Month: July 2018

The Malik Report will enter some uncharted territory tomorrow as the sole content provider (me) is going on vacation for a week. I’m heading up to Grand Marais, MI for the annual family trip.

I’m not quite sure how things will work while I’m away. I will have some limited internet access, and I haven’t decided whether I’ll post a daily update or whether you’ll get an every-couple-days catch-up post.

It’s been a very busy summer news-wise, but the last week of July/first week of August is usually the nadir/low point of the summer news cycle, so I hope that I don’t miss too much.

In any case, I’m assuming that TMR will survive one down week in the off-season, and that you will all be on your best behavior while I’m gone 😉

The Free Press’s Helene St. James engaged in a Q and A with former Red Wing Chris Chelios. Among the items of note:

How long was the decision to leave Detroit in the making?

CC: Since a few months after my dad passed. My mom gets help from my sister, but the commute just got really old driving back and forth trying to help my sister. Over the years, I’d talked with the Ilitches about it, about returning home at some point. Then after my dad passed, that’s really when I started thinking about it seriously.

The kids also had a bearing on it — I’m an empty nester now. My daughter graduated from Northwestern a few months ago. Two of them are going to be here in Chicago. So it’s basically all family based.

…

Where do you see yourself in five years?

CC: I’m still not ruling out coaching because so far that’s where I’ve had the most fun. I just have to decide if I want to do it 100 percent — the travel, the grind. That’s the only thing holding me back — and again, my mom, being able to help her out whenever I can. I wasn’t there when my dad passed, I was actually at the rink getting ready for a game. You can’t always be there, but it bothers me a lot that I wasn’t there with my mom when he passed. So we’ll see.

Being president of a team allows you to make your own schedule — you’re working a lot but still, if something comes up, a family matter, you can still make that. That seems like a pretty interesting job to me. Coaching, it’s a lot of hours, and all the instruction with video — to me it’s overkill, but that’s how a lot of young coaches are now.

I’ve never had a partner in the restaurant business and I don’t like being told what to do with my schedule. I listen, but I like being the boss.

Will you keep your restaurant in Detroit? 

CC: For now, yes.

Continued

 

The Hockey News’s Matt Larkin wrote an exhaustive list handicapping the top 200 fantasy hockey players for the 2018-19 season. Here are his Red Wings mentions:

107. Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings: He’s unquestionably Detroit’s No. 1 pivot now. Lack of goals and a weak supporting cast limit his upside for now. More interesting if Filip Zadina makes the team and ends up on his line.

154. Anthony Mantha, RW, Red Wings: Strong bet to lead the Wings in goals again, but watch out for Zadina. If you’re not on the first line in Detroit, you’re in a bad fantasy situation, especially if Henrik Zetterberg doesn’t play this year.

164. Filip Zadina, RW, Red Wings: He reminds me of Marian Hossa. You’ll want to reach on him if he makes the team, but keep in mind he’s eligible to return to major junior and that his QMJHL squad hosts the Memorial Cup this year, hint hint.

178. Mike Green, D, Red Wings: Someone has to quarterback the Wings’ power play, and Green will keep holding down that job, but further decline isn’t out of the question for a 32-year-old coming off neck surgery.

Continued

Chris Chelios was officially “welcomed home” to both Chicago and the Blackhawks at the Hawks’ annual fan convention, and Chelios told the Chicago Tribune’s Shannon Ryan that he’ll be opening up a Mexican restaurant in Chicago:

Aside from his Hall of Fame hockey career with the Canadiens, Blackhawks and Red Wings, many Chicagoans remember Chris Chelios’ family restaurant on Madison Street near the United Center.

The Hall of Famer who has returned to the Hawks as a team ambassador is already tossing around ideas about opening up a restaurant now that he’s back living in his hometown.

In Dearborn, Mich., Detroit and Chicago, he operated Cheli’s Chili Bar with the help of his family. He said he’s going to switch it up this time.

“I don’t have the location, but it’s going to be Cheli’s Cantina,” he said. “I love Mexican food now.”

97.1 the Ticket’s Jamie and Stoney had an interesting debate this morning, wondering which athlete has been the most beloved in Detroit sports history:

Detroit Tigers fans have waited 17 years for Alan Trammell to make it into the Hall of Fame.

“I’m thrilled that both are getting in at the same time,” Jamie Samuelsen said, adding that no one would argue that Trammell is the best Detroit athlete of all time.

But is he the most beloved in history?

Co-host Mike “Stone” Stone answered: Alan Trammell and Steve Yzerman are the most beloved athletes he can remember seeing in Detroit.

He added that Trammell is special and so beloved, despite his lack of ability as manager, because people just don’t hold the manager years against him.

