honoring the Red
Wings, where he mentioned that the Red Wings have shown to be
champions on and off the ice by the way they give back to the
community.
i. In Bushs speech, he also explained that after the Red Wings
won, their captain Steve Yzerman brought the Stanley cup to
three different hospitals in Michigan and this is why Bush
mentioned that the Red Wings were champions on and off the
ice.
 b. The last time the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup was in 2008 with a
victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
2. Aside from the fact that the Red Wings havent won a Stanley Cup
Championships in almost 10 years, they have been able to continue a National
Hockey League record for longest active playoff streak with 25 which started in
1991 and is still going.
3. Although, the Red Wings have been able to continue this longest active streak
of 25, this year may be the year they lose it.
a. Currently, the Red Wings are struggling to win games as they only have
63 points with 26 regulation and 11 overtime wins in 68 games.
b. This is the first year in a very long time that the Red Wings are not a
winning team as they are currently sitting fourth from last.

Transition: Now that I discussed where the Red wings are today, I will know explain where the future of
the franchise is headed.

C. Even though the Red Wings are not having the year they were hoping for, there is a lot
that the Red Wings can look forward too.
1. After this season comes to a close, the Red Wings will have a very busy off
season during the draft pick.
a. As claimed by Khan in his article, Ken Holland: Bevy of Draft Picks Gives
Red Wings Options in rebuilding process (2017), the Red Wings will
enter this summers draft with 11 picks which is the most they have had
since 2000.
b. With this past year being a disappointing season, this years draft pick
will allow the Red Wings Franchise to rebuild to the team they once
were.
2. Apart from the very busy off season, this year is also the last year that the Red
Wings are going to be playing in their arena, Joe Louis.
a. Following this season, the Red Wings will be moving into their new
arena, Little Caesars.
b. In her article, New Red Wings arena could be a game-changer for
hockey fans and all of Detroit (2017), Erkert describes that the new
arena Little Caesars, sits about 20,000 fans which is about the same
number as Joe Louis and features gondola seating that overhangs the
lower level, 7 clubs, 5 restaurants, and 3 times bigger concourse area
which none of the mentioned features, Joe Louis can match up too.
III. Conclusion
A. Review of main points:
1. Today I first talked about the past history of Red Wings franchise.
2. Second, I discussed where the Red Wings are today.
3. Finally, I explained the future of the Red Wings franchise.
 B. Restate thesis: The Detroit Red Wings are an important sports team to Michigan.
C. Closure: As you can see, the Detroit Red Wings are not just a team who colors are red
and white and use a puck and a hockey stick to play but a sports franchise who has an
interesting history, a hopefully present, as well as a promising future.

References

Britannica Academic. (2017). Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved from

http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Detroit-Red-Wings/438899

Bush, G. W. (11/2/2002). Honoring the 2002 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Speech.
In Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (45th ed., Vol. 38, pp. 2011-2012).

Detroit Historical Society. (2017). Detroit Red Wings. In Encyclopedia of Detroit. 5401 Woodward,
Detroit, MI: Detroit Historical Society.

Eckert, A. S. (2017, March 01). New Red Wings Arena could be a Game-Changer for Hockey Fans and
all of Detroit. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-district-
detroit-little-caesars-arena-travel-0305-20170216-story.html

Khan, A. (2017, March 04). Ken Holland: Bevy of Draft Picks Gives Red Wings Options in Rebuilding
Process. Retrieved from
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2017/03/ken_holland_bevy_of_draft_pick.html