Paul Woods exits Red Wings radio booth after 40 years: 'This has been a dream'

Sunrise, Fla. — Paul Woods wasn't sure what the emotions were going to be. Woods, 71, was set to do his last game as the Red Wings' radio analyst Wednesday when the regular season concluded against the Florida Panthers.

Working his 40th season as the Wings' radio analyst, Woods announced his retirement in February for this season's end. "I'm not quite sure what to think," Woods said after the Wings' morning skate. "It's all good.

Just so many great memories. I'm very satisfied with how everything turned out. " Woods played seven seasons and 501 games with the Wings before joining the radio booth in 1987, three years after his playing career ended.

Woods accepted the radio opportunity on a lark, not expecting radio to be a long-time career, but suddenly "it grew on me. " "Just the game itself, to be able to see it and played at the highest level," Woods said of what he'll miss the most. "I was just going to do it for one year and then turned out to be 40.