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Boos rain down on Red Wings after missing playoffs for 10th straight season
TL;DR
The Detroit Red Wings were booed by fans after their 5-3 loss to New Jersey, marking their 10th consecutive season missing the Stanley Cup playoffs. This loss has led to frustration among fans, who are tired of the team's ongoing struggles.
Detroit — The boos were loud and stinging and showed how frustrated Red Wings fans are.
They rained down after the Wings' 5-3 loss to New Jersey, officially eliminating the Wings from the Stanley Cup playoffs, and during the final minutes as the Wings struggled to generate a goal and at least earn a point for the standings.
They didn't score. They lost. And fans let them hear about it.
The Wings now own the longest streak of not making the playoffs in the NHL, at 10 consecutive seasons. Without a doubt, fans aren't happy about it.
Coach and players understood the booing, accepted it as the fans simply not being happy with the same outcome now, season after season.
"This is Detroit, this is Hockeytown," said coach Todd McLellan, who was an assistant coach on the Wings' last Stanley Cup winning team in 2008. "I've been lucky enough to be on the other side of it, when they couldn't stop cheering for this team. 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 will come and give them something to cheer about."
Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider reacts after the Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils 5-3, ending their season, at Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, April 11, 2026.
Players in the last few weeks referenced the "outside noise" from fans, alluding to the pressure or negativism from fans, and they have been attempting to keep it outside of the locker room.
The fans, said McLellan, have the right to express their opinions after 25 consecutive years of making the playoffs with four Stanley Cups during that timeframe.
"This outside noise stuff or whatever, that's inside noise, those are our fans in our building and they pay to watch us play, and we get paid well to perform for them," McLellan said. "They're fulling entitled to their opinion and we deserve that opinion.
"There's no other way to sugarcoat it. That's what we earned."
Captain Dylan Larkin said it was "difficult" to hear the booing.
"Our fans are great, they are passionate and they care about winning," Larkin said. "There's been some great years here and they want us back to that. That's what they expect here."
Detroit left wing Lucas Raymond reacts after the Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils 5-3, ending their season, at Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, April 11, 2026.
Lucas Raymond said it "stinks" to end the season the way the Wings did, and have fans boo at Little Caesars Arena.
"We had a clear goal coming into this year and we didn't do it," Raymond said. "We had plenty of opportunities throughout this season and especially down the stretch."
McLellan feels the Wings need to do a better job of facing and conquering the pressure and challenge of meaningful games late in the season.
"I felt a little bit of that last year, I've lived a year of it now and it's there," said McLellan of the external pressure. "But we keep earning that. We earned that pressure and that outside ("noise") but you can except the pressure as challenge or you can succumb to it and we seem to choose the second one (succumb to it).
"That's the way it is and the only way you get out of it is, you work your way out of it."
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Red Wings were booed off the ice after home finale
Q&A
Why did Red Wings fans boo the team after the recent game?
Fans booed the Red Wings after their 5-3 loss to New Jersey, which eliminated them from playoff contention for the 10th consecutive season.
How long have the Red Wings missed the playoffs?
The Red Wings have now missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for 10 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NHL.
What was the reaction of the Red Wings coach and players to the fans' booing?
The Red Wings' coach and players understood the booing and accepted it as a reflection of the fans' frustration with the team's repeated failures.
What does the Red Wings' playoff drought mean for the team's future?
The Red Wings' 10-season playoff drought raises concerns about the team's performance and future direction, prompting discussions on potential changes in management or strategy.
