Month: June 2019

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. The CTV News Windsor posted an article discussing the excellent participation in the annual Bob Probert Ride:

The annual Bob Probert Ride is being called a success. More than 1,500 people took part in the motorcycle ride across Windsor-Essex on Sunday.

The 9th annual ride supports cardiac services and equipment across the region and has raised more than $1-million to date.

It’s named after former hockey tough guy Bob Probert, who spent the majority of his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. Probert died July 5, 2010.

Edmonton Oilers NHL forward Zack Kassian was one of the ride captains this year. Kassian, a Windsor native, says he has fond memories of Probert.

“He was a big, loving guy you know that cared about his family, a good person,” says Kassian. “Obviously he went through his struggles, but (I remember) it’s the things he accomplished on the ice as one of the premier enforcers that could play the game and score goals — but at the end of the day he was a good family man.”

2. Also, the Oakland Press’s Pat Caputo and 97.1 the Ticket’s Jamie Samuelssen appeared on Fox 2’s SportsWorks on Sunday night, and both gentlemen discussed the Red Wings’ 2019 NHL Draft performance:

The Detroit Red Wings invited 17 free agents to this year’s summer development camp, and several stories hit the wires today regarding the invites.

The Windsor Star’s Jim Parker spoke with Guelph Storm defenseman Owen Lalonde regarding his invitation:

The 19-year-old Lalonde, who plays defence for the OHL’s Guelph Storm, had the offer extended after Saturday’s NHL Draft.

“It came pretty much out of nowhere,” said Lalonde, who is a defenceman with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. “I hadn’t heard too much from anyone during the whole process.”

The six-foot-one, 185-pound Lalonde helped Guelph to an OHL title this year and a spot in the Memorial Cup. He attended prospects camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs a year ago.

“I just got a call after the draft Saturday for an invite to development camp in Detroit and then to the (rookie) camp in September in Traverse City, too,” Lalonde said on Monday. “Detroit was the only team I heard from, but it was still pretty cool because it’s the team I’ve grown up watching all my life and, of course, how close it is to home.”

The Red Wings also invited several college-graduating players to development camp, and Upper Michigan’s Source (TV WLUC 6 Marquette) noted that some of the older players in attendance will fill out the Grand Rapids Griffins’ roster this fall:

Continue reading A bit about several of the Red Wings’ summer development camp invitees

On Wednesday, the Rocket Mortgage Classic will kick things off at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, and the Free Press reports that several members of the Red Wings will play in the Pro-Am portion of the event:

Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders will highlight the list of celebrities who tee it up in Wednesday’s pro-am of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

Sanders will be joined by another Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis, the Detroit native and Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers who has been a member at the club.

Musician Kid Rock, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and three Red Wings — Justin Abdelkader, Danny DeKeyser and Jimmy Howard — also will tee it up.

TSN’s Bob Weeks reports that there will also be a Red Wings fan in attendance among the professional golfers playing in the main event:

Seven Canadians are in the field for this week’s inaugural run of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, Mich. That includes Mike Weir who was given a sponsor’s exemption.

Weir’s hometown, Brights Grove, Ont., is just a short jaunt from the site of the event and he’s expecting a large contingent of supporters from the Sarnia area. It will mark his fourth PGA Tour start in the last six weeks.

Weir is excited to play close to his home and also in the city of his favourite NHL team, the Detroit Red Wings.

The other Canadians in the field are Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, Ben Silverman and Nick Taylor.

The Red Wings’ staff attended the Larkin Hockey School in Waterford today…

.@LarkinHockey School! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/K7c4c6KO6z— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 24, 2019

Evgeny Svechnikov joins in on the action! @LarkinHockey pic.twitter.com/83s9a3OS6j— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 24, 2019

And DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner spoke with Larkin regarding the school and offseason news:

Dylan Larkin joins us on Episode 115 of The Red and White Authority to talk @LarkinHockey School, Steve Yzerman, the #NHLDraft and more!

Listen/Rate/Subscribe: https://t.co/0RvP0pNUS4 pic.twitter.com/NqipG128PC— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 24, 2019

Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff noted that Red Wings GM is presently “working the phones” to determine whether unrestricted free agents-to-be might bolster the Red Wings’ roster:

Monday was the first day that teams could officially communicate with unrestricted free agents, and Yzerman intended to let his fingers do the walking.

“I’ll make a lot of phone calls, yeah,” Yzerman said.

“I’m going to make some calls and see. There’s players we’re interested in. You get a feel if they have any interest in coming to Detroit and what the parameters of what they’re looking for.

