Are hockey fans seeing another dynasty in the National Hockey League?

Montreal Canadiens 1955-1960, New York Islanders 1979-1983, Edmonton Oilers 1983-1990 were true dynasties.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present the Detroit Red Wings — 2006 until who knows when?

How can anyone realistically suggest the Wings aren’t the overwhelming favourites to win their second straight Stanley Cup in 2008-2009 (notwithstanding their surprising season-opening loss at home to Toronto on Thursday)?

Detroit was dominant last year and, if anything, are stronger this year.

The Wings have seven consecutive Central Division championships, two Stanley Cups since 2001-2002 and are heavily favoured to defend the Cup they won last spring over Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

A key member of those Penguins, Marian Hossa, signed in the off-season as a free agent with Detroit.

Adding Hossa to the Wings is like Bill Gates winning the lottery, Dolly Parton undergoing breast-enhancement surgery or giving Usain Bolt a head start.

Hossa scored 29 goals and had 66 points while splitting last season between Atlanta and Pittsburgh.

Such stats would mean an automatic spot on the powerplay on most teams, but Hossa will have a tough time breaking up the Wings’ big five of Henrik Zetterburg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom.

The Wings, whose puck-possession strategy was known as “keepaway” in your youthful pond-hockey days, not only score enough goals to win 50-plus games for three seasons in a row, but they play smothering defence, led by role players such as Kris Draper, Darren Helm and Daniel Cleary.

Detroit may be somewhat suspect in goal, with Chris Osgood not exactly the second coming of Patrick Roy, and Dominic Hasek retiring (again).

But the Wings are strong from stickboy through the president’s office, and you can bet general manager Ken Holland will fill any netminding holes that might develop.

In the meantime, city planners in Detroit can start making a rough outline of the parade route down Woodward Avenue sometime in mid-June 2009.

Quote, unquote

n Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times is one funny guy. Here’s three in a row from DP:

• “When Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher harkens back to hockey’s good old days, it’s not deja brew.

‘We used to put two cases of beer on the bus after road games,’ Fletcher told the Toronto Sun.

‘Before you knew it, the two cases were gone. Now you put two cases of beer on the bus and you’ve got one that’s not even touched and another with about five gone.’”

• Perry reports that Ronald Higgins, 47, was arrested recently after he allegedly stole a batboy’s uniform at Dodger Stadium and passed himself off as a Dodger

“As part of the ensuing nationwide sweep for more impostors, 20 Mariners were questioned and released.”

• An early holiday gift alert, says Perry.

“The third annual Women of Curling nude calendar has gone on sale in Canada.

You could say the calendar goes beyond the sport: Instead of 10 ends, you get 12.”

n At SportsPickle.com: “NFL referee performs celebratory dance after perfectly called penalty.”

n Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, noting how much O.J. Simpson, 61, has aged since his last trial: “Now when he is in a slow-speed Bronco chase, he leaves his left turn-signal on.”

n Dan Daly, Washington Times: “First, David Eckstein, five-foot-seven with his spikes on, is voted Most Valuable Player of the 2006 World Series. And now Dustin Pedroia, listed at five-foot-nine but said to be closer to Eckstein’s size, is a serious contender for the American League MVP Award. Welcome to post-BALCO baseball.”

n Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press, on the Girls of the Big Ten feature in October’s Playboy: “Sure, they look good on paper, but are they as fast as the girls of the Pac-10 and the SEC?”

n Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post, on AC Milan denying reports it had signed nine-year-old soccer phenom Edgardo Obregon: “A minor misunderstanding.”

n Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel, after the Mets blew a 3.5-game lead in September for the second straight season: “As they exited Shea Stadium, female fans received a commemorative choker.”

n Golfer Vijay Singh, to Reuters, on life at age 45: “The older you get, the harder it is to feel younger.”

n Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on the Russian sumo wrestler banned for marijuana: “Just what a guy that size needs: the munchies.”

n Janice Hough, the funny woman who writes under the LeftCoastSportsBabe banner, notes Chicago has directed bars and restaurants near Wrigley Field to stop serving alcohol after the seventh inning of any Cubs’ potential series-clinching home playoff games.

Said Hough: “Does this really need a punchline?”

n And one more funny one from the SportsBabe:

“Mike Mussina, 38, became the oldest pitcher ever to win 20 games for the first time Sunday.

“His teammates tried to mob him until he yelled, ‘You punks get off of my field.’”

n Ted Wyman in the Winnipeg Sun: “Lane Kiffin shouldn’t feel too bad about getting fired by the Oakland Raiders.

“You could put Vince Lombardi on the sideline wearing Bill Belichick’s sweatshirt and Tom Landry’s hat and Oakland owner Al Davis would give him the boot for being a bad dresser.”

brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca

Stanley Cup champion Red Wings only got stronger in offseason with addition of Hossa