Author: George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, when MLive hired me to work their SlapShots blog, and I joined Kukla's Korner in 2011 as The Malik Report. I'm starting The Malik Report as a stand-alone site, hoping that having my readers fund the website is indeed the way to go to build a better community and create better content.

DHN’s Duff discusses Anton Johansson’s early returns

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a profile of Red Wings prospect and 2022 draft pick Anton Johansson, who’s apparently having a solid preseason as he attempts to break into Leksands IF’s men’s team:

At 6-foot-4 and 172 pounds, he is lanky, with the potential to really fill out and grow into his body. He sizes up well in more areas than just as a physical specimen, however.

Anton Johansson displays an impressive offensive upside. He’s a strong skater, transports the puck effecitvely and is equipped with a booming shot.

“We like the size, the right shot, puck-moving defenseman that we were excited to get,” Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said. “We really like the path that he’s on.”

Last season, Johansson started the campaign with Leksand J18. He moved up to the club’s J20 squad and even graduated to play four games for the Leksand senior squad in the SHL, Sweden’s top flight.

Due in part to a COVID-19 outbreak within the club, Johansson is being offered the chance to display his wares during the SHL preseason and it’s been going well for him.

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Tweet of note: WXYZ’s Galli notes an Andrew Copp bobblehead night at USA Hockey Arena

I was going to post this last night, but WXYZ’s YouTube channel has disabled playback when you embed videos. So, per WXYZ’s Brad Galli…

Andrew Copp is getting a bobblehead night at @USAHockeyArena on January 7.@umichhockey @DetroitRedWings @USAHockeyNTDP @Copp94 pic.twitter.com/nV6bFPDdKx— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 24, 2022

Roughly translated: Jakub Vrana speaks with iSport.cz

Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana raised funds for his youth hockey team in Prague recently, and iSPort.cz’s Zdenek Janda spoke with Vrana regarding the upcoming NHL season in Detroit:

Vrana about returning to Letnany and the Czech group in Detroit: “We have potential”

He returned to the place where he grew up playing hockey, and sometimes even slept near the ice. Forward Jakub Vrana (26), winner of a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018, played an exhibition game with Prague’s HC Letci team over the weekend as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the team. “Wonderful, I’ve never seen it so full here,” said the sniper from Detroit. After the game, he talked about the Red Wings and memories of his bronze medal In Tampere [Finland].

It was an emotional moment for him. In the place where he learned the secrets of hockey as a small boy, now the fans applauded him. As well as other members of the Letnany-based team, the challenging selection of All-Stars were led by Jakub Voracek and David Pastrnak this past Saturday. “We enjoyed it very much. I’m very happy with how many people came,” explained Jakub Vrana.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Jakub Vrana speaks with iSport.cz

Big Sky, Montana to build a rink honoring Red Wings alumnus Marty Pavelich

Former Red Wings forward Marty Pavelich retired to Big Sky, Montana 30 years ago, and “Explore Big Sky’s” Gabrielle Gasser reports that the community is going to build a rink named aver Pavelich:

Every Sunday for 10 years, Marty Pavelich, four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings, would attend church, eat breakfast and go skating at the ice rink in Big Sky’s Town Center. Pavelich, now 94, hung up his skates for good in 2020, but two local organizations are working to ensure his legacy lives on in perpetuity.

Big Sky Community Organization and the Big Sky Skating and Hockey Association are partnering on a campaign to raise $600,000 for the development of a permanent ice rink, one they’ll name after Pavelich. The rink, which found its permanent home as part of the BASE community center campus in 2021, has long been a gathering place for Big Sky residents during the dark winter months, offering opportunities after chairlifts stop spinning to skate, curl or play hockey.

The campaign started in July and the goal is to raise the funds as fast as possible to hold a ribbon cutting with Pavelich in attendance. Funds raised by the campaign will cover half of the cost to build the permanent rink, establish a rink maintenance fund and purchase more youth hockey gear among other things.

“We want Marty to see the appreciation that the community has for not only his Red Wings history and being a local but all he did to build the program, to build the rink, to get this group of people together in 2010 and to have him see the community’s support and appreciation,” said Kate Ketschek, BSCO board chair.

