It's all but official at this point that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is going to retire. Already, former teammate Aaron Ward confirmed that Thursday's press conference is for Lidstrom to announce his retirement, and two more reports indicate the same thing.
Hakan Andersson just sent me a text, confirming the rumour that Nick Lidstrom is retiring. #nhl #redwings
— Linus Hugosson (@linushugosson) May 30, 2012
Source just confirmed to me Nicklas Lidstrom is retiring after 20 seasons in NHL.
— Helene St. James (@freepwings) May 30, 2012
Hakan Andersson is the Red Wings' director of European scouting and is from Sweden. Obviously, he would be plugged in to know about Lidstrom's decision, which quickly is making the rounds in the hockey world.
Lidstrom's press conference on Thursday is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.
For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.