Red Wings prospect Taro Hirose spoke with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase at the end of August. Hirose told Gulitti that he knows he’s got to earn a spot on the Wings’ roster, despite having displayed fine form during a 10-game stint with the Wings last season:
“You definitely have to earn it, so I’m not going in with any sort of expectation I’ll be on the team,” Hirose said. “I just have to play my game and show them that I should be there and give them reasons to not send me down.”
To prepare for camp, Hirose spent the summer in Detroit training with a group of Red Wings veterans that included forwards Dylan Larkin, Luke Glendening and Darren Helm, and fellow young players such as defenseman Dennis Cholowski and forwards Givani Smith, Joseph Veleno and Filip Zadina.
The Red Wings had suggested that Hirose come to Detroit to train prior to their development camp in June, but the Calgary, Alberta, native decided to stick around for the rest of the summer.
“I felt comfortable with the workout and the skates we were doing, so I wanted to stay,” Hirose said. “It’s been really good just being able to work out and get to know some of the other guys and skate with them. I feel like I’ve had a really productive summer.”
Why do these College kids come into camp with higher expectations than prospects from GR, Junior, European. They play less games and get an education (a good thing). The NHL # of games and back to back will shut their motors down. Larkin is always an exception and he seemed to be near a bus to GR, which would have been wrong.
Don’t give anyone a spot until prospect tourney and spring season are over and have the Balls to let a prospect push out a Vet.
Age is a big reason. Hirose is 23 and Veleno is a teenager. He also demonstrated in his brief audition that he could play.
Also be careful about generalizations. Is Chase Pearson on the inside track to win a job, just because he went to college? No. Every prospect is different.
23 is too old and too small (Hirose). Somehow this contradicts what George said about Ras and can’t have too many 20+ prospects in the tournament. And weird rules. Gavina, Hirose both 23 hacking it out with many, many prospects for 4th line.
I hope one day the Wings have a top 9 unit, where some players can kill penalties, cause havoc, change momentum,,,, Lil Bert would be good for a 3rd line that has scoring skills and grit.
A question, does coach Blasshil have any input on the team in the prospect tournament?
I will try to use “Generally Speaking” for you in my replies, LOL
How many games (including playing on the top line in a preview of the World Juniors) did Hirose play compared to Veleno?
10 games, please!!! Veleno never got that opportunity.
Hirose is with Veleno, Zadina on the top line. Hirose is not a Lil Bert that is needed