Month: March 2018

Just to make it official: Joe Hicketts recalled by the Wings

This is “old news,” but I want to post it in case you missed it:

RED WINGS RECALL JOE HICKETTS
… Second-Year Pro Made NHL Debut on Jan. 22 at New Jersey …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled defenseman Joe Hicketts from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Hicketts, 21, made his NHL debut with the Red Wings on Jan. 22 at New Jersey and was a plus-one with one hit and three blocked shots in 15:13 time on ice. The second-year pro has also appeared in 63 games for the Griffins this season, registering 10 points (3-7-10) and 32 penalty minutes. In his rookie season with Grand Rapids, the Kamloops, British Columbia, native led the team’s defensemen with 34 points (7-27-34) in 73 games, which ranked seventh among first-year AHL defensemen. Hicketts also led Griffins blueliners in postseason scoring after picking up eight points (1-7-8) in 19 games en route to helping the team capture its second AHL championship in five seasons. In 136 career AHL games, he has tallied 44 points (10-34-44), 72 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.

Continue reading Just to make it official: Joe Hicketts recalled by the Wings

Khan, Sipple: Holland will return as Wings GM per source

From MLive’s Ansar Khan:

Ken Holland will return as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings next season, with or without a contact, a source told MLive.

Holland’s future has been in question from the start of the season because, unlike previous years, he wasn’t extended prior to the final year of his contract.

But ownership has decided Holland, the GM since 1997, should head the rebuilding job the franchise faces after missing the postseason two years in a row, following a 25-season playoff streak.

It is unclear whether an official announcement will be made before the end of the season, but some clarity was expected before the team gathers for photo and locker cleanout day, shortly after the season finale on April 7.

Continued, and the Free Press’s George Sipple confirms:

Ken Holland is expected return as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings next season, the Free Press has learned.  It’s unclear how the contract will be structured.

“He’s going to be back as the GM,” a person familiar with the situation told the Free Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Wings, who will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, have not addressed Holland’s future..

…

Holland, reached by phone on Tuesday, did not say if he will return next season.

“Two weeks from today, there’s going to be a cleanup day and a team picture day and the media is going to be focusing on the ’18-19 season and who is running the team, who is making the decision and what is the plan,” Holland said. “I know in the next 10 days, the answer to all your questions will be settled.”

Update: From the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

Ken Holland will return as Detroit Red Wings general manager next season, a source familiar with the organization’s plans told The Detroit News on Tuesday.

The source requested anonymity because the team has not made a formal announcement regarding its leadership plans for next season.

Head coach Jeff Blashill is likely to return to the Red Wings, the source told The News.

Prospect round-up: Griffins sweep 2-game series vs. Wild; Walleye lose to Brampton; Rasmussen 2G+2A, Cholowski 2G in WHL playoffs

In the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins were able to sweep their 2-game set against the Iowa Wild, winning 3-2 in a shootout. Axel Holmstrom and Filip Hronek had shootout markers, and Holmstrom and Matt Puempel scored in regulation.

The Griffins’ website posted a recap:

Continue reading Prospect round-up: Griffins sweep 2-game series vs. Wild; Walleye lose to Brampton; Rasmussen 2G+2A, Cholowski 2G in WHL playoffs

Red Wings-Maple Leafs wrap-up: Wings’ youngsters are learning, but losses still feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ to the vets

The Detroit Red Wings dropped their 10th straight road game over the course of a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

The Red Wings did their best to out-hustle the Maple Leafs, but the Wings blew 2-1 and 3-2 leads en route to their defeat.

Things don’t get any easier as the Wings will complete a 3-games-in-4-nights slate by heading to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Monday and host the Penguins on Monday.

For our friends from Toronto, Saturday’s win was earned descriptions such as “ugly,” “scrappy,” “plucky” and “gritty.” Coach Mike Babcock told TSN’s Kristen Shilton that the Leafs managed to win against what turned out to be a more difficult opponent than his charges may have believed the Wings to be:

Continue reading Red Wings-Maple Leafs wrap-up: Wings’ youngsters are learning, but losses still feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ to the vets

Red Wings-Maple Leafs quick take: another frustrating loss to Toronto

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to snap the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 12-game home winning streak on Saturday evening.

