Month: April 2018

Duff on “Torch’s” departure

Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff has an interesting theory regarding the Wings and John Torchetti’s apparently mutual decision to part ways:

General manager Ken Holland was rewarded with a two-year contract extension. Coach Jeff Blashill will stay in place to finish out the final year of his contract. But you knew someone was going to have to pay the price for the Detroit Red Wings’ second straight absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

John Torchetti turned out to be the fall guy.

The Wings decided not to offer assistant coach Torchetti a new contract. The two-year deal he signed with the team in 2016 is about to expire, and the Wings took the step of informing other NHL teams early that Torchetti would not be retained in order to give him a better chance to land work elsewhere.

Torchetti didn’t seem the least bit surprised by this development.

“No, not at all,” Torchetti told Mlive.com. “The only disappointing thing was that I wish I could have did more. I thought that overall, everyone was saying the players were developing, which is a good thing. You just always wish you could do more.

“I signed a two-year deal and one of the good things is, talking it over, I have time to look for another job. I had a good opportunity to work with some young kids, build some good things for the future and wish them the best.”

One of Torchetti’s main duties with the Wings was to oversee the club’s power play, an Achilles heel in their fall from grace the past two seasons.

Duff continues, and I had assumed that Blashill would have to let one or two of his assistant coaches go as part of the we’ll-keep-you bargain.

Red Wings officially reassign Dennis Cholowski to Grand Rapids Griffins

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

CHOLOWSKI REASSIGNED TO GRIFFINS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings have reassigned defenseman Dennis Cholowski from the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Detroit’s first-round selection, 20th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Cholowski combined for 66 points (14-52—66), a plus-29 rating and 32 penalty minutes while splitting his first major junior campaign between Prince George (13-26—39 in 37 GP) and Portland (1-26—27 in 32 GP) of the Western Hockey League. He ranked among the WHL’s top defensemen in points (8th), goals (T6th), assists (8th), plus-minus rating (T12th), shots (180, 12th) and power play points (32, T3rd). The 20-year-old also led Portland with five playoff goals in 12 games while his seven points finished sixth.

A 6-foot-1, 200-pound blueliner, Cholowski notched 12 points (1-11—12) and 14 PIM in 36 games during his lone collegiate campaign at St. Cloud State University (NCHC) in 2016-17. He made his professional debut with the Griffins later that year, skating in the team’s season finale at Milwaukee.

Prior to college, Cholowski appeared in 106 games with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League from 2013-16 and totaled 67 points (16-51—67). He was named to the league’s second all-star team in 2015-16 after pacing all team defensemen in scoring and tying for fifth among league blueliners with 40 points (12-28—40) in 50 games.

A native of Langley, British Columbia, Cholowski won a gold medal with Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in 2015-16.

Second-seeded Grand Rapids will face third-seeded Manitoba in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals. Game 1 is set for this Saturday at Manitoba.

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) of the division semifinals at Van Andel Arena are currently on sale and can be purchased at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com/tickets, by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737, or via the Griffins app for iPhone or Android.

FYI from DetroitHockey.net’s Clark Rasmussen:

FYI:

 

Walleye hit the road for a trio of games vs. Indy Fuel

The Toledo Walleye have made the journey to Indianapolis to play the Indy Fuel this evening (7:05 PM EDT start). Before the Walleye’s team bus left the Huntington Center, the Walleye’s players and coach spoke with the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe regarding the state of their first-round series:

Toledo and Indy have played 11 times this season and seven of the games have been decided by just one goal. The Walleye edged the Fuel 4-3 once again on Sunday to go up by two games in the best-of-7 series. Faceoff for Game 3 is set for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Walleye coach Dan Watson said he expects the Fuel to double down on their effort, while his team looks to drive a nail in the coffin.

“It’s going to ramp up because now you have a team that is down 0-2 and they will be desperate and be hungry to win on their home ice. And we’re up 2-0 and we want to make sure we go in there and put pressure on them and take that 3-0 series lead,” Watson said shortly before the team boarded the bus bound for Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon.

