Month: November 2020

Roughly Translated: Filip Hronek speaks with Hokej.cz after a goal and an assist at the Karjala Cup

Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek registered a goal and an assist in the Czech Republic’s 3-1 win over Sweden at the Karjala Cup today. After the game, he spoke with Hokej.cz’s Adam Bagar regarding his performance, and here’s a rough translation of the interview:

“I hit it right,” Hronek says. By the end, he wasn’t as fresh anymore

Last week he practiced on the outdoor rink in Dobris. Now, after a long silence between games, he hopped on the ice for the Karjala Cup against the Swedes and did great. Defenseman Filip Hronek made a significant contribution to the winning premiere of coach Filip Pesan. He contributed two points to the victory of the Czech national team, which won 3-1 over the Swedes.

“It was something other than dryland training,” smiled the defnseman, who went into action for the first time since September 29th, when he helped HK Mountfield win with a goal and an assist to take a 6-1 decision away against Olomouc. “But it was pretty cool; I wasn’t that fresh by the end of the game,” he admits.

Continue reading Roughly Translated: Filip Hronek speaks with Hokej.cz after a goal and an assist at the Karjala Cup

A bit more about Jeff Blashill’s hosting of Ferris State University’s ‘Foundation for Excellence Benefit’

Ferris State University posted a few more details regarding this month’s virtual fundraising gala, which is hosted by Red Wings coach and Ferris State alumnus Jeff Blashill:

Ferris State University alumnus and Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill will serve as the master of ceremonies for The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit, a virtual celebration set for introduction during the first week of November via social media.

Kim Erickson, the administrative assistant for The Ferris Foundation, said that with the 2020 Benefit being conducted virtually, rather than the typical large-venue gathering, Associate Vice President for External Relations Jeremy Mishler suggested Blashill as the event’s master of ceremonies. The schedules matched. The National Hockey League’s 2019-20 season concluded on Monday, Sept. 28. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he expects the 2020-21 season to begin on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

“We were glad to have Jeff Blashill’s contribution of time and talent to this event,” Erickson said of Blashill, a 1998 graduate of Ferris’ College of Business and a former Bulldog goaltender and assistant coach. “Our videographer Hannah Crouch joined Jeremy in a visit to Detroit to gather Jeff’s segments. Having his support would be next to impossible for a typical Foundation Benefit, because of his obligations to the Red Wings and the demands of their schedule.”

If you’re interested in lending a charitable hand, you can do so here, and here’s Ferris State’s “video teaser” for the charity drive:

‘The Word on Woodward’ to air at 12 PM EST

The Red Wings’ twice-weekly webcast, “The Word on Woodward,” will air today at 12 PM EST. No “word” as to who will appear on the program with Daniella Bruce, Carley Johnston and birthday boy Art Regner, but that information should be released shortly.

Update:

The #WordOnWoodward is live from 12-2!! Head over to the @DetroitRedWings and @tigers Facebook, YouTube, or websites. Today we’ll be joined by Nate Robertson, @Dan_Dickerson, @beckjason, @troystecher, Mike Vernon, and more!!! Oh AND it’s @ArthurJRegner Birthday!!!!— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) November 5, 2020

Karjala Cup: Hronek posts goal, assist as Czechs beat Berggren’s Swedes 3-1

In the opening game of the Karjala Tournament in Helsinki, Filip Hronek played a large role in the Czech Republic’s 3-1 win over Sweden.

Hronek scored a goal, added an assist and was on the ice for all three Czech goals.

Here’s Hronek’s goal, from Here’s Your Replay and Antonj85 on Twitter:

Hronek played on the Czechs’ second defensive pair, and he finished at +1; Jonatan Berggren made his Swedish National Team debut in the loss, and he finished “even.”

Coming up: Sweden will play Russia on Saturday, while the Czechs will play Finland. Again, the Swedish World Junior Selection Camp in Finland has been canceled due to two coronavirus cases on the Swedish team.

Two Things: praise for the Wings’ ‘timeless’ logo and the Mantha signing

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

  1. SportsLogos.net’s Chris Creamer and Todd Radom have published a new book called Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL’s Names, Logos and Uniforms, and both authors weighed in as to their favorite NHL team logos while speaking with The Score’s Nick Faris:

Detroit Red Wings: As with the Bruins, Creamer applauds Detroit for riding with the same logo through the eras. Save for the occasional cosmetic update, no one has touched or sullied the winged wheel that Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidstrom each sported in turn.

Longevity is one thing, but how’s this for added historical significance: Detroit’s famous emblem is a tribute to the first winners of the Stanley Cup, the amateur Montreal Hockey Club’s “Winged Wheelers.” That outfit lifted the chalice in 1893, a full 115 years before the Red Wings celebrated the most recent of their 11 titles.

“To me, that alone – the history attached to it, to the origins of hockey – make it one of the greatest logos in the NHL,” Creamer said.

2. And ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski gave praise to Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman for his work in signing Anthony Mantha to a 4-year, $22.8 million contract:

Winner: Steve Yzerman

He got Anthony Mantha done for four years and $5.7 million AAV, on a back-loaded contract ($13 million in the last two seasons) and with no trade protection. So the Detroit Red Wings GM secured a good player at a solid cap number, and has the flexibility to move him in his prime. And that’s why he’s Steve Yzerman.

Roughly translated: Albert Johansson speaks with HockeyNews.se

Red Wings prospect Albert Johansson spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg in a sit-down interview that was posted via HockeyNews.se’s YouTube channel…

And thankfully, there’s a companion article which covers some of the topics discussed on video, which I’m presenting here in roughly translated form:

Continue reading Roughly translated: Albert Johansson speaks with HockeyNews.se

Swedish World Junior Championship team cancels camp in Finland due to multiple coronavirus cases

According to Aftonbladet, Expressen, Hockeysverige.se, Hockeynews.se, and, most importantly, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association’s website, the Swedish World Junior Selection Camp team has canceled its camp in Finland, as well as its three games against the Finnish national junior team, due to multiple positive coronavirus cases on the Swedish team.

There’s no word as to who might have the virus, and as the SHL and the Swedish J20 leagues are taking a pause until November 10th, we may never know whether any of the Wings’ prospects attending the camp (Gustav Berglund, Albert Johansson, Albin Grewe, Lucas Raymond and Theodor Niederbach) were affected.

Update: Swedish national team coach Tomas Monten tells HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg that the team had a positive test on Monday and another positive test today, and nobody is experiencing symptoms, but the Swedes are using an abundance of caution.

Roughly translated: Filip Hronek talks with Hokej.cz ahead of the Karjala Cup

Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek is going to play for the Czech Republic in the Karjala Cup in Finland over the next four days, but Hronek almost didn’t earn the opportunity to play because he received an “inconclusive” coronavirus test when he arrived in Finland.

As a result, he spent his birthday in his Helsinki hotel room, and he spoke with Hokej.cz’s Vaclav Jachim about his situation. What follows is roughly translated:

Hronek on taking a leading role on the Czech team at the Karjala Cup: If necessary, I will be happy to help!

After taking a test for coronavirus at the border, he spent hours of uncertainty [alone in his hotel room], but he’s already well and really looking forward to a sharp start of the Karjala tournament. Filip Hronek received a permit from Finnish Hygiene and is fully practicing with the Czech national team. During the first event of the Euro Hockey Tour, he will be one of the key pillars, and the Detroit defenseman himself has shown great desire for a chance to join the elite.

The last time he was named MVP because he performed greatly. At the 2019 World Championship, Hronek was named the best defenseman of the tournament, and he was also named to the tournament’s all-star team. Now he’s in the position as one of the team leaders, but he doesn’t admit as much. “There are other experienced players here,” he says with a clear head.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Filip Hronek talks with Hokej.cz ahead of the Karjala Cup

Anthony Mantha speaks with the NHL Network

Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha gave The NHL Tonight a 6-and-a-half-minute-long interview yesterday night, speaking about his new contract with the Red Wings: