"Owner Mike Ilitch knew Tomas Holmstrom was a guy to keep around even before he'd established himself with the Red Wings.

Holmstrom will play in his 1,000th career game tonight when the Wings put their 18-game home winning streak on the line against the Anaheim Ducks at Joe Louis Arena. He'll be the 271st player in NHL history to hit the milestone, but only the sixth in a Wings uniform.

His accomplishment is a tribute to what hard work and determination can make happen, as Holmstrom was anything but a likely candidate to forge such a long career when he arrived in Detroit in 1996. When then-coach Scotty Bowman didn't use Holmstrom much during the regular season and made him a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs, Holmstrom appealed to Ilitch."