Three Things: On the Griffins’ coaching search, the “scouting combine” and Saturday’s HTA equipment/memorabilia sale

Of Red Wings and Griffins-related note this evening:

  1. WOOD TV’s Larry Figurski spoke with outgoing Grand Rapids Griffins coach Todd Nelson regarding his hiring with the Dallas Stars, and Figurski notes that Griffins assistant coach Ben Simon, South Korea head coach Jim Paek and Toledo Walleye coach Dan Watson are among the possible candidates to replace Nelson:

I certainly wish that the Red Wings were able to keep Nelson in the organization, but if Nelson felt that it was best to go elsewhere to stake out on his own (he is 49 and still looking to earn an NHL head coaching position), I wish Nelson nothing but the best. He was a tremendous coach and mentor for the Griffins and he was a pleasure to speak to from a media perspective.

2. In the “future Wings” department, Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff noted that the Red Wings’ front office is attending the NHL’s Scouting Combine in Buffalo, both keeping an eye upon draft-eligible players they undergo fitness testing and interviewing said prospects on a one-on-one (or nearly so) basis:

“By this point, when you get to May, we’ve been watching these players, in some cases 2-3 years and over the course of that time you’re meeting with coaches, trainers, teammates, billet families, strength coaches, people that have had contact with these players throughout their lives, even parents perhaps. You’re painting a picture. So this is not something that is put together over one season, it’s typically multiple seasons. At this point of the year, most of these players, if not all, we will have already interviewed once or more throughout the year.

“When we get into the combine, several of these players we’ve already interviewed multiple times. This is a little different format, eight or nine of us in a room. It’s a little bit more intense of a setting than just meeting a kid after a game in the basement of a rink. It doesn’t carry the day, but it’s one piece of the puzzle we’re putting together, and it can certainly affect a player’s status on our list in terms of moving up or down.”

Duff continues…

3. And if you are planning on attending the Red Wings’ annual equipment and memorabilia sale this Saturday in Troy, the Wings are allowing season ticket-holders into Hockeytown Authentics at 9 AM, and the general public in at 10 AM:

 

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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, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!