The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings assistant GM Ryan Martin regarding the Red Wings’ annual prospect tournament, which begins on Friday in Traverse City, MI:
“For sure it’s an evaluation camp,” said Ryan Martin, Red Wings’ assistant general manager. “It’s an excellent opportunity for players to show what they can do, in front of the front office, coaching staff, the eight teams competing at the tournament, and representatives from all 31 teams who will be there.”
For the Red Wings, and their curious fan base, this tournament will be a chance to see recent first-round draft picks Dennis Cholowski, Michael Rasmussen, Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno all on the same team, and playing against top-tier talent from other NHL organizations.
Rasmussen and Zadina are two forwards who have a path to making the Opening Night NHL roster, while Cholowski has more of a crowded battle with several other defensemen for an available roster spot on the blue line.
“There will be a lot of evaluation, there is training camp and exhibition games and (intra-squad) scrimmages, but this is a first chance to make an impression and show they deserve to be in the NHL,” Martin said.
The 8-team tournament takes place on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at Centre ICE Arena, and jobs on the Red Wings’ roster aren’t necessarily in play, but the pecking order for call-ups and nods for later-in-the-year promotions are definitely part of the equation…and the free agents get recruited by teams all over North America.
With something like 200 scouts in attendance, this is a place to get noticed, and as Martin tells Kulfan, the teams involved believe that the tournament offers elite-level play:
“I love this tournament,” said Martin, who believes the community involvement from Traverse City, makes this one of the better such tournaments around the league this weekend. “When you consider the over 200 volunteers, the rink, the setting, the talent in this tournament, the weather, it’s a great week (of hockey).
“It’s great, great hockey, and with games being staggered and going on at both rinks, for a hockey fan it doesn’t get much better.
“You’re going to see the top three, four or five top prospects from each of the eight organizations. For most of these players it’s the best quality of hockey they will have played in during their career (to this point).”
Kulfan continues, and you can access the tournament schedule here on Centre ICE’s website.
