Month: July 2021

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe broke the news that long-time Tledo Walleye forward Shane Berschbach retired this morning, and this evening, Monroe has penned a very lengthy article in which the Walleye’s all-time leading scorer discusses his decision to step away from the game:

Future Toledo hockey hall of famer Shane Berschbach, a fixture and cornerstone for the Walleye organization for nearly half of its existence, has retired.

Berschbach, who played six seasons for the ECHL franchise, announced his retirement on Instagram on Saturday. The speedy forward is the organization’s leader in every significant offensive category.

“It’s tough, for sure,” Berschbach said. “It has been the best ride I could have asked for. Big thanks to the city, people, and fans of Toledo. It was an honor to play in front of you for six years. The atmosphere you guys brought every night was second to none and something I’ll remember forever. You guys made Toledo feel like home. I’ll always remember all the good days and the people of Toledo and going to the rink every day and the people I got to work with daily.”

Berschbach, who turned 30 in May, is the Walleye’s all-time leader in games played (376).

The native of Clawson, Mich. also retires as the team’s career leader in points collected (393), goals scored (116), and assists (277).

Continued

The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects wrapped up eight days’ worth of games and practices at USA Hockey Arena on Saturday, concluding the World Junior Summer Showcase with a pair of entertaining games.

Team Sweden finally earned their first win in 5 tries, defeating Team USA White 7-1;

Defenseman William Wallinder had 2 assists and was +3 for Sweden, and Theodor Niederbach, playing on the wing, had an assist and was +2 for Sweden…

For the U.S. side, defenseman Shai Buium had a good game despite finishing at -3, and Cross Hanas had a quiet game due to all the special teams play, finishing at -2.

In terms of highlights, IceHockeyGifs covered the game, and here are the plays in which Wallinder and Niederbach had assists:

Continue reading Impressions from Saturday at the World Junior Summer Showcase (and interviews with Theodor Niederbach, Red Savage, and coaches Tomas Monten and Nate Leaman)

Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi spoke with the media this afternoon after signing a 2-year, $9.5 million contract with Detroit as a restricted free agent:

NHL.com’s Dave Hogg took note of Bertuzzi’s remarks regarding his rehabilitation from back surgery and the length of the 26-year-old’s contract…

Continue reading Quips and quotes from Tyler Bertuzzi’s press conference after signing a 2-year, $9.5 million contract

Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi is scheduled to speak with the media regarding his two-year contract with the team today at 2:00 PM EDT:

Tweets of note:

Continue reading Tyler Bertuzzi to speak with the media at 2:00 PM EDT

Great news as I headed to the rink this morning:

The #LGRW re-signed 26 y/o F Tyler Bertuzzi to 2 year $4.75M cap hit deal.

Yr 1 $4.25M salary
Yr 2 $5.75M salary

He was an RFA with a $3.5M qualifying offer and 1 year from UFA. New deal covers 1 UFA year.

Rep’d by Todd Reynolds @uptownhockey https://t.co/mPtn0TF4AB

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 31, 2021

UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today re-signed left wing Tyler Bertuzzi to a two-year contract.

Details: https://t.co/vlCVkRRGqC pic.twitter.com/HlCtGzmylG

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 31, 2021

RED WINGS RE-SIGN TYLER BERTUZZI TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT  … 2020 NHL All-Star Has Skated in 208 NHL Games Since 2016-17 …DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today re-signed left wing Tyler Bertuzzi to a two-year contract.

Bertuzzi, 26, was limited to nine games with the Red Wings in 2020-21 due to injury but logged seven points (5-2-7) and four penalty minutes. Bertuzzi was coming off a career season with the Red Wings in 2019-20, setting career highs in assists (27), points (48) and penalty minutes (40) while posting his second-straight 21-goal campaign, which led the team, and finishing as one of two players to skate in all 71 games (along with Dylan Larkin). The 6-foot-1, 199-pound winger has appeared in 208 games with the Red Wings since making his NHL debut during the 2016-17 campaign, totaling 126 points (54-72-126) and 119 penalty minutes. Originally a second round pick (58th overall) of the Red Wings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Bertuzzi was also Detroit’s representative at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.

The Sudbury, Ontario, native has accrued six professional seasons between Detroit and the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. In parts of four seasons with the Griffins (2014-18), Bertuzzi tallied 82 points (32-50-82), a plus-15 rating and 204 penalty minutes in 137 regular-season games. He also posted 39 points (23-16-39), a plus-12 rating and 68 penalty minutes in 42 career AHL postseason games. Bertuzzi helped the Griffins win the 2017 Calder Cup Championship, as he won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy awarded to the most-valuable player of the playoffs after posting 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 postseason contests. Prior to turning pro, Bertuzzi skated four seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, earning 172 points (72-100-172), a plus-35 rating and 325 penalty minutes over 201 games from 2011-15. Bertuzzi won an OHL championship with the Storm in 2014 alongside fellow Red Wings forwards Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter, and was named an OHL Second-Team All-Star the following season after notching 98 points (43-55-98) in 68 games in his final season of major junior hockey.

