Month: September 2019

Audio from Friday’s media availability at the first day of Red Wings training camp ’19: Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, Oliwer Kaski, Jeff Blashill, Valtteri Filppula

Several members of the Detroit Red Wings’ roster spoke with the media today at Centre ICE Arena after the first day of training camp:

Tyler Bertuzzi gave a short interview, but made it very clear that the Red Wings feel that they have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove in terms of the people who believe that Detroit will end up as a bottom-five NHL team again:

Dylan Larkin spoke to the media for 8 minutes, discussing everything from his status as an alternate captain to the team’s belief that it can finish much higher in the standings than the experts have predicted due to a combination of youth movement and veteran presence–as well as his own need to help propel the team forward as an established star player:

Oliwer Kaski introduced himself and discussed his hopes of making the team out of training camp. Kaski understands that he has an uphill climb, but he believes he’s ready for the NHL:

Coach Jeff Blashill spoke to the media for 10 minutes, addressing the Steve Yzerman regime change, the team’s decision to go with four alternate captains, his impressions of players like Moritz Seider and Joe Veleno, his take on the team’s potential to “not beat itself” this year and more:

Finally, Valtteri Filppula spoke with the media, discussing his familiarity with Steve Yzerman, what he brings to the table as a “veteran player” and what he knows about Adam Erne:

Audio: Steve Yzerman’s press conference at Centre ICE Arena

The internet is not great where I am presently, but from Centre ICE Arena, here is Steve Yzerman’s nearly 18-minute-long press conference with the assembled media. Yzerman discussed a host of topics, from not naming a captain to what he’s looking for from his team this season:

Update: The Detroit News’s Tom Gromak posted a solid portion of the presser:

Update #2: Also, from WXYZ’s Brad Galli:

“When we eventually do name a captain, we intend that person to be the captain for a long time.”

Steve Yzerman explained why he’s waiting to name a Red Wings captain. pic.twitter.com/DMbvVOFlIc— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 13, 2019

Via A2Y: Pronman discusses Filip Larsson, top goalie prospects

Via Abel to Yzerman: The Athletic’s Corey Pronman posted a list of the top goaltending prospects in the NHL for the 2019-2020 season, and Filip Larsson made his list (in the latter stages thereof):

25. Filip Larsson, Detroit

Aug. 17, 1998 | 6-foot-2 | 181 pounds

Drafted: 167th-overall (2016)
Previous ranking: HM

Athleticism: 50
Hockey Sense: 65

Larsson was a top goalie in the NCHC last season, posting a .932 save percentage for Denver and signing with Detroit after the season. His size is average at 6-foot-2, and while he moves fine, his lateral quickness isn’t anything special. What makes Larsson an NHL prospect is his hockey sense. He tracks pucks very well and I’m a big fan of his positional play in net. He always seems to be moving with the puck without extra effort, and even when he loses it he finds it very quickly. He’s not a huge goalie, but he’s aggressive with his challenges. Sometimes he’s a little over aggressive, but he doesn’t usually get burned by it.

Continued (paywall)

TCRE: For training camp secuirty professionals, training camp is a working vacation

The Traverse City prospect tournament and main Red Wings training camp at Centre ICE Arena are staffed entirely by volunteers, and those volunteers give up their vacation time for two weeks’ worth of working for free every year at this time. The Traverse City Record-Eagle’s James Cook spoke with several members of the security team regarding their working vacations:

[Aaron] Case and five of his fellow Kent County officers are on duty — while off duty — enforcing policies of the Red Wings, NHL and Centre Ice to maintain a safe and efficient environment inside and outside the rink. And they do it all for free, each using two weeks of accrued vacation to make a two-hour trip north to Traverse City and camp out while guarding camp.

“Safety and security for everyone is first and foremost,” said Case, who stays in an RV at nearby Timber Ridge Resort, making for a short three-minute commute.

The security detail of 20-25 — part of around 200 Prospect Tournament and training camp volunteers total, Centre Ice rink manager Todd Spaulding said — often works from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the Prospect Tournament, with shorter days for training camp.

Security arrives an hour before an events begin, with Case commonly already in the building a half hour before that.

“I don’t hunt, so it’s kind of like deer camp for me,” said Patrick Stewart, a 39-year-old Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy in his 21st year on the force, while manning the front entrance to Center Ice Arena.

Continued

Twitter video: Wings go golfing in Traverse City

Red Wings TV chronicled the Detroit Red Wings’ charity golf outing at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, MI today:

“Everyone’s happy to be here, just getting things kicked off, hanging with the guys and have some fun.” pic.twitter.com/ZQBqgX5GQn— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 12, 2019

Henrik Zetterberg to appear at the Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc this Sunday

The Ally Challenge is a PGA Champions Tour event that’s taking place at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, and the Detroit News’s Matt Charbonneau reports that Henrik Zetterberg will be taking part in a celebrity event this weekend:

One added highlight this year is the Celebrity Shootout, a nine-hole team exhibition match that will benefit charity and take place following the last tournament pairing of the second round of competition on Saturday.

The event features the legendary Jack Nicklaus along with Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, Kid Rock and Dierks Bentley. The teams – Nicklaus/Rock vs. Zetterberg/Bentley – will compete for a $25,000 purse to benefit the tournament’s primary charitable partners, Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Genesee County.

TSN links defenseman Ben Hutton to the Wings

This is a bit interesting. Despite the fact that the Red Wings’ blueline is incredibly crowded, TSN’s latest free agent updates link free agent defenseman Ben Hutton to Detroit, at least tangentially:

Ben Hutton
Position: LD
Age: 26
Last Year: 69 GP, 5 goals, 15 assists, 20 points, 22:21 TOI
Last Year’s Cap Hit: $2.8 million

Scoop: Hutton was ranked No. 13 on TSN’s Top 50 in July, so it’s a bit of a surprise he’s lingered this long, particularly after the Canucks declined to extend him a qualifying offer for $2.8 million. Hutton has received multiple offers and he’s currently weighing all of his options, which reportedly include the Kings, Rangers, Red Wings and Wild.

Red Wings team up with Rebel Nell to produce Joe Louis Arena-sourced jewelry, art

This is kind of different, to say the least. Via DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji and MLive’s Matt Durr:

Rebel Nell, a Detroit-based jeweler who creates jewelry using pieces of graffiti and other broken concrete in the city has partnered with the Red Wings to create a line of products that will feature the signature red paint from the outside of Joe Louis Arena as the design of jewelry.

“By collecting pieces of the signature red paint from the exterior of the building, we were able to honor a place that holds a spot in the hearts of Detroiters,” reads a portion of Rebel Nell’s website regarding the collection.

Photos accompanying the announcement show earrings, cuff links, dog tags and a tie bar as some of the items being made using the paint. The signature paint color was seen on the iconic steps leading up the front entrance and along the trim of the exterior of the building. Rebel Nell scrapped the paint from areas around the arena in order to create the pieces.

The jewelry collection is scheduled to go on sale on Friday Sept. 27 online and in the Detroit Red Wings team store at Little Caesar’s Arena. Rebel Nell said 25% of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. Pricing information on the pieces was not listed on the Rebel Nell website.

Rounding up Thursday’s training camp storylines

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and forward Frans Nielsen spoke with the media prior to the Red Wings’ charity golf outing in Traverse City this morning…

Then the Wings went golfing…

And the beat writers filed their Thursday stories.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James filed a story regarding the comments made by Blashill and Nielsen…

Continue reading Rounding up Thursday’s training camp storylines