Detroit -- For Ruslan Salei, playing for the Detroit Red Wings is something special.
Salei, a native of Minsk, Belarus, grew up admiring Slava Fetisov, who played for the Wings from 1995-1998. Fetisov, along with Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Kozlov, made up the famed "Russian Five" when Scotty Bowman was coach.
"Detroit, the whole team, even besides all those Russians that you named, it's a dynasty and it's always been like that," Salei said. "It's a big honor for me to play here and be a Red Wing."
Salei also has great admiration for Detroit captain Nick Lidstrom.
"It's amazing what he's done," Salei said. "He's always been consistent, and he's always been top defenseman in the league. He's won so many defenseman trophies.
"To me, personally, it's somebody to look up to and learn something from his game, and I'll certainly try to do that."
When Andreas Lilja did not accept the Wings' offer over the summer, the team opted to sign Salei to a one-year contract.
Salei didn't only know the Red Wings and their history, he knew their coach. Mike Babcock was his coach from 2002-04 with the Anaheim Ducks, the team that originally drafted Salei in the first round in 1996.
So Salei knew what he was in for with Babcock when he joined the Wings.
"Sometimes you don't really like what he does, but the basic sense of it, he's making you a better player overall and I think that's the best indication of a coach," Salei said. "He's always intense, he's always on top, he's always prepared."
Salei, who just turned 36 Nov. 2, is known more as a defensive defenseman. His best offensive season came in 2006-07, when he had six goals and 26 assists with the Florida Panthers. He has three assists in 13 games with the Wings so far this season.
He's also known as a reliable penalty killer.
"I love it," Salei said. "I always have, and it's always been part of my game. The best way to do it is not take any penalties and then you don't have to kill any.
"I think the main thing is, obviously, the system and the goalie. The best penalty killer is the goalie and then it comes down to your defense and your forwards.
"You have to work as a unit of four, or a unit of five counting the goalie. You have to have communication on the ice, and you have to know where everybody goes. The better you do that, the better penalty killing unit you have."
Through the first 13 games, the Wings were ranked seventh overall (87 percent) in penalty killing.
Salei is just happy to be healthy enough to play. He played only 14 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche because of back surgery.
"It was a different year for me," Salei said. "I missed most of it, and I haven't had that experience before. Obviously, it was a different experience and you learn a lot from that.
"Hopefully, I'll be healthy and never have to go through that (again)."
Salei said there was a silver lining to missing that much time -- getting to see his wife, Bethann, and his children, Alexis and Aleksandro.
"When you miss a lot, when you see guys going on the road and you stay back home, the positive thing is, you spend more time with your family, with your kids," he said.
Salei also said the time off made him realize how much he loves the game and how much he missed it.
"It gives you that extra push to come back quicker and get on the same train as everybody else," he said
Salei is hoping that train is headed back to the Stanley Cup Finals. He left the Ducks in 2006, the year before they won the Cup, and would love to emulate the success the Russian Five had when they won the Cup with the Wings.
Nov. 9, 2010
