Month: April 2018

The Athletic’s Bultman profiles Filip Hronek, Libor Sulak

The Athletic’s Max Bultman profiles Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak today, and we’ll take a look at his Sulak profile to discuss both players’ potential:

The question was posted to Martin: What are the predictive traits to look for from an AHL defenseman?

“They don’t make mistakes,” Martin said immediately. “You go to an OHL game and there’s mistakes all over the ice. The puck may not even end up on the goal — like it might not even be a scoring chance. Down here, a lot of times it is a scoring chance. In the NHL it’s in the net. So I think that’s the biggest adjustment for the defensemen — and especially guys that have offensive parts to their game. They might not be used to defending.

“I think Vili (Saarijarvi) has done a really good job this year. He was obviously a high-end point guy in the OHL. I think he’s done a really good job this year of figuring out, ‘I gotta play D first and then the rest will come.’ And I think he’s balanced that well, and so has Fil. I think that would be Libor’s adjustment, because it’s quicker, it’s faster, the guys are stronger up here. Plays happen differently.”

Martin also pointed out that, since the players are better at the AHL level, there are also some benefits for a defenseman. For one, you can rely more on your defensive partner being in the right spot. For some, he said, it can be easier to play at this level, for that reason.

“But they also have to balance the strengths of their game with the vulnerabilities that you have here when you’re young and you’re not used to it,” he said.

Continued (paywall)…

Two disparate things: Brian Lawton chats with WDFN’s Matt Sheppard; Walleye to hold free agent camp in August

Of Red Wings and Toledo Walleye-related note this morning:

1. NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton spoke with WDFN’s Matt Sheppard this morning, discussing the playoffs and Ken Holland’s scouting status:

Listen to “NHL Network Analyst Brian Lawton 4-20-18” on Spreaker.
2. And in very different news, the Toledo Walleye are holding their annual free agent try-out camp this August:

Here’s the Walleye’s press release:

TEST YOUR SKILLS AT OUR FREE AGENT TRYOUT CAMP

Ever wanted to be a member of the Toledo Walleye? Test your skills at our Free Agent Tryout Camp prior to our main preseason camp.

The Free Agent Camp will be held August 4-5, 2018 at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo. Success in this tryout camp will lead to an invitation to the main training camp in early October.

Cost of camp includes three separate ice sessions, a camp jersey and a pregame meal on Saturday between ice sessions. Participants are responsible for their lodging and meals. Hotel options will be sent out after the registration period is complete.

It is recommended that you register as soon as possible, as each free agent camp we have hosted has sold out.

Click here to register.

Update: FYI:

Wallner on Svechnikov the x factor

The Grand Rapids Press’s Peter J. Wallner posits the theory that Evgeny Svechnikov may be the player upon which the Grand Rapids Griffins can rely to provide the scoring lost by Matt Lorito (knee) and Tyler Bertuzzi’s absences from the Griffins’ lineup:

A year ago, Bertuzzi finished the regular season with points in one of his final four games. That came after he battled an ankle injury that cut short his time with the Red Wings as he had a decent 12 goals and 37 points in 48 regular-season games.

Once the playoffs rolled around, however, Bertuzzi took off with two goals and four points in three games in the opening-round series against Milwaukee. He became the Griffins’ face of the postseason run as the Griffins topped Syracuse in six games to win the Calder Cup Trophy. Bertuzzi finished with nine goals and 19 points in 19 games.

Svechnikov played a significant role, too, in his first AHL postseason with five goals and 12 points. He also had four points in the opening-round series.

Now, with five games back with the Griffins, Svechnikov liked what he did in two games at Texas and San Antonio but not the regular-season finale at home against Cleveland.

“At Texas and San Antonio, I think those games went well and I did my best,” he said. “But I wasn’t happy with the way I played last game. That was not acceptable.”

His scoring hasn’t met expectations, but other parts of his game have. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Svechnikov is stronger, wins most of the puck battles in the corners and is gaining net-front presence.

“I think anyone who comes down from the National Hockey League has that inner confidence,” Nelson said. “And it also gives him some hunger to know what he has to do to go up there in the future.”

Wallner continues…

Tyler Bertuzzi does his homework, impresses schoolkids in Sudbury with personal responses

This is just a plain old cool story from the Sudbury Star’s Ben Leeson, who reports that Tyler Bertuzzi received a set of letters from 3rd Grade students in his hometown of Sudbury, so Bertuzzi responded–to each individual student:

Veronica Neilson’s Grade 3 class is often a lively place, but when the letters from Tyler Bertuzzi arrived, it was a hub of activity.

Neilson’s students at Queen Elizabeth II Public School had written to Bertuzzi, a first-year NHL player with the Detroit Red Wings, as part of a project. With help from Angela Bertuzzi, Tyler’s mother and an educational assistant for the class, students learned the player’s back story, from his childhood and early days of minor hockey to his time with the OHL’s Guelph Storm to his pro turn with the Wings organization.

The also learned about hard work, perseverance and about being a good sport. Then they wrote to congratulate him on his first NHL goal, scored against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 14.

The students were overjoyed recently when they realized Bertuzzi had written back not just to the class, but to each of them, individually.

“It was actually quite nice,” beamed eight-year-old Darius Larcher.

“It was awesome,” added nine-year-old Landon Pamser. “He is a kind person.”