Detroit blew 3-1 and 3-2 leads en route to a 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday, affording Toronto its 13th straight home win while losing the Wings’ 10th straight road game.

Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Frans Nielsen all scored goals, Nielsen had 6 shots, Larkin 5, Jimmy Howard was pretty damn excellent for a goalie who gave up 4 goals, and the Wings just were unable to hold onto the leads they generated, which was incredibly frustrating.

Continue reading Red Wings-Maple Leafs quick take: another frustrating loss to Toronto

Friedman weighs in on KH’s future

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned Red Wings GM Ken Holland during Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, stating that Ken Holland was scouting as hard as ever, that the Red Wings were about to make a free agent pitch to college UFA Daniel Brickley, and Friedman believed that there would be clarification regarding Ken Holland’s status coming from ownership by the end of the season. According to Friedman, the scuttlebutt suggested that Holland was talking with ownership regarding the term and role he would play under his new contract, and “hockey people were not talking” like Holland would be out.

Check out the 1:50 mark of the following video.

 

FYI:

Here’s the Griffins’ Game Day Preview ahead of tonight’s rematch with Iowa

The Grand Rapids Griffins will battle the Iowa Wild this evening (at 7:00 PM EDT on WOOD Radio), and Griffins announcer Bob Kaser sets up tonight’s rematch between the teams, who played together on Friday:

 

On Mantha emulating van Riemsdyk, and Mantha and Larkin’s chemistry

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan and the Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin and coach Jeff Blashill regarding a pair of topics…

First discussing the Wings’ hope that Mantha can emulate James van Riemsdyk’s net-front presence, as Kulfan noted…

Mantha (6-foot-5, 225) and van Riemsdyk (6-foot-3, 217) have the same body type – lanky and with a long reach – and with Mantha’s hand-eye coordination and knack with the puck, the potential is there to dominate around the net.

“He’s a good player in this league – I look at his game,” said Mantha, who has watched video with the coaching staff on JVR’s work. “Watch a lot of clips of him net-front, learn the details, and how to get into the right spot.”

Entering Saturday’s game, van Riemsdyk leads the Maple Leafs with 34 goals, while averaging 14:49 of ice time. Of the 34 goals, a team-leading 11 have come on the power play.

Over the last five games, van Riemsdyk had scored eight goals.

“James van Riemsdyk is a guy we’ve talked about with Anthony,” Blashill said. “JVR has as good a hands around the net for a big guy, and makes a lot of plays, makes their power play extremely dangerous. A lot of penalty kills want to leave the net-front guy to the goalie. He’s a tough guy to leave alone for a goalie because of how dangerous he is in that area.”

Kulfan continues, and the Free Press’s St. James both spoke of Mantha’s desire to emulate van Riemsdyk as well as the Wings’ decision to reunite #39 and #71:

Continue reading On Mantha emulating van Riemsdyk, and Mantha and Larkin’s chemistry

Wakiji on the brothers Svechnikov

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji spoke to Evgeny Svechnikov about his brother Andrei, with whom “Geno” was able to catch up on Friday night:

Rookie Evgeny Svechnikov was in an especially good mood Saturday morning as he got a chance to spend time with his mom, Elena, and younger brother, Andrei, the night before.

“It’s a good feeling, seeing my mom and my brother last night,” Svechnikov said. “They came for dinner. We went to CN Tower. It was nice dinner. It was a great atmosphere. I haven’t seen my brother since the summer, so I was very happy. He’s bigger than me, so it was exciting to see.”

Andrei Svechnikov, who turns 18 in two days, plays for the OHL’s Barrie Colts and is listed at 6-foot-3, 184 pounds.

Evgeny Svechnikov, 21, is 6-foot-3, 212 pounds.

“He’s bigger in the shoulders and a little bit taller,” Svechnikov said. “It’s impressive. I’m really happy with what’s he got for the future.”

Wakiji continues…