Brett Hull Reveals Why Star-Studded 2003 Red Wings Fell Short

Hull and former teammate Ray Whitney say coach Dave Lewis' line management strategy backfired on the veteran-laden roster.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 6:03pm

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In a candid interview, NHL legend Brett Hull and former Red Wings teammate Ray Whitney criticized the coaching strategies of Dave Lewis, who took over as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings after their 2002 Stanley Cup win. Hull and Whitney said Lewis' unorthodox line combinations and heavy reliance on aging veterans like Steve Yzerman led to the team's surprising first-round playoff exit in 2003, despite having a roster loaded with future Hall of Famers.

Why it matters

The 2002-03 Red Wings were expected to be a dominant force in the NHL, but their early playoff exit was a major disappointment for the franchise and its fans. Hull's insights shed light on the internal dynamics and strategic missteps that contributed to the team's underperformance that season.

The details

After winning the 2002 Stanley Cup, the Red Wings lost head coach Scotty Bowman and goaltender Dominik Hasek to retirement. Assistant Dave Lewis was promoted to head coach, but his line management strategies were a point of contention. Lewis implemented a system of 'three lines of four players' where veterans like Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan were overworked, while young stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were underutilized. Hull and Whitney said they even offered to play on the fourth line to help balance the lineup, but Lewis refused to adjust his approach.

  • The Red Wings were upset in the first round of the 2003 NHL playoffs by the 7th seeded Anaheim Ducks.
  • During the 2002-03 season, Brett Hull scored 37 goals and 39 assists for 76 total points, his final 30-goal campaign before retiring.

The players

Brett Hull

A Hall of Fame forward who played for the Red Wings in 2002-03, his final 30-goal NHL season.

Ray Whitney

A veteran forward who was Hull's teammate on the 2002-03 Red Wings.

Dave Lewis

The head coach of the Red Wings in 2002-03 after taking over for the retired Scotty Bowman.

Steve Yzerman

The Red Wings' longtime captain who missed a large portion of the 2002-03 season due to knee surgery.

Pavel Datsyuk

A talented young forward for the Red Wings who was underutilized according to Hull and Whitney.

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What they’re saying

“Dave Lewis came up with the idea of three lines of four players, so you play for three shift and then you sit out the next one. It's taking away from players that were playing. It just wasn't working.”

— Ray Whitney, Former Red Wings forward

“If you think that we're gonna win the Stanley Cup when you're playing [Brendan] Shanahan and [Steve] Yzerman 22, 24 minutes a game, when Stevie can't even walk, and you've got Datsyuk and Zetterberg and they're playing 13 minutes a game, it's asinine.”

— Brett Hull, Former Red Wings forward

The takeaway

The 2002-03 Red Wings' early playoff exit despite their star-studded roster highlights the importance of effective coaching and line management, even for veteran-laden teams with championship pedigree. Hull and Whitney's candid critiques of Dave Lewis' strategies provide valuable lessons on adapting to an aging core and properly utilizing young talent.