“Yzerman and Trammell are the two in my mind,” Stoney said.

Continued, and I’d argue that Steve Yzerman may be the most beloved Red Wing this side of Gordie Howe, but that’s just my opinion.

Who do you feel has been the most beloved Red Wings player?

The Red Wings and Pistons team store at Little Caesars Arena is holding its Summer Sale tomorrow…

The @LCArena_Detroit Team Store (76 Henry St., Detroit) will hold its inaugural Summer Sale on Saturday, July 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ‼️

Details: https://t.co/f3Mox2jWE2 pic.twitter.com/rPWbx3DIGi

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 19, 2018

And Fox 2 Detroit received an in-person preview of some of the items on sale:

 

Via a heads-up from Abel to Yzerman, NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika spoke with Dylan Larkin at the Eastside Elite Hockey League All-Star Game last night, and Larkin told Cotsonika that he needs to step up during the upcoming season:

“I want to be the guy,” Larkin said. “I honestly don’t believe in No. 1 centers in the NHL [in terms of labels]. Who’s the No. 1 center in Toronto? Who’s the No. 1 center in Pittsburgh? You’ve got to have two centers. [But] I want to be the guy that’s out there whether we’re down by a goal and we need to score with a minute left or we’re up by a goal and taking that huge faceoff in your [defensive] zone. So just want to be looked at as that, like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have for so long in Detroit.”

The Red Wings need Larkin to become the guy. Datsyuk left for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League after the 2015-16 season, the last of Detroit’s streak of 25 straight Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. Zetterberg turns 38 on Oct. 9 and has back problems. General manager Ken Holland has said he expects Zetterberg to play this season, but it is not certain.

Larkin turns 22 on Monday. A restricted free agent, he said there are no major issues in contract negotiations. He doesn’t feel like a veteran yet, even though he’s entering his fourth NHL season and the Red Wings will give opportunities to younger players, including forwards Michael Rasmussen, 19, and Filip Zadina, 18.

“We have one of the best veteran cores in the NHL of people and players,” Larkin said. “They’re special people, and they’re established. When I think of a veteran, I think of someone who’s paid their dues and been around and knows the ins and outs and have a lot of respect.”

Cotsonika continues…

From the Toledo Walleye:

TANSEY TO PATROL WALLEYE BLUE LINE AGAIN

Toledo, OH – Defenseman Kevin Tansey has agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2018-19 season.

Tansey, a native of Hammond, Ontario, returns to the Walleye after appearing in 67 games last season with 15 points (7G, 8A) and 77 penalty minutes. He added in a pair of assists during the Walleye playoff run in the spring. His seven goals were second most on the team from a defenseman (Patrick McCarron had nine). Tansey skated in 44 games for the then Missouri Mavericks in 2016-17, his first pro season with 13 goals and 18 assists. In 111 ECHL contests, the 6’4”, 217 defenseman has scored 20 goals with 26 assists, 125 penalty minutes and is a career plus five.

“We saw what Kevin brings to the team on and off the ice,” said Head Coach Dan Watson. “He is a tremendous blue line presence in both the offensive and defensive zones.”

The 25 year old brings 30 games of AHL experience with him after appearing in 19 games for Chicago in the 2016-17 season (1G, 2A) and another 11 contests with Binghamton following his final college season at the end of the 2015-16 season. Tansey played his college hockey at Clarkson University from 2011-2016. Tansey finished his college career second in career games played (151) for the Golden Knights. Tansey scored 12 goals with 22 assists and 122 penalty minutes in his college career at Clarkson.

Chris Chelios will officially be named an ambassador for the Chicago Blackhawks during this weekend’s Blackhawks fan convention, and Chelios spoke with WGN Radio’s Steve Cochran regarding his decision to “come home”:

This is probably the last Chelios entry I’ll post for a while. I’m not going to cover the Chelios-welcome-back stuff as it’s simply no longer Red Wings-related.

Of disparate Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. The Toledo Walleye are hosting the 2019 ECHL All-Star Game, and tickets are now on sale for the event:

? PURCHASE YOUR ALL-STAR GAME TICKETS NOW ?

Be here for this historic event ➡️ https://t.co/2O96RF5vy6 pic.twitter.com/iQzufIYegX

— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) July 27, 2018

2. Winging It in Motown’s The_Roar24 paid tribute to Chris Chelios:

One Man’s Cheli: a story by @TheRoar_24 https://t.co/YiO7eYZqO9 pic.twitter.com/gF5nTblKNq

— Winging It In Motown (@wingingitmotown) July 27, 2018

3. And the Grand Rapids Griffins posted a profile of Wings prospect Dennis Cholowski: