Detroit Red Wings Booed Off Ice After Missing Playoffs Again

Frustration boils over as Red Wings extend NHL's longest active playoff drought to 10 years

Apr. 12, 2026 at 3:05pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting in red, white, and blue hues, capturing the chaotic energy and disappointment of a Detroit Red Wings hockey game.The Red Wings' frustrating season is reflected in a deconstructed, cubist depiction of the team's final home game.Today in Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings were booed off the ice after their final home game of the season, a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils that sealed their 10th straight year missing the NHL playoffs. This marks the end of a 25-year playoff streak for the franchise, which had produced four Stanley Cup championships and six appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

Why it matters

The Red Wings' historic playoff drought has left their passionate fan base deeply frustrated, as the team was expected to return to the postseason this year after showing promise earlier in the season. The boos from the home crowd reflect the high standards and championship pedigree that Detroit fans have come to expect from their beloved hockey team.

The details

The Red Wings held three separate leads in Saturday's game against the Devils, but were unable to hold on, with New Jersey scoring the game-winning goal late in the third period. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin took responsibility for an ill-advised pinch that led to the decisive Devils' tally. Head coach Todd McLellan acknowledged that the team's performance was a 'microcosm' of their entire disappointing season, citing a lack of 'heaviness' and 'hardness' as key factors in their collapse.

  • The Red Wings' 10-year playoff drought is the longest active streak in the NHL.
  • The team's most recent playoff appearance was in the penultimate season before the closure of Joe Louis Arena.
  • On January 25, the Red Wings had a nearly 90% chance of making the playoffs this season.

The players

Dylan Larkin

The Red Wings' captain, who debuted on the last Detroit team to make the playoffs. Larkin took responsibility for a key mistake that led to the Devils' game-winning goal.

Todd McLellan

The Red Wings' head coach, who previously served as an assistant under Mike Babcock when the team won its most recent Stanley Cup.

Lucas Raymond

A Red Wings forward who acknowledged the team's frustration at being 'right there' in the playoff race but unable to get the job done.

John Gibson

The Red Wings' goaltender, whose stellar early-season play helped the team get off to a strong start before he struggled down the stretch.

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What they’re saying

“This is Detroit. This is Hockeytown. I've been lucky enough to be on the other side of it when they couldn't stop cheering for this team. And they're dying for that, they crave that. That's what they want. And I don't even know if they want a Stanley Cup Championship anymore. They just want a team that's going to come in and give them something to cheer about.”

— Todd McLellan, Head Coach

“Our fans are great. They're passionate, they care. They care about winning. There's been some great years here and they want us back to that. That's what they expect here. And to hear that, very difficult. We're down. I'm as down as I could be right now.”

— Dylan Larkin, Captain

“We've got to figure it out, and we've got to figure it out fast and take that next step. We've got to look ourselves in the mirror, everyone in here in this building, and we've got to be better than this.”

— Lucas Raymond, Forward

What’s next

The Red Wings have two games remaining in the 2025-26 season, and can still set a new high in points for the Steve Yzerman era, though that would be a low bar for a franchise with such a storied history.

The takeaway

The Red Wings' historic 10-year playoff drought has left their passionate fan base deeply frustrated, as the team was expected to return to the postseason this year. The boos from the home crowd reflect the high standards and championship pedigree that Detroit fans have come to expect, and the team must now find a way to regain that winning culture.