List of Detroit Red Wings seasons
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League and are one of the Original Six teams of the league. Founded in 1926, the team was known as the Cougars from then until 1930. For the 1930–31 and 1931–32 seasons the team was called the Falcons, and in 1932 changed their name to the Red Wings. The 2016–17 season was the 91st for the Detroit franchise. Since their founding, the Red Wings have won 2,858 regular season games, accumulated 19 division championships and 6 conference championships, led the league in points 18 times, appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs 64 times, and won 11 Stanley Cup titles.
Detroit first qualified for the playoffs in 1929 where they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2–7 in goals scored. In the 38 seasons from 1929 to 1966 the team missed the playoffs only six times. They appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals 18 times during this period, winning the Stanley Cup in seven of those opportunities, with their championships coming in 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. Their last Finals appearance of this era came in 1966 when they lost in six games to the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings then experienced a period, from 1967 until 1983, when they made the playoffs only twice, winning only one series, beating the Atlanta Flames two games to none in 1978.
The Red Wings returned to the playoffs in 1984 where they suffered a first round defeat to the St. Louis Blues. In the 32 seasons since then they have made the playoffs 30 times, including 25 consecutive seasons from 1991 to 2016. They returned to the Finals for the first time since 1966 in 1995 where they were swept by the New Jersey Devils in four games. However, in 1997 they made it back to the Finals, winning the series in four straight games over the Philadelphia Flyers. They repeated as champions in the following season with a four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals. Their most recent championships were in 2002 and 2008, with their most recent Finals appearance in 2009 where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Table key
| Term or abbreviation | Definition |
| Finish | Final position in division or league standings |
| GA | Goals against |
| GF | Goals for |
| GP | Number of games played |
| L | Number of losses |
| OT | Number of losses in overtime |
| Pts | Number of points |
| T | Number of ties |
| TG | Two-game total goals series |
| W | Number of wins |
| — | Does not apply |