Month: June 2018

Red Wings pick Joe Veleno 30th overall

The Detroit Red Wings picked Joe Veleno 30th overall at the 2018 NHL draft.

Update: Here’s the Free Press’s Helene St. James on Veleno:

Continue reading Red Wings pick Joe Veleno 30th overall

Red Wings select Filip Zadina 6th overall

From Future Considerations:

Continue reading Red Wings select Filip Zadina 6th overall

Pre-draft KH: Wings not moving up, etc.

Of Red Wings-related note an hour before the draft:

Update:

Monroe: Toledo Walleye earn ECHL’s ‘Team Award of Excellence’

From the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

In six of their nine seasons as an ECHL franchise, the Toledo Walleye have been named the organization with the best business model in the league.

The Walleye earned the ECHL’s Team Award of Excellence on Thursday at the league’s annual summer meetings in Las Vegas.

It is the fourth season in a row that the Walleye have received the award.

The honor goes to the ECHL organization that executes a well-rounded business plan including sales, marketing, media relations, and merchandising while also distinguishing itself in the community — on and off the ice.

During the 2017-18 season, the Walleye set a new single-season attendance record with a total of 273,613 spectators attending the team’s 36 home games at the Huntington Center. The organization also set a record for average attendance (7,600 per game).

On the ice, the team captured the most home wins (28) and set a record for the longest unbeaten streak (16 games) at home.

Audio: Tyler Wright speaks with Matt Sheppard; Kris Draper on the Red and White Authority

Red Wings director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright spoke with WDFN’s Matt Sheppard this morning, addressing the draft and player development on “Shep, Shower and Shave”…

And Wings special assistant to the GM Kris Draper spoke with Arthur J. Regner in the latest “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Galli speaks with LeBrun at the draft

WXYZ’s Brad Galli is in Dallas to take in the NHL draft, and Galli spoke with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun regarding the Wings’ trade doings (Kovalchuk and Grubauer):

Update: Also from Galli:

Catch-up post: on the schedule, Bylsma, draft talk and trade talk

Of catch-up related note, on a source-by-source basis:

A. DetroitRedWings.com:

1. According to DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji, Dan Bylsma chose to join the Red Wings‘ coaching staff based upon, among other things, his experience working with Jeff Blashill on Team USA’s World Championship staff;

B. MLive:

  1. MLive’s Kyle Austin notes the following regarding the draft’s TV coverage:
What time and channel?

The first round of the draft will take place on Friday night starting at 7:30 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Center in Dallas and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.

Rounds 2-7 will take place on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. ET. NHL Network will broadcast Saturday’s portion of the draft.

2. Ansar Khan spoke with Wings director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright regarding the Wings’ desire to draft “up the middle” this year;

3. Matt Wenzel penned an article highlighting 10 Wings games to watch this upcoming season;

4. Khan’s final mock draft = Evan Bouchard and Akil Thomas going to Detroit;

5. Khan also penned a pair of articles regarding Bylsma’s hiring.

C. Detroit Free Press:

  1. St. James has the Wings drafting Bouchard and Ryan McLeod in her final mock draft;
  2. St. James spoke with Holland and Wright regarding the draft;
  3. And St. James penned an article regarding Bylsma’s hiring.

D. Detroit News:

1. The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Tyler Wright regarding the draft;

2. Kulfan penned an article regarding Bylsma’s hiring;

3. Gregg Krupa suggested that the Red Wings need to pick the best player available, regardless of their position;

4. Kulfan suggested that Andreas Athanasiou and Gustav Nyquist may be moved at the draft.

E. Hockeybuzz:

  1. Bob Duff penned an article in which Evgeny Svechnikov discusses his brother Andrei, who will likely be picked #2 overall by Carolina this evening;

F. Michigan Hockey:

1. Michigan Hockey’s Stefan Kubus penned an article about Dan Bylsma’s hiring;

2. And Michael Caples discussed the highlights of the Wings’ schedule.

G. The Athletic’s Craig Custance reports that:

1. The Wings may try to snag Philipp Grubauer from the Caps;

2. Mike Green may re-sign, but Green wants 3 years and the Wings are offering 2;

3. The Wings might buy out Xavier Ouellet.

 

Dan Bylsma officially named an assistant coach

Catching up, per the Red Wings…

Red Wings hire Dan Bylsma as assistant coach

Michigan native won Stanley Cup in 2009, captured Jack Adams Award in 2011

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland announced today that the team has hired Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach.

Bylsma, 47, most recently worked as an assistant coach alongside Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, helping the United States capture just its fifth medal in the tournament’s history, beating Canada 4-1 to win the bronze medal. Previous to that, Bylsma spent two seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2015-17 and six seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2008-14, taking over the Penguins during the 2008-09 campaign and helping the team to an 18-3-4 regular-season finish en route to defeating the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. In 565 career games as an NHL head coach, Bylsma compiled a 320-190-55 record alongside a 43-45 postseason mark and was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2011.

“I know that Dan will make a great impact on our team, and we’re excited to add him to the bench,” said Blashill. “His resume speaks for itself, including the Stanley Cup championship and Jack Adams Award. I also had the unique opportunity to work with Dan at this year’s World Championship, and that experience leaves no doubt that Dan will bring innovative ideas and tremendous attention to detail to our coaching staff.”

The Grand Haven, Mich., native started his coaching career in 2004-05 as an assistant coach for the American Hockey League’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, prior to moving on to work in the same role with the New York Islanders in 2005-06. Bylsma joined the Pittsburgh organization in 2006-07, serving two seasons as an assistant with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL (2006-08) before he was elevated to head coach to begin the 2008-09 season. He also has additional international experience with USA Hockey, serving as head coach for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and winning his first bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.

As a player, Bylsma appeared in 429 NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Mighty Ducks between 1995-04, picking up 62 points (19-43-62) and 184 penalty minutes. He logged 840 games as a professional, including his 95 games in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, Albany River Rats, Moncton Hawks, Lowell Lock Monsters and Cincinnati Mighty Ducks; 85 games in the ECHL for the Greensboro Monarchs; and 231 games in the International Hockey League with the Phoenix Roadrunners and Long Beach Ice Dogs, in a playing career that spanned 1992-04. Bylsma graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1992 with a degree in accounting and played four seasons on the hockey team, where he was a two-time CCHA All-Academic Team member.