Flint’s MyCity Magazine‘s Mark Spezia spoke with Red Wings defenseman and Grand Blanc, MI native Jon Merrill regarding his decision to sign with his hometown Red Wings earlier this past fall:
The easiest decision of Merrill’s life was signing a one-year, $950,000 deal with Detroit. “I had thought about and dreamed about that moment for so long that I really could not sign fast enough,” he says. “My wife was equally excited and this is what’s best for our family. My parents and all the family we have in Michigan were elated.”
Calls, texts and messages began flooding Merrill’s phone and the family’s social media accounts. “I heard from so many people. Guys I played with ten years ago said they were happy to see me return home,” he says. “It was really touching, actually.”
One of the first to contact Merrill was Detroit forward Luke Glendening, his former Wolverines teammate. “I have been fortunate to be good friends with Luke and have him show me around and introduce me to the guys,” he says. “That has gone very well and they are a great group of teammates. He also introduced me to the coaching staff and front office people. They have been very welcoming.”
