The Red Wings are well-represented at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, MI this week. Eemil Viro (Finland), William Wallinder, Theodor Niederbach (Sweden), Shai Buium, Carter Mazur and Cross Hanas (Team USA) are all here, and Red Savage is attending as well, rehabbing an injury while skating with the U.S. World Junior team.
Today’s games were eventful, and there will be more games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday:
Viro’s Finns dismantled Team USA White, winning a tight 2-1 game, and Carter Mazur happened to score the game-winning goal as Team USA Blue edged Sweden 4-2.
After the Finland-USA White game, Viro spoke with the media regarding his performance and the Finns’ suffocating defense:
After scoring the game-winning goal, Mazur was more willing to talk, discussing scoring what he suggested might be the biggest goal of his career, trying to make Team USA, and getting drafted by the Red Wings (among other topics):
Buium, Mazur’s roommate this week and a fellow entering-the-University-of-Denver freshman, spoke about being drafted by the Wings, growing up in a not-exactly-hockey-hotbed of San Diego, the strengths of his game and what he’s looking to accomplish this week:
Cross Hanas admittedly had a tough year, bouncing between the USHL and the WHL, but he discussed his past season, his attempts to play two-way hockey this week with Team USA, and witnessing Mazur and Buium get drafted (Mazur’s family was in attendance at the rink yesterday):
William Wallinder didn’t play for Sweden due to undisclosed reasons–he said he was healthy–and he was kind enough to wait for myself, DetroitRedWings.com’s Art Regner and The Athletic’s Max Bultman through the U.S. media availabilities. Regrettably, Wallnder’s answers regarding his season spent with MODO Ornskoldsvik (which he said was a rough season), being recruited by Rogle, Moritz Seider’s team this past season in the SHL, and working on his strengths consisted of quick answers:
Wallinder’s teammate, Niederbach, was not available on Sunday, but the assembled Wings media in tow will speak with him later this week.
I’m not sure whether Red Savage will be made available to the media as he’s only skating with Matty Beniers and Eamon Powell as the trio of skaters are rehabbing injuries.