“We have spots on the roster available. I would look, before a trade, at free agency to fill those roster spots. I also want to have some opportunity for our younger players to fill those spots, but we will look at free agency. But I’m not going to sign a free agent just to sign a free agent.

“The player has to fit what we’re trying to do – the contract, the term of the contract and the value of the contract have to fit.”

Duff’s notebook continues…

The Detroit Red Wings posted the schedule and roster for the team’s summer development camp on Monday afternoon, and here’s a slightly belated version thereof:

Red Wings release 2019 Development Camp roster

Twenty-seven recent draft picks on roster, including 10 from 2019 Entry Draft

Fan opportunities also announced for five-day camp at BELFOR Training Center

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced the roster for their 2019 Development Camp, which will be held at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena from Tuesday, June 25 to Saturday, June 29. The camp roster currently consists of 24 forwards, 15 defensemen and eight goaltenders.

Ten of the 11 players the Red Wings selected at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft on June 21 and 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be in attendance for Development Camp: forwards Albin Grewe, Robert Mastrosimone, Ethan Phillips and Elmer Soderblom; defensemen Gustav Berglund, Albert Johansson, Cooper Moore, Moritz Seider and Antti Tuomisto; and goaltender Carter Gylander. All 10 of the team’s selections from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft are slated to attend, along with five players from the 2017 Entry Draft class, one from 2016 and two from 2015. Additionally, three signed free agents who all saw time with the Red Wings during the 2018-19 season – forwards Taro Hirose and Ryan Kuffner and goaltender Kaden Fulcher – are slated to attend, in addition to 17 free agent prospects from the major junior, collegiate and European ranks.

Continue reading Belated: Red Wings release development camp schedule and roster

Despite difficulties regarding the arena site’s redevelopment, the City of Detroit is demolishing Joe Louis Arena this summer, and WWJ Newsradio 950 posted a video and article which chronicle the exterior demolition of the facility:

It’s a long and gradual goodbye as the gradual teardown of Joe Louis Arena continues in Detroit.

Video shot by WWJ Newsradio 950’s Charlie Langton on Monday shows progress made since last week when a deconstrtuction crew began removing the stadium’s exterior metal panels piece by piece. That process alone — which will leave the roof, the roof trusses and steel columns exposed, along with the lower bowl of the arena — is expected to take a couple of months.

Meanwhile, another crew continues to work on demolishing the building’s interior from the inside out.

The demolition, which will run the city $10 million, is set to be completed by the end of the year or early 2020.

The Detroit Red Wings will be holding a summer development camp tomorrow through Saturday at Little Caesars Arena, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan discusses the parameters thereof:

The Red Wings open development camp Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena, providing an education on NHL life to recent draft picks.

The majority of picks from last weekend’s draft will attend, as well as 2018 first-round picks Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno, signed free-agent prospects and undrafted free agent invitees from college, junior or European leagues.

“We get to know the kids a little bit and try to set them up and educate them if they need it,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “They all have varying experience as far as training and eating properly, so they are at different stages from different countries and backgrounds. We want to educate them on what they need to be doing on and off the ice this summer.

“For the ones we do get to bring back in September (junior league players), make sure they have a real good summer, and for the ones we don’t get back that are in college or have to play in Europe, make sure they understand what they need to do — the lifestyle and dedication, the work ethic, the training to get to the NHL.

“It’s a good week. Our camp will be more about education, instruction and development than conditioning.”

Kulfan continues…

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday announced that Josh Chapman has been hired as the Grand Rapids Griffins’ new athletic trainer.

Chapman joins the Griffins after spending the previous three seasons as the head athletic trainer for the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, managing all medical and training operations for the club. He replaces John Bernal, who served as the Griffins’ athletic trainer for eight seasons (2011-19) before recently accepting a position as a work strategies and sports medicine coordinator for West Michigan with NovaCare.

Continue reading Grand Rapids Griffins name Josh Chapman team’s athletic trainer

Of Twitter-related Red Wings note this afternoon:

1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James addressed the possible return of Niklas Kronwall:

If Kronwall returns, he’s not bumping a young player. As I’ve written, Wings can’t count on Daley/Ericsson to be available all season, plus there’s uncertainty about Green (virus). Kronwall led the team with 79 games played last season. https://t.co/bA059gsaJ9— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) June 24, 2019

They expect him to, but this isn’t a standard timeline like recovering from knee surgery. There’s some uncertainty. https://t.co/oYOg9Jvi0e— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) June 24, 2019

2. And DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji is in attendance at the Larkin Hockey School in Waterford, MI today:

Continue reading Tweets of note: HSJ on Kronwall and going back to (hockey) school