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Tweet of note: Wings at the Ilitch Charities for Children Golf Outing

The Red Wings’ players who are already in town took part in the Ilitch Charities for Children Golf Outing today, and here’s a Twiter clip thereof from Red Wings TV:

DHN’s Allen discusses Moritz Seider’s potential to (eventually) win a Norris Trophy

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen spoke with several NHL analysts regarding the possibility of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider contending for a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman at some point in the future:

“I think Seider will have a place in the Norris conversation in 2022-23, and I think it’s entirely possible that he’ll win one or more as his career progresses,” said Hall of Fame hockey writer Dave Molinari, another long-time voter. “But in the short term, I believe the field of elite defensemen is simply too crowded to make him anything more than a long shot.”

NHL Network analyst Stu Grimson, a former Red Wings’ player, has a similar perspective. He has said on the air that Seider should win a Norris at some point in his career.

“(But) is he capable of a Norris next year?,” Grimson said. “I’d say likely not.”

Grimson sees two issues for Seider: Developmental trajectory and timing.

“Bigger bodies take longer to develop,” Grimson said. “Yes, Fox and Makar inserted themselves into Norris discussion very early in their careers. However, these are guys that compete with more modest sized frames and they tend to be somewhat more agile. And that agility translates to point per game seasons for them very early in their careers. Not to mention these guys are making 20 goals from the blueline look routine. I believe Seider can be that caliber of player. It may take him another couple years or so to get there. He’s not the same threat to score as the elite guys yet. But he could be in time.”

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Press release: NHLPA announces participants in this September’s ‘Rookie Showcase,’ including Simon Edvinsson

Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson will take part in the NHLPA’s “Rookie Showcase” in Washington, D.C. this September, per a press release from the NHLPA:

TORONTO (Aug. 23, 2022) The National Hockey League Players’ Association will host its 12th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase Tuesday, Sept. 6 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., with more than 30 NHL® prospects and rookies scheduled to attend. This unique event provides Upper Deck the official trading card partner of the NHLPA and the NHL with an opportunity to capture photographs and videos of many of the game’s top young prospects and rookies in their official NHL team uniforms. The content collected will be used for upcoming Upper Deck trading cards and related promotional materials.

2022 NHLPA Rookie Showcase Scheduled Attendees:

The following NHL prospects and rookies are scheduled to be in attendance for the 2022 NHLPA Rookie Showcase:

Yaroslav Askarov (Predators), Matty Beniers (Kraken), Matt Boldy (Wild), Thomas Bordeleau (Sharks), Mavrik Bourque (Stars), Brendan Brisson (Golden Knights), Brandt Clarke (Kings), Graeme Clarke (Devils), Lukas Dostal (Ducks), Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings), Samuel Fagemo (Kings), Dylan Holloway (Oilers), Hendrix Lapierre (Capitals), Fabian Lysell (Bruins), Matias Maccelli (Coyotes), Jacob Perreault (Ducks), Sam Poulin (Penguins), Owen Power (Sabres), Jack Quinn (Sabres), Aatu Raty (Islanders), Lukas Reichel (Blackhawks), Marco Rossi (Wild), Braden Schneider (Rangers), Jake Sanderson (Senators), Juraj Slafkovsky (Canadiens), Ryan Suzuki (Hurricanes), Shane Wright (Kraken) and Connor Zary (Flames).
*Please note the player list is subject to change.

A bit of pre-WJC talk with Simon Edvinsson

NHL.com’s Dave Hogg spoke with Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson regarding his experiences at the Red Wings’ summer development camp, as well as his expectations for the upcoming season:

Simon Edvinsson didn’t get the full benefit of this summer’s development camp with the Detroit Red Wings but the defenseman prospect said he thinks he learned what he needed to. Edvinsson’s arrival in Detroit was delayed by travel issues, meaning most of his ice time came in the 3-on-3 tournament on the final day.

“It was just awesome to get here after all the struggles with the planes and everything,” Edvinsson said. “Today was about getting to know everyone, and I’m going to be staying in town for the next three weeks to work with a lot of these guys.”

Edvinsson spent his time in Detroit getting ready for the World Junior Championship, where he scored two points (one goal, one assist) and helped Sweden finish third. Now he’s taking a short break before the Red Wings hold prospect camp and their full training camp.

“I want to be in the lineup on the first day of the season,” Edvinsson said. “I know I’m going to have to work hard because we have a lot of great defensemen, but that’s just more motivation for me. I’m going to show everything I’ve got.”

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