Continued, and the article’s worth your time…

Grand Rapids Griffins post video previewing Griffins-Moose playoff series

The Grand Rapids Griffins play the Manitoba Moose starting Saturday and Sunday in Winnipeg, and as both games start at 3 PM EDT, the Griffins have posted a video previewing the series ahead of this weekend’s matinee games:

 

Toledo Walleye sweep Indy Fuel in double OT

It took two overtimes to do it, but the Toledo Walleye earned their 4th straight win over the Indy Fuel on Thursday night, with Christian Hilbrich’s goal at 7:45 of the 2nd OT earning Toledo a 3-2 victory.

Simon Denis and Austen Brassard scored the Walleye’s other goals, and Pat Nagle stopped 43 of 45 shots.

The Walleye’s website posted a recap:

Continue reading Toledo Walleye sweep Indy Fuel in double OT

Griffins’ weekly press release sets up series vs. Manitoba

The Grand Rapids Griffins have filed their weekly press release, and the document prepares fans for the Griffins’ first-round playoff series against the Manitoba Moose:

GRIFFINS AND MOOSE CLASH IN CENTRAL DIVISION SEMIFINALS

This Week’s Games
GRIFFINS at Manitoba Moose // Sat., April 21 // 3 p.m. EDT // Bell MTS Place
GRIFFINS at Manitoba Moose // Sun., April 22 // 3 p.m. EDT // Bell MTS Place
Listen: ESPN 96.1 FM at 2:35 p.m. both days
Watch: AHLLive.com

Continue reading Griffins’ weekly press release sets up series vs. Manitoba

Kulfan profiles Filip Hronek

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan profiles Red Wings prospect and Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Filip Hronek this afternoon, discussing Hronek’s rapid ascent through the Griffins’ depth chart:

Griffins coach Todd Nelson was impressed with how Hronek kept elevating his performance throughout the long season.

“I didn’t think he’d develop as quickly as he has, which is great,” Nelson said. “From Christmas on to now, he’s been playing his best hockey. Maybe a month ago I thought, ‘Man, he’s really developed, he’s playing extremely well for us, not just the offensive numbers but you look at his plus-minus, he’s playing well defensively’.

“And when I thought he’d be peaking, he cranked it up another gear last month, and that’s great for us and the organization. He runs the No. 1 power-play unit, and he’s been one of our go-to guys He’s put himself in that position, so that’s a great story.”

The adjustment of going from junior to pro hockey, along with a glut of defensemen in Grand Rapids in the early going, made getting into the lineup difficult for Hronek.

But gradually it all began to work out. The Red Wings made trades to reduce the logjam, and near the halfway mark of the season, Hronek began earning the trust of Nelson and the coaching staff.

“Guys are stronger, faster and smarter (in the AHL),” Hronek said of the adjustment from junior hockey where Hronek starred in Saginaw. “You have to make (quick) decisions. The start was hard, it was tough to get tempo (with lack of playing time), and trust from the coach. Then when I started to feel comfortable, I was feeling better.”

Kulfan continues…

Griffins officially sign goaltender Justin Fazio to ATO

It’s official, per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

JUSTIN FAZIO SIGNED TO ATO

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Thursday signed goaltender Justin Fazio to an amateur tryout.

Fazio, 20, led the Ontario Hockey League with a 0.918 save percentage and placed second in wins with 37 while making 51 appearances for the Sarnia Sting this season. He also ranked sixth with a 2.85 goals against average and tied for ninth with a pair of shutouts. The 6-foot-1 netminder added a 6-6 record, a 3.04 GAA and a 0.890 save percentage in 12 postseason games as Sarnia fell in six games to Kitchener in the second round of the OHL playoffs.

A native of Sarnia, Ontario, Fazio has skated in 176 games with the Sting since 2013 and has logged 50 or more appearances in each of the last two seasons. He has claimed 20 or more victories in three consecutive campaigns, capped off by a career-high 37 this season. In total, Fazio shows a 92-62-13 career record, a 3.26 GAA, a 0.900 save percentage and six shutouts with Sarnia. He adds a 6-8 record in 15 playoff appearances to go along with a 3.66 GAA and a 0.877 save percentage.

Khan on Michael Rasmussen’s positional shift

Red Wings prospect and Tri-City Americans captain Michael Rasmussen has shifted from center to wing since returning from wrist surgery, and MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that the positional change has benefited Rasmussen, per Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff:

He had 31 goals and 59 points in 47 games during the regular season, playing mostly center, his natural position. He played a little on the wing toward the end of the year, which the Red Wings encouraged.

Rasmussen’s posted 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points over the course of 8 playoff games played…

“He’s learning how to (play wing),” Horcoff said. “He’s normally been a center. We know him to be that and view him as that. But at the same time, it’s always good to learn how to play wing, which makes him more of a complete player.”

Horcoff said Rasmussen is skating much better. That was the main concern when he was drafted. He has tremendous hands and offensive instincts.

“When he first started playing (the wing) it took a little bit, but once the playoffs started he found his groove and is more comfortable,” Horcoff said. “He’s hard on the puck. With his size and strength in that league he’s hard to knock off the puck down low.

“He’s making some great offensive plays, some great passes, showing some really good vision from below the tops of the circles, which is a nice asset to go along with his good hands and scoring touch out front.”

Khan and Horcoff continue…