Toledo improved to 10-1-0 this season against the Fuel, and the Walleye went 6-0-0 this season at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Monroe continues…

Kulfan discusses Gustav Nyquist’s ‘off year’

Gustav Nyquist did not have a very good 2017-18 season statistically, posting 21 goals, 19 assists and 40 points in 82 games played.There’s no doubt that Nyquist, who’s signed for one more year at $4.75 million, needs to step up production-wise, but the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan duly notes (in a locker room clean-out day article) that Nyquist owned his struggles during his final session with the media:

“I don’t think I’m happy when I’m standing here talking to you guys in April,” Nyquist said during last week’s locker clean out. “I have to find a way to be better.”

What irked Nyquist was the goals he felt were there to be had, only to be squandered away.

“I scored a little more goals this year but I still think I created enough chances to score more,” Nyquist said. “I want to produce more than I did. I’ve got to find a way here during the summer to do some things and to get better for next year and have a big season.”

I don’t know how much credit Nyquist gets for working his butt off on a more consistent basis, but the Red Wings’ coach was impressed by Nyquist’s work ethic, and I’d argue that Nyquist deserves that much:

“He and I talked about it the beginning of last season, about the importance of being totally relentless in his approach, and on a lot of nights he’s done that,” Blashill said. “He’s been one of our hardest workers on a consistent basis and one of our biggest battlers.”

In Blashill’s estimation, Nyquist could easily be closer to 30 goals next season given a bit more good fortune.

“If he gets those chances a year from now, we’re sitting at 25 or 26 goals instead of 20,” Blashill said. “(He had a) ton of good chances. The fact he’s gotten to 20 doesn’t surprise me.”

I hope that Nyquist can return to 25-goal-scoring and 50-to-60-point form. The Wings need to be “proven right” in choosing Nyquist over Tatar for consistency’s sake.

Prospect playoff round-up: Sambrook’s Greyhounds advance to OHL conference final; interviews with Griffins coach Todd Nelson, captain Matt Ford

Of prospect-related playoff note:

In game action, in the OHL, Jordan Sambrook had an assist and finished at +1 in the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ 9-7 victory over the Erie Otters. You can watch highlights of the game here;

Sault Ste. Marie advances to the OHL’s Western Conference Final, where they will play Givani Smith’s Kitchener Rangers starting on Friday the 20th;

In the OHL’s Eastern Conference, Kaden Fulcher’s Hamilton Bulldogs will battle the Kingston Frontenacs, starting tonight, Wednesday, April 18th.

In the USHL, the Filip Larsson-less Tri-City Storm lost 5-1 to the Fargo Force, losing the first game of a best-of-3 first-round series;

In the AHL, in the multimedia department, the Grand Rapids Griffins are preparing to open a 5-game first-round playoff series against the Manitoba Moose on Saturday and Sunday in Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, Grand Rapids Griffins coach Todd Nelson appeared on ESPN 96.1 FM’s Big Drew and Jim Show, discussing his team’s tasks at hand…

Listen to “Todd Nelson – Grand Rapids Griffins Head Coach (4/17/18)” on Spreaker.
 

And Grand Rapids Griffins captain Matt Ford spoke with DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner in the latest “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Update: In the video department, Fox 17 spoke with the Griffins’ Ben Street, coach Nelson and Evgeny Svechnikov on Tuesday:

 

Toledo Walleye goalie Pat Nagle named to ECHL’s Second All-Star Team

From the ECHL, via the Toledo Walleye:

Here’s the ECHL’s press release:

Pat Nagle of the Toledo Walleye leads the ECHL with 36 wins, ranks second with 2,787 minutes played, third with 1,250 saves, fourth with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage and is tied for fifth with three shutouts. His 36 wins are tied for the third-most in a single-season in ECHL history, and are just two off the all-time mark of 38.