Continue reading Red Wings sign Tyler Bertuzzi to 2-year contract

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe reports sad news for Toledo Walleye fans this morning:

Future Toledo hockey hall of famer Shane Berschbach, a star forward for the Walleye, has decided to retire.

Berschbach, who played six seasons for the Toledo Walleye, announced his retirement via Instagram on Saturday. The speedy forward is the organization’s leader in every significant offensive category.

Berschbach, who turned 30 in May, is the Walleye’s all-time leader in games played (376).

The native of Clawson, Mich., also retires as the team’s career leader in points (393), goals scored (116), and assists (277).

Continued

Our all-time leader in…

games played,
goals,
assists,
and points.

Thank you for everything, #10. ? pic.twitter.com/GvhI0HycTM— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) July 31, 2021

Of podcast-related note this morning:

1. The Detroit News posted its latest “Octopulse” podcast, in which Ted Kulfan discusses the Red Wings’ free agency moves, Kulfan interviews Wings prospect Cross Hanas, whose dad was once given a try-out with the Red Wings, and the podcast summarizes the interviews given by several of the Wings’ free agency and draft additions:

2. And DetroitRedWings.com’s Art Regner interviews Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa and Carter Mazur just after the players were drafted this past weekend in the latest episode of “The Red & White Authority”:

The Red Wings aren’t done making moves this summer–mostly because there are restricted free agents to re-sign, and because, according to my surgically-repaired gut, anyway, the team will probably add another forward or two before all is said and done…

But when I look at the team’s depth charts on PuckPedia and CapFriendly, I’m very satisfied with the State of the Franchise.

With perhaps the exception of Frans Nielsen, most of Ken Holland’s doofiest contractual mistakes have been expunged from the roster. The guys who left to “chase Cups” (as hard as it was to say goodbye to them) have left the roster leaner, meaner, and much younger…

And te few additions made via trades and free agency would seem to indicate that a relatively healthy Red Wings team will finally start turning its ship around after wallowing in “heavy weather” for the past half-a-decade.

Playing in a stacked Atlantic Division, the Wings aren’t likely to make a deep playoff run next season, but they’re at least somewhat likely to be more competitive, and that’s exciting by present-day Red Wings standards.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan examined each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams to deem “winners,” “losers” and “flat-liners” of the offseason thus far, and Kulfan offers this take on the Red Wings’ offseason moves (again, “thus far”) in a subscriber-only article. Kulfan places the Wings in the “winners'” category for the following reasons:

Detroit — The Wings aren’t going to be playoff contenders — yet. And who knows how good goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and forward Pius Suter will turn out to be. But the potential of those two, the immediate help of defenseman Nick Leddy, and two quality first-round draft picks (defenseman Simon Edvinsson, goaltender Sebastian Cossa), make for another step forward.

Kulfan continues (paywall); I can’t say that I’m absolutely ecstatic about the number of wins my gallbladder-less gut says the Wings will earn this upcoming season, but I’m excited about the team’s promise and potential (both short and long-term) for the first time in a long time, and that’s pretty cool.

This press release from GamingLyfe.com (a website I admittedly do not frequent) is a little convoluted, but the long story short is this:

The Red Wings and the Pistons, along with the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, Big Sean, and a gentleman named Tyler “Ninja” Blevins are collaborating on a program that will help kids pursue careers in sports, entertainment, and yes, “esports.”

How will the Red Wings be involved? That’s a very good question, and here’s the answer:

Detroit Red Wings team up with The Children’s Foundation to deliver year-round programming

As part of their landmark Learn, Play, Score program, the Detroit Red Wings are teaming up with The Children’s Foundation and BGCSM to introduce Esports + Hockey. The program will provide year-round hockey connectivity for young BGCSM members across metro Detroit through hands-on learning experiences, esports engagement, and workforce development. Additional details about this program will be announced later.

“The Red Wings are excited to continue growing the impact of Learn, Play, Score in the city of Detroit through the Esports + Hockey program with The Children’s Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan,” said Kevin Brown, director of community impact for the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. “We can’t wait to announce the details of this groundbreaking, year-round interactive program soon.”

Continued; esports is a real career path for some younger folks (and not so young folks) these days, so it’s pretty cool to know that the Red Wings are supporting that particular endeavor.

At the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan today:

1. Carter Mazur had a goal as Team USA White defeated an Eemil Viro-less Finland (assistant coach Mikko Koivu said that Viro’s injury was minor in nature) 5-4 in overtime. Mazur scored USA White’s 2-2 goal at the 8:56 mark of the 2nd period:

Carter Mazur (DET) scores on a solo rush to make it 2-2. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/gQULMxy3LX— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) July 30, 2021

Mazur spoke with myself and The Athletic’s Max Bultman after the game:

Continue reading Impressions from Friday at the World Junior Summer Showcase (and interviews with Carter Mazur and Red Savage)