Grand Rapids Griffins sign goaltender Joel Martin to pro try-out

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS SIGN GOALTENDER JOEL MARTIN TO PTO

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday signed goaltender Joel Martin to a professional tryout.

Martin, 35, tallied a 22-21-5 record, a 3.13 goals against average and a 0.901 save percentage in 49 appearances with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings this season. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound netminder paced the league with 2,930 minutes. Martin’s 22 victories marked his fifth career 20-plus win season in the ECHL, which ties for the third-most in league history.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Martin has skated in 394 career ECHL games – which ranks third in league charts – since 2003-04, appearing with Columbus (2003-04), Trenton (2006-07), Elmira (2007-08), Augusta (2008-09) and Kalamazoo (2012-18). A nine-time ECHL Goaltender of the Week award winner, Martin’s 199 wins place fourth in ECHL history and his 22,962 minutes are good for second. He also holds the league record for most career 30-or-more win seasons with three, established from 2012-13 to 2014-16.

Martin’s last game action in the AHL came during the 2013-14 campaign when he showed a 0-2 record, a 3.03 GAA and a 0.897 save percentage in a pair of appearances with the Iowa Wild. He skated in a career high 18 games with Bridgeport in 2010-11 and posted a 2-12 mark. Martin has also suited up for Norfolk (2 GP in 2006-07), Syracuse (1 GP in 2006-07) and Cleveland (1 GP in 2005-06) and shows a career AHL record of 4-15-0 to go along with a 3.48 GAA and a 0.880 save percentage.

In his 15th season as a pro, Martin has also appeared in 67 games with Odessa in the CHL from 2003-04 and 2009-11, 114 combined games with Kalamazoo in the UHL from 2004-06 and the IHL in 2008-09, and 40 games with Herlev in Denmark during the 2011-12 season.

Second-seeded Grand Rapids will face third-seeded Manitoba in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals. Game 1 is set for this Saturday at Manitoba.

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) of the division semifinals at Van Andel Arena are currently on sale and can be purchased at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com/tickets, by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737, or via the Griffins app for iPhone or Android.

A bit about Dani Probert’s spontaneous penalty box gesture

Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt penned a superb article regarding the “History of the NHL penalty box,” and his article includes a nod to Bob Probert, a frequent visitor to the “sin bin”:

The box can even become meaningful to those who have never served a minute. Dani Probert hadn’t planned to spread her late husband Bob’s ashes there after the final Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena last April, but something about the moment felt right. So she asked Chris Chelios, one of Bob’s former teammates, to fetch a screwdriver and open a heart-shaped marble canister that accompanies her everywhere. An impromptu ceremony was held. “This is for you, Big Bob,” Dani whispered, sprinkling his remains on the floor beneath the bench.

“I think we both know Bob spent a lot of time in the penalty box, considering he had 3,300 career PIMs,” she says. “It just made sense.”

Prewitt continues…

Khan: John Torchetti out as Wings assistant coach

From MLive’s Ansar Khan:

The Detroit Red Wings have parted ways with assistant coach John Torchetti, whose contract expired at the end of the season.

Torchetti served as an assistant under head coach Jeff Blashill the past two seasons. He worked primarily with the forwards and was in charge of the power play. The Red Wings’ power play ranked 24th in the NHL this season at 17.5 percent. It was 27th in 2016-17 at 15.1 percent.

The Red Wings could be seeking another assistant to join a staff that includes Doug Houda, who works with the defense and is in charge of the penalty kill, and Pat Ferschweiler, who ran the power play in 2015-16.

Here’s more from The Athletic’s Craig Custance:

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings and assistant coach John Torchetti are going separate ways following the conclusion of his two-year contract, signed in 2016. Multiple sources told The Athletic that the Red Wings have notified NHL teams via e-mail of the decision to part ways with Torchetti. Torchetti was brought to Detroit in 2016 after his stint as the interim head coach of the Minnesota Wild. “I’m looking forward to another challenge,” Torchetti told The Athletic on Tuesday. “I wish I could have done more with the team here.”

Update #2: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan also confirms:

The Detroit Red Wings will not bring back assistant coach John Torchetti next season.

Torchetti, 53, oversaw the power play and forwards. His two-year contract expired after the season.

The power play ranked 24th in the NHL (17.5 percent), a mild improvement over the 2016-17 season (27th, 15.1 percent).

The Red Wings finished 28th overall in goals (2.59 per game) this past season.

Torchetti came to Detroit after three times serving as interim head coach in the NHL – in Florida, Los Angeles and Minnesota, taking the Wild into the playoffs in that interim role at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Afternoon news: on a Datsyukian alumnus, Nyquist and the Worlds, David Pope and Griffins playoffs

Of Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

1. In alumni news, according to the Free Press’s Helene St. James, Pavel Datsyuk’s signed a one-year extension with SKA St. Petersburg:

2. In present-day Wings news, during locker room clean-out day, Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff spoke with Gustav Nyquist regarding his consideration regarding participation in the World Championship:

“Not decided yet,” Nyquist said. “No answer on that. There’s a couple of things, but I’m sure it will come out sooner or later what my decision is.”

Unless he’s dealing with an ailment that’s not been disclosed, it would be surprising if he chose not to suit up for the Swedes. He’s always answered Sweden’s call in the past, even in 2016, passing up the chance to go to Churchill Downs and watch his namesake Nyquist when the Kentucky Derby in order to play for Sweden at the worlds.

Suiting up all 82 games this season, Nyquist netted 21 goals, his best season in terms of goal output since he scored 27 in 2014-15 and the third 20-goal campaign of his NHL career, but the 28-year-old right-winger wasn’t about to reach around and pat himself on the back, or tweet out Mission Accomplished for that matter.

“I don’t think I’m happy when I’m standing here talking to you guys in April,” he told reporters on locker cleanout day. “I’ve got to find a way to be better. I scored a little more goals this year, but I still think I created enough chances to score more. I want to produce more than I did. I’ve got to find a way here during the summer to do some things and get better for next year to have a big season.”

3. MLive’s Ansar Khan penned an article discussing Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov, the top European and North American skaters (respectively) for this year’s NHL draft;

4. The Athletic’s Topher Scott offers an article which breaks down some of prospect David Pope’s tendencies via video…

So what would the Red Wings get in the 2018 version of David Pope? I spoke to a few rival coaches and watched some tape on him to get a glimpse.

He is big, strong and can really skate

The college game was a perfect match for Pope in his developmental path. As someone who was tall, thin and timid at times, he needed all three years of junior hockey and all four years of college hockey to grow into the player he is today. One rival coach told me Pope has come a really long way since he got to UNO in strength, speed and assertiveness with his play. At 23, he may be finally ready to take that next step.

Scott continues…

5. And The Athletic’s Max Bultman wrote an article titled, “What to expect from the Red Wings’ prospects in the AHL playoffs“:

For [Libor] Sulak, balancing the defensive corps could ultimately dictate his role and playing time — Grand Rapids needs to be able to trust him in the defensive zone, though he did show some promising offensive vision Saturday against Cleveland.

“I think he’s still getting used to the smaller ice and the timing,” Red Wings assistant GM Ryan Martin told The Athletic. “He’s got good puck skills, but guys are closing on him probably a little quicker than he’s used to because of the ice dimensions. But that’ll come with time. He likes to get up in the play, he’s got a good shot, he gets a lot of pucks on net — that’s his game, really.”

As forwards go, the most immediate attention will go to Svechnikov and whether he can start to take over games in the playoffs. The big Russian had his bumps this regular season, but the team will be hoping an end-of-season stint in Detroit has his confidence back up in time for the playoffs.

Bultman also continues (